On September 13, 2025, Steal a Brain Rot officially became the biggest Roblox game ever, reaching over 24.1 million players online and even surpassing Grow a Garden. The massive spike in player count was so large that it caused a Roblox outage. But behind the success, the game has been plagued with drama.
From accusations of stolen concepts, to questionable AI-generated characters, and most recently the removal of one of its most iconic brainrots, Tung Tung Sahur, the community has been left divided. Here’s a breakdown of how one brainrot spiraled into Roblox’s biggest controversy.
What Exactly is a Brainrot?
“Brainrot” refers to a series of AI-generated characters, most famously from the “Italian Brainrot” meme trend in early 2025. It started with Tralarelo Tralala, a shark wearing sneakers, and quickly expanded into dozens of quirky characters like:
- Bombardiro Crocodilo
- Cappuccino Assassino
- Babrini Zucchini
- And of course, Tung Tung Sahur
Roblox developers quickly jumped on the trend, creating games centered around collecting and stealing these characters. The most popular by far was Steal a Brain Rot, which skyrocketed to the top of the Roblox charts.
Winning Awards but Facing Backlash
Despite its popularity, Steal a Brain Rot winning Best Creative Direction at the Roblox Innovation Awards sparked outrage. Many argued that the game was far from original, since:
- The concept resembled Steal a Character, a game released a month earlier with similar mechanics.
- The base-building and passive income system felt heavily inspired by Grow a Garden.
- All of its characters were AI-generated memes, raising questions about true creativity.
Players and developers alike questioned whether such a game deserved to win in such a competitive category.
The Removal of Tung Tung Sahur
Things escalated when Tung Tung Sahur, one of the game’s most recognizable brainrots, was suddenly removed. At first, players believed it was a bug, but it was later revealed that the removal was intentional.
- The reason? Copyright disputes.
Tong Tong Sahur was created by an Indonesian meme creator known as Noxa, who is represented by Mementum Lab, an agency that helps creators monetize viral content. They argued that because the character generated massive revenue in Steal a Brain Rot, the developers should share profits or obtain a license.
This led to a legal standoff, and the character was completely wiped from the game — angering fans worldwide.
Can AI Creations Be Copyrighted?
The debate raised a big legal question: can AI-generated characters be copyrighted?
- In Indonesia and France (where Momentum Lab is based), AI-generated works generally cannot be copyrighted unless there’s significant human input.
- If a person provides detailed prompts, edits, or creative direction, they may be considered the author.
- In Tong Tong’s case, the lines between AI output and human creativity are still blurry, making the copyright claim controversial.
Hidden Controversies in Brainrot Lore
While brainrots appear goofy and child-friendly, some phrases tied to these characters have troubling translations. Reports surfaced of certain catchphrases containing offensive or disrespectful meanings, even referencing sensitive religious and cultural topics. This has raised concerns about whether brainrots are appropriate for a platform like Roblox, which caters to younger audiences.
The Fortnite Ripoff Issue
The chaos didn’t stop with Roblox. Fortnite also hosted its own Steal a Brain Rot-inspired game, which quickly overshadowed Fortnite’s main battle royale mode with hundreds of thousands of players.
This sparked backlash in the Fortnite community as well, with creators criticizing Epic Games for promoting low-effort, AI-inspired copies instead of original fan-made maps.
What started as a meme quickly turned into Roblox’s biggest game ever — and its biggest controversy. From the questionable removal of Tung Tung Sahur, to award drama, stolen concepts, and problematic lore, Steal a Brain Rot has raised important questions about AI, copyright, and creativity in gaming.
Whether Roblox steps in or the community moves on, one thing is clear: the rise (and fallout) of Steal a Brain Rot will be remembered as a turning point in how viral memes and AI creations shape online games.