MindsEye dev to start layoffs after game's dismal reception, reports indicate

MindsEye did so poorly that it is reportedly triggering layoffs at the studio that made it, Build a Rocket Boy.

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The meteoric pendulum swing of MindsEye is an example of flash-in-the-pan excitement constructed on hollow hype. The game was built up by former Rockstar Games mastermind Leslie Benzies and a slick marketing campaign hoping to capitalize on past glories. Skepticism won out in the long run, though, because MindsEye launched with a plethora of bugs and glitches, and was promptly publicly lambasted on social media. MindsEye is now the worst-reviewed game of 2025 and will ultimately be remembered for a tarnished legacy.

Now sources tell IGN's Wesley Yin-Poole that MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy is preparing layoffs to stem the losses.

The studio layoffs will affect an unknown number of workers, but given the procedures followed, 100 employees or more could be let go from the company. As IGN notes, the UK follows specific labor laws requiring companies to follow specific guidelines if 100 or more workers are to be made redundant, or laid off. It's been reported that Build a Rocket Boy went through the procedures for 100+ layoffs.

The studio has around 500 total employees across offices in Edinburgh, Montpelier, and Budapest, according to the group's LinkedIn page.

While the developer's books and balance sheets remain confidential, public information reveals that Build a Rocket Boy received $110 million in Series D funding in January 2024.

It is unclear what kinds of sales target goals that the studio had set for MindsEye, but it's also worth noting the game was published by IO Interactive's relatively new IOI Partners label.