MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy hit by mass layoffs
Intelligence Summary
- Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of MindsEye, has reportedly laid off 170 staff, leaving around 80 employees.
MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy hit by mass layoffs
Game developer Build A Rocket Boy, best known for MindsEye, has reportedly been hit by another wave of layoffs affecting around 170 employees. That would leave the studio with roughly 80 staff, according to multiple reports.
Background on Build A Rocket Boy
Build A Rocket Boy was founded in 2016 by Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North, known for his work on the Grand Theft Auto series. Expectations were high, especially with the release of its first title, MindsEye. Unfortunately, the game launched in June 2025 and ended up with a Metacritic score of just 39, making it the worst-reviewed game of the year.
Recent layoffs
On May 5, 2026, a major round of layoffs was announced, with a significant portion of the workforce losing their jobs. This is the third time in a year that the studio has had to make such cuts. The exact reasons behind the layoffs have not been officially confirmed by the studio, but poor reviews for MindsEye and internal issues were widely believed to have played a role.
Impact on the team
After the layoffs, Build A Rocket Boy is said to have only around 80 employees left. That number was previously close to 250 before the first cuts began after MindsEye’s launch. Many former staff members have confirmed their departures on LinkedIn, including designers, QA analysts, and members of the social media team.
Timeline
2025-06: MindsEye launches and receives negative reviews, resulting in a Metacritic score of 39.
2025-07: The first layoffs hit Build A Rocket Boy after launch, affecting a significant number of staff.
2026-03: A second round of layoffs sweeps through the company, continuing the decline in headcount.
2026-05: Around 170 employees are laid off, bringing total staff down to roughly 80.
The future of MindsEye
Despite the unprecedented problems, Build A Rocket Boy has continued trying to turn things around. Recently, the first DLC for MindsEye, called 'Blacklisted', was released. The update lets players step into the role of Julia Black, a world-class assassin. The content is inspired by the challenges the studio itself has faced, and aims to breathe new life into the game.
Build A Rocket Boy CEO Mark Gerhard has suggested that sabotage from within may have been involved, and that these internal and external factors could be behind the game’s disappointing performance. That has led to speculation and open letters from employees calling for better management and transparency.
As the studio continues to push forward, the future of MindsEye and Build A Rocket Boy will depend on whether it can adapt and turn one of the worst setbacks in recent years into a success.