Build A Rocket Boy, Founded by GTA 5 Producer, Faces Layoffs After MindsEye Flop

Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind MindsEye, is facing major internal turmoil following the game's disappointing launch. According to IGN, the company has begun a process of mass layoffs that could impact over 100 employees—primarily at its UK office, where around 300 of the studio’s 500 global staff are based. A 45-day consultation period, as required by law for large-scale redundancies, is now underway.

In response to leaked information, the studio released an official statement confirming it had been forced to begin an internal restructuring. Management emphasized that they are making every effort to preserve as many jobs as possible. The statement also stressed that the company aims to handle the situation with fairness and respect for the team, despite the challenges.

Build A Rocket Boy acknowledged that the launch of MindsEye was a major milestone, but also revealed just how far the game still is from meeting its original goals. The developers promised to focus on improving the project, rolling out updates, and ensuring stability for future releases.

MindsEye ran into trouble immediately after launch: its peak player count on Steam reached only 3,300, and recent activity has dropped to just 50–100 concurrent users. The game’s reception has also been poor, with only 37% positive reviews and extremely low scores on Metacritic.

Much of the attention surrounding the project stemmed from its game director, Leslie Benzies, the former head of Rockstar North and producer of the legendary GTA series. However, as it turns out, even the experience of such a high-profile developer couldn’t save Build A Rocket Boy’s debut from failure.