Mark Roblox: YouTube’s favorite engineer is building rockets in a video game world

Mark Rober is the latest celebrity to come to Roblox. The 43-year-old engineer, who reaches more than 27 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel, has created a virtual world where he will teach his fans about rocketry.

The Roblox world is titled “Build a Rocket VS Mark Rober,” and it’s affiliated with CrunchLabs, Rober’s STEM-oriented subscription box. The rocket-building world will further the mission of CrunchLabs by bringing scientific education into Roblox. Players who access the new server will gather and combine materials, which they will use to build rockets that can help them navigate a series of challenges.

Rober’s Roblox adventures (in space) will feature an original storyline. Players will attempt to defeat the evil Fat Tail in order to save Phat Gus, one of the squirrels that tackled the obstacle course Rober set up in his yard. Between each mission, Phat Gus’ saviors will return to a digital rendering of Rober’s CrunchLabs HQ, where they’ll be able to restock and refuel their rockets.

Build a Rocket VS Mark Rober will reference some of the engineer’s most notable inventions, including his infamous GlitterBomb

. Players who complete the Roblox experience before December 31 can enter to win a chance to visit Rober’s real-life CrunchLabs home base. Details about that sweepstakes can be found here.

“I want to reach as many young minds as possible and get them stoked on science,” Rober said in a statement. “Many of my former NASA colleagues said that video games like Kerbal Space Program got them interested in engineering, and I wanted to build upon that idea and create something both wildly entertaining and deceptively educational to inspire the next generation.”

Rober’s arrival in Roblox is part of a wave of branded initiatives that have been built within the sandbox program. Major labels have hosted concerts in Roblox, and entertainment companies have included the game in their promotional campaigns. Rober himself is a savvy creator when it comes to CrunchLabs-branded content, so it’s no surprise to see him taking advantage of another sponsorship opportunity. I’m sure Phat Gus appreciates the effort as well.