It may have only been a couple months since the arrival of the R15 avatar, but we’re already working as quickly as possible to bring the next phase of this ambitious project to fruition. Today, we’d like to announce some important news regarding a change that starts rolling out this week (and it’s a big one that many of you have been waiting for). Over the next few days, we will be migrating all Hats to the new Accessory categories. These changes will be reflected on the Avatar page, Catalog page, Inventory page, and Trade page. Here’s what you can expect:

New Accessory Types

During this conversion process, we will be splitting up Hats into several different “accessory” types. Hats will no longer simply be called “Hats,” and will instead be labeled as “Accessory | Hat” or “Accessory | Face,” for example, on the website. Not only will this system help clarify where and how the accessory will be placed on your avatar, but it will also better organize any item that’s not traditionally a “hat,” such as wings, sunglasses, tails, etc.

We are currently planning eight types of Accessories: Hats, Hair, Face, Neck, Front, Back, Shoulders, and Waist. The migration will not happen overnight; instead, as the week continues, more and more items will be converted to their appropriate accessory type until we reach the end of the Catalog.

Improved Accessory Animations on the R15 Avatar

Earlier this year, we gave Roblox developers the ability to use Attachment Objects so they could weld various accessories to an avatar in their proper place. Before, any item that you could attach to your character (aside from Gear) would have been considered a “hat,” whether it was a pair of headphones, a scarf, a necklace, swordpack, etc. This item would be subsequently welded to the character’s head before being offset into the appropriate position. By converting every item in the Catalog to an Accessory type, we’re now making sure that each asset is automatically and correctly placed on your avatar. This should result in some improved accessory animations, and we’ll be able to provide you with an even greater and more diverse range of customization options.

A comparison between the new animation (left) versus the old animation (right)

Why Is Roblox Making This Change? (TL;DR)

Clearer organization of items in the Catalog

Better understanding of where and how an item will be placed on your avatar

Improved accessory animations

More diverse customization options with accessory types

We’d love to hear your feedback during the conversion process! Stay up-to-date on our progress by checking into the Developer Forum. While you’re there, feel free to let us know what you think.

For more information on the Accessory API, please see our Wiki page here.