If you're trying to figure out how a roblox studio input ended script actually works, you've probably realized that checking for button presses is only half the battle. Most people focus on the moment a player hits a key, but detecting the exact moment they let go is just as important for making a game feel polished and responsive.
Think about it: if you want a character to sprint, they should stop running the second the player releases the Shift key. If you're making a combat system where holding down a button charges up a massive fireball, you need to know exactly when that finger leaves the key so you can actually launch the projectile. Without an InputEnded script, your game is going to feel pretty clunky.
Getting the hang of UserInputService
To make any of this work, we have to talk about UserInputService. In Roblox Studio, this is the main tool we use to see what the player is doing with their keyboard, mouse, or even a controller.
Usually, when you're starting out, you probably use InputBegan. It's the obvious choice because it tells the game, "Hey, someone just clicked something!" But InputEnded is the twin brother of that event. It fires the very millisecond a player stops pressing a button.
To use it, you'll want to set up a LocalScript. Remember, anything involving player input has to happen on the client side, so don't try putting this in a regular Script inside ServerScriptService or it just won't do anything. Stick it in StarterPlayerScripts or StarterCharacterScripts.
Setting up a basic script
Let's look at what a bare-bones roblox studio input ended script actually looks like. I like to keep things simple at first just to make sure the connection is working.
```lua local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService")
UIS.InputEnded:Connect(function(input, gameProcessed) if gameProcessed then return end
if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.E then print("The player stopped pressing E!") end end) ```
In this little snippet, we're telling the game to listen for any input that ends. The gameProcessed part is really important, and honestly, a lot of beginners skip it and run into weird bugs later. It basically checks if the player was doing something else—like typing in the chat box. If they were typing a message that happened to have the letter "E" in it, you don't want your game logic to trigger. That's what if gameProcessed then return end handles for you.
Why you need to track the end of an input
You might be wondering why we don't just use a toggle. Like, press E once to start running, press E again to stop. You can totally do that, but it doesn't always feel right for every mechanic.
Take a "charge-up" mechanic, for example. Imagine you're building a magic game. You want the player to hold down the "Q" key to gather energy. The longer they hold it, the bigger the explosion. In this case, you use InputBegan to start a timer or an animation, and then you use your roblox studio input ended script logic to stop the timer and trigger the explosion.
Without that "end" signal, the game wouldn't know when to fire the spell. It would just keep charging forever, which well, it might be funny for a minute, but it's not a great game mechanic.
Handling different types of input
One of the cool things about InputEnded is that it isn't just for keyboard keys. It works for almost everything. If someone is playing on a phone, InputEnded fires when they lift their thumb off the screen. If they're using an Xbox controller, it fires when they let go of the trigger or the thumbstick.
Mouse clicks
If you're making a gun system, you might want to handle semi-automatic versus fully automatic fire. For a semi-auto pistol, you might use InputEnded to reset a "cooldown" variable so the player has to click again to fire another shot.
Touch screen gestures
On mobile, you can detect when a touch ends by checking input.UserInputType. If it equals Enum.UserInputType.Touch, then you know a finger just left the screen. This is super handy for UI buttons or custom mobile controls that you've built from scratch.
Building a simple sprinting system
Let's get a bit more practical. Sprinting is probably the number one reason people look for a roblox studio input ended script. You want the player to move faster while holding Shift and go back to normal when they let go.
Here is how you'd typically write that:
```lua local UIS = game:GetService("UserInputService") local player = game.Players.LocalPlayer local character = player.Character or player.CharacterAdded:Wait() local humanoid = character:WaitForChild("Humanoid")
local SPRINT_SPEED = 32 local NORMAL_SPEED = 16
UIS.InputBegan:Connect(function(input, processed) if processed then return end if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.LeftShift then humanoid.WalkSpeed = SPRINT_SPEED end end)
UIS.InputEnded:Connect(function(input, processed) if input.KeyCode == Enum.KeyCode.LeftShift then humanoid.WalkSpeed = NORMAL_SPEED end end) ```
Notice how we have both InputBegan and InputEnded working together. The first one cranks the speed up, and the second one brings it back down. It's a very natural way to handle movement. One thing to keep in mind, though: if the player's character resets or dies, you might need to re-fetch the Humanoid, otherwise the script might error out.
Debugging common issues
Sometimes, you'll write your script and nothing happens. It's frustrating, I know. Usually, when a roblox studio input ended script isn't working, it's because of one of three things.
First, check if you're using a LocalScript. I mentioned this earlier, but it's the most common mistake. Regular Scripts just can't see a player's keyboard.
Second, check your KeyCode. Roblox is pretty specific about these. Enum.KeyCode.LeftShift is different from Enum.KeyCode.RightShift. If you just want "any shift key," you have to check for both or use a different method.
Third, make sure your logic isn't getting blocked by the gameProcessed check. If you have a custom UI button that covers the whole screen, the game might think the player is "interacting with a GUI" and set gameProcessed to true, which would stop your script from running.
Taking it a step further with state management
If you're building a really complex game, just having a bunch of disconnected InputEnded events can get messy. You might want to create a "state" for your player.
For instance, you could have a variable called isCharging. When InputBegan fires, you set isCharging to true. Inside a RunService.Heartbeat loop, you increase a power meter as long as isCharging is true. Then, when the roblox studio input ended script triggers, you set isCharging to false and execute the attack based on how high the power meter got.
This prevents a lot of bugs, like the player being able to charge two different spells at once or getting stuck in a charging state if they happen to die while holding the button.
Final thoughts on input handling
At the end of the day, getting a roblox studio input ended script right is about making the game feel "snappy." You want the game to react instantly to the player's intentions. Whether it's stopping a sprint, releasing a bowstring, or closing a menu, the "release" of a key is just as meaningful as the "press."
Experiment with different keys and see how they feel. Sometimes, you might find that InputEnded is actually better for opening menus than InputBegan, because it prevents the player from accidentally double-clicking or accidentally closing the menu the moment it opens.
Anyway, once you get the hang of how these events talk to each other, you'll find that your scripts become a lot more powerful and your gameplay feels way smoother. Happy scripting!