Summary
- Build a Rocket Boy is reportedly starting a redundancy process affecting over 100 employees after the troubled launch of MindsEye.
- MindsEye, released on June 10, became the worst-rated game of 2025 due to bugs and poor performance on consoles.
- The studio currently employs around 500 people, with 300 in the UK and 200 overseas, and the redundancy process began on June 23.
- Future plans for Build a Rocket Boy’s upcoming project, Everywhere, remain uncertain amid the layoffs.
Build a Rocket Boy Faces Layoffs Following MindsEye’s Poor Reception
Build a Rocket Boy, the developer behind the highly anticipated game MindsEye, is reportedly undergoing a significant redundancy process after the game’s disastrous launch earlier this month.
According to sources cited by IGN, over 100 employees may be affected by these layoffs, with the process officially starting on June 23.
The redundancy process that began on June 23 is a 45-day consultation mandated by UK employment law for layoffs involving 100 or more employees within 90 days. Build a Rocket Boy currently has about 500 staff worldwide, including 300 in the UK, meaning a significant portion of its workforce could be affected.
While Build a Rocket Boy has outlined a post-launch roadmap for MindsEye, including several updates planned throughout summer, fall, and winter, the ongoing layoffs raise questions about the studio’s capacity to maintain these plans. The roadmap includes collaborations and new missions, but it’s unclear if these will proceed as intended.
MindsEye and Build a Rocket Boy’s Future Projects
The studio, founded in 2018 by former Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies, launched MindsEye on June 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Despite the excitement surrounding its debut, the game was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. MindsEye holds a Metacritic critic score of just 43 and a user score of 2.4 out of 10, making it the worst-rated game of 2025.
Players quickly voiced frustration on social media about the game’s numerous bugs, poor frame rates, and overall lack of polish. In response to the backlash, Build a Rocket Boy and publisher IO Interactive pulled sponsored streams and limited media review copies, signalling the severity of the launch issues.
Additionally, rumours have surfaced that Build a Rocket Boy is working on a sequel to MindsEye with a multiplayer focus. However, the validity of these claims is uncertain, and the recent layoffs may jeopardise the future of MindsEye 2 and other upcoming projects like Everywhere, initially slated for release in 2023 but delayed multiple times.
Conclusion
The troubled launch of MindsEye has put significant strain on Build a Rocket Boy, leading to widespread layoffs and uncertainty about the studio’s future. Fans and industry watchers will be keenly watching to see if the studio can recover and fulfil its ambitious plans despite the current challenges.
