MindsEye Developer Behind Rocket Boy Reportedly Initiates Layoffs After Disastrous Launch
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- Developer Build A Rocket Boy has announced the beginning of layoffs to its employees amid the disastrous launch of MindsEye.
- The number of employees impacted by the cuts could be over 100.
- On June 12, 2025, two days after the game’s launch, PlayStation began allowing players to claim refunds for MindsEye.
Developer Build A Rocket Boy has announced the beginning of layoffs to its employees amid the disastrous launch of MindsEye, according to anonymous sources that reached out to IGN.
According to studio sources speaking to IGN, the number of employees impacted by the cuts could be over 100 as the formal 45-day consultation period started on June 23, 2025, which is required by UK laws when an employer plans to make 100 or more redundancies within a 90-day timeframe.
According to IGN’s data, Build A Rocket Boy currently employs approximately 300 people in the UK, with around 200 additional staff based overseas.
As of the time of writing, MindsEye has a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam with 1,833 user reviews.
The game’s release was overshadowed by the departure of the studio’s executives a week before MindsEye’s launch, along with Build A Rocket Boy’s co-CEO, Mark Gerhard, issuing a statement claiming a conspiracy due to the wave of early negative feedback surrounding the studio’s debut title.
Published by IO Interactive on June 10, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S, MindsEye featured numerous issues from launch, including hilariously stretched character models, glitches, stuttering and poorly functioning NPC AI.
The developer acknowledged multiple issues on launch day and delivered two hotfixes in the first week. But despite the studio’s efforts, on June 12, 2025, two days after the game’s launch, PlayStation began allowing players to claim refunds for MindsEye.
