Build a Rocket Boy, the studio founded by former Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies, is parting ways with publisher IO Interactive following the disastrous launch of MindsEye. The decision comes from the developer itself, not the publisher, marking another turbulent chapter in what’s become one of gaming’s most spectacular failures of 2025.
According to insider sources reported by Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, Build a Rocket Boy wants to bring publishing in-house to gain more control over MindsEye’s direction. The studio believes this move will enable faster decision-making, streamlined communication, and an improved player experience. However, this transition comes with a significant casualty: the highly anticipated Hitman crossover announced at Summer Game Fest 2025 has been officially canceled.
The Fallout From a Failed Launch
MindsEye launched in June 2025 with massive expectations. Developed by veterans from Rockstar North, including Benzies who co-created GTA, the game was positioned as a potential GTA competitor set in the futuristic desert city of Redrock. Instead, it became one of 2025’s biggest disappointments.
The game shipped with severe performance issues, countless bugs, and glitches that included characters walking on air and faces melting due to graphical errors. On Steam, MindsEye peaked at just 3,302 concurrent players on launch day and received mostly negative reviews. Critics weren’t kinder, with IGN scoring it 4 out of 10. The game lacked the freedom and substance players expected, and somehow shipped without a proper ending.
Mass Layoffs and Studio Turmoil
The consequences were swift and brutal. Just weeks after launch, Build a Rocket Boy began a redundancy consultation process affecting over 100 employees. By October 2025, between 250 and 300 workers had lost their jobs. The 45-day consultation period required by UK law kicked in when the studio sent at-risk emails to its entire 300-person UK workforce, plus staff at acquired studio PlayFusion.
In July 2025, Benzies reportedly held an all-hands meeting where he blamed “internal and external saboteurs” for MindsEye’s failure. This echoed earlier comments from co-CEO Mark Gerhard, who claimed there was a “concerted effort” to trash the game before release, possibly hinting at Rockstar. These claims were met with widespread skepticism from both industry observers and employees.
| Issue | Impact |
|---|---|
| Performance Problems | Game launched with severe frame rate drops and technical issues |
| Poor Reviews | 4/10 from IGN, mostly negative on Steam |
| Low Player Count | Peaked at only 3,302 concurrent players on Steam launch day |
| Staff Layoffs | 250-300 employees lost jobs across UK and international offices |
| Management Blame | Leadership blamed “saboteurs” instead of accepting responsibility |
What Happens to the Hitman Crossover
The Hitman x MindsEye collaboration was supposed to bring Agent 47 to Redrock City. Originally scheduled for July 2025, it was delayed indefinitely as Build a Rocket Boy struggled to fix the base game. Now, with the IO Interactive partnership dissolved, the crossover is officially dead. This was arguably MindsEye’s most high-profile piece of planned content, leaving the game’s roadmap essentially empty.
Build a Rocket Boy stated they’ll continue focusing on fixes and content updates to improve MindsEye. However, given the studio’s financial troubles and massive workforce reduction, the ability to deliver meaningful updates remains questionable. In their 2025 financial report, the studio indicated they’d have funds to operate only until April 2026, contingent on the successful launch of Ascendant, a multiplayer game from acquired studio PlayFusion.
Employee Backlash and Legal Action
In October 2025, 93 current and former Build a Rocket Boy employees published an open letter with the IWGB Game Workers union. The letter accused leadership of “longstanding disrespect and mistreatment” and detailed serious workplace issues. Staff reported mandatory 8-hour weekly overtime in the four months before launch, lack of transparency, and disastrous handling of redundancies.
Employees claimed they warned management about the game’s problems but were ignored or dismissed. The letter stated: “These layoffs happened because you repeatedly refused to listen to your workforce’s years of experience, resulting in one of the worst video game launches this decade.” Workers also reported receiving misinformation, incorrect dismissal notices, and being placed in wrong teams for performance reviews, potentially resulting in wrongful terminations.
The Everywhere Dream Fades
MindsEye was originally conceived as part of Everywhere, Build a Rocket Boy’s ambitious “Roblox for adults” platform. Everywhere was envisioned as a massively multiplayer universe where players could explore, create content using tools called ARCADIA, and access different game experiences. Players would start in the city of Utropia and access various biomes, game modes, and user-generated environments.
The studio eventually pivoted to focus on MindsEye as a standalone release, but the game was supposed to be accessible through Everywhere. With MindsEye’s failure, the entire Everywhere vision appears to be in jeopardy. The platform hasn’t materialized, and with the studio’s financial struggles and massive layoffs, it’s unclear if Everywhere will ever see the light of day.
Industry Reactions
The gaming industry has watched Build a Rocket Boy’s implosion with a mixture of sympathy and I-told-you-so attitudes. Many developers pointed out that Benzies’ success at Rockstar came within a massive studio infrastructure with substantial resources. Transitioning to a smaller independent studio presented challenges that weren’t adequately anticipated. The decision to blame external forces rather than accepting management responsibility particularly rankled industry observers.
Some compared MindsEye to games like Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man’s Sky, which managed remarkable turnarounds after disastrous launches. However, as critics noted, those games were fundamentally sound but buggy or missing features. MindsEye’s problems run deeper – the core gameplay and design received criticism even setting aside technical issues. That makes a redemption arc far more difficult to achieve.
What’s Next for Build a Rocket Boy
The studio’s future looks precarious. With most of its workforce gone, limited financial runway, and a failed flagship product, Build a Rocket Boy faces an uphill battle. They’re pinning hopes on Ascendant, the multiplayer live service game from acquired studio PlayFusion, but the current market is notoriously hostile to new live service games.
MindsEye continues to receive updates, with the studio claiming commitment to improvement. Update 4 released in September 2025, bringing various fixes and improvements. However, player counts remain dismal, and it’s unclear whether anyone is still playing the game in significant numbers. The decision to take publishing in-house might give Build a Rocket Boy more control, but control over a sinking ship is cold comfort.
FAQs
Why is Build a Rocket Boy ending its partnership with IO Interactive?
Build a Rocket Boy wants to bring publishing in-house to gain more control over MindsEye’s future direction. The studio believes this will allow faster decision-making and better communication with players. The decision comes from Build a Rocket Boy, not IO Interactive.
What happened to the Hitman x MindsEye crossover?
The Hitman crossover announced at Summer Game Fest 2025 has been canceled as a result of the partnership ending. The crossover was supposed to bring Agent 47 to Redrock City but was already delayed indefinitely before being officially scrapped.
Why did MindsEye fail so badly at launch?
MindsEye launched with severe performance issues, numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and lacked content players expected. The game peaked at only 3,302 concurrent players on Steam launch day and received mostly negative reviews. Employees later revealed management ignored their warnings about the game’s problems.
How many people lost their jobs at Build a Rocket Boy?
Between 250 and 300 employees lost their jobs following MindsEye’s failure. The layoffs affected the 300-person UK workforce as well as staff at PlayFusion, a studio Build a Rocket Boy had acquired. The redundancy process began in June 2025, just weeks after the game launched.
Who is Leslie Benzies and why was MindsEye so hyped?
Leslie Benzies is a former Rockstar North president and co-creator of Grand Theft Auto who worked on GTA III through GTA V. He founded Build a Rocket Boy after leaving Rockstar. MindsEye was hyped because of his pedigree and was marketed as a potential GTA competitor.
What is Everywhere and what happened to it?
Everywhere is Build a Rocket Boy’s planned massively multiplayer platform with game creation tools, envisioned as a “Roblox for adults.” MindsEye was supposed to be part of this larger ecosystem. With MindsEye’s failure and the studio’s financial troubles, Everywhere’s future is highly uncertain.
Did management really blame saboteurs for MindsEye’s failure?
Yes, Leslie Benzies reportedly told staff in July 2025 that “internal and external saboteurs” were partly to blame for the game’s struggles. Co-CEO Mark Gerhard made similar claims before launch, suggesting a “concerted effort” to trash the game. These claims were widely criticized and contradicted by employees who said management ignored their warnings.
Will MindsEye get fixed or relaunched?
Build a Rocket Boy claims to remain committed to improving MindsEye through updates and fixes. Benzies reportedly mentioned a possible relaunch, but given the studio’s financial situation and massive layoffs, the ability to deliver meaningful improvements is doubtful. The game continues receiving small updates but player counts remain extremely low.
Conclusion
The dissolution of Build a Rocket Boy’s partnership with IO Interactive marks another grim milestone in MindsEye’s troubled history. What should have been a triumphant debut from GTA veterans became a cautionary tale about ambition without execution, management that refused to listen, and the human cost of failed projects. With the Hitman crossover canceled, most of the workforce gone, and finances running dry, Build a Rocket Boy’s future hangs by a thread. The studio may have gained publishing control, but there’s precious little left to control. For the hundreds of developers who lost their jobs despite raising concerns, and for players who bought into the hype, MindsEye stands as one of 2025’s most complete disasters.