The layoff process has begun at MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy, according to a new report. This follows an absolutely disastrous launch for the studio's first title, which is currently the worst-reviewed game of 2025.
A source at Build a Rocket Boy told IGN that the company has begun the 45-day consultation process required by UK law prior to layoffs. A specific number of affected developers has not been revealed, but IGN points out that the UK law in question only applies when an employer is going to make 100 or more redundancies at their company within a 90-day period. IGN estimates that Build a Rocket Boy has around 500 employees worldwide, with 300 of them in the UK. Build a Rocket Boy has not publicly commented on the layoffs yet.
Build a Rocket Boy is a studio founded by Leslie Benzies, a former Rockstar Games producer and executive who left the studio between the launches of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Benzies founded Build a Rocket Boy and announced a Metaverse-like project called Everywhere in 2021. Ultimately, MindsEye was the first game to be released by the studio. It's a sci-fi narrative-driven third-person shooter, but was also meant to have a tail of live-service support that would allow both the developers and players to create new content for MindsEye.
When MindsEye did eventually come out, it was ravaged by customers and reviewers alike. The game currently sits at an aggregate score of 38 on sister site Metacritic. Players have complained about rampant bugs, performance problems, and design issues. While Build a Rocket Boy has committed to fixing the game and released an update resolving some issues last week, it looks like it might have fewer people to help do so.
GameSpot gave MindsEye a 3/10. "As it is, issues like broken AI and uneven car physics simply exacerbate the problems with its archaic and insipid design," reviewer Richard Wakeling explains. "Impressive visuals can't compensate for a lack of substance, whether that comes from its pointless world, tedious combat, or any number of other egregious shortcomings."
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A source at Build a Rocket Boy told IGN that the company has begun the 45-day consultation process required by UK law prior to layoffs. A specific number of affected developers has not been revealed, but IGN points out that the UK law in question only applies when an employer is going to make 100 or more redundancies at their company within a 90-day period. IGN estimates that Build a Rocket Boy has around 500 employees worldwide, with 300 of them in the UK. Build a Rocket Boy has not publicly commented on the layoffs yet.
Build a Rocket Boy is a studio founded by Leslie Benzies, a former Rockstar Games producer and executive who left the studio between the launches of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Benzies founded Build a Rocket Boy and announced a Metaverse-like project called Everywhere in 2021. Ultimately, MindsEye was the first game to be released by the studio. It's a sci-fi narrative-driven third-person shooter, but was also meant to have a tail of live-service support that would allow both the developers and players to create new content for MindsEye.
When MindsEye did eventually come out, it was ravaged by customers and reviewers alike. The game currently sits at an aggregate score of 38 on sister site Metacritic. Players have complained about rampant bugs, performance problems, and design issues. While Build a Rocket Boy has committed to fixing the game and released an update resolving some issues last week, it looks like it might have fewer people to help do so.
GameSpot gave MindsEye a 3/10. "As it is, issues like broken AI and uneven car physics simply exacerbate the problems with its archaic and insipid design," reviewer Richard Wakeling explains. "Impressive visuals can't compensate for a lack of substance, whether that comes from its pointless world, tedious combat, or any number of other egregious shortcomings."
Source