Sabotage, Layoffs, Relaunch: MindsEye CEO Blames Others For The Games Bad Launch

by

As I heard about the upcoming release of “MindsEye,” I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. Here was an open-world action-adventure game, reminiscent of “GTA,” and it was being developed by none other than Leslie Benzies, who had previously led the production on “GTA.” The prospect seemed too good to be true.

However, my hopes were quickly dashed when I finally got my hands on “Build A Rocket Boy’s” debut game. Regrettably, it was a massive disappointment.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say this game feels like it’s been pieced together haphazardly. The narrative falls flat, the game mechanics are clunky, and it seems like the design team ran out of time before polishing things up. With a little more development effort, this could have been an engaging experience – maybe even great.

Instead of acknowledging that the game was poorly received due to their studio’s shortcomings, Benzies instead points fingers at internal and external sabotage. Even prior to the game’s launch, co-CEO Mark Gerhard alleged that some articles and spam bots were paid to tarnish the game’s reputation before it was even released.

It appears neither Benzies nor Gerhard have provided instances or proof supporting their assertion of potential sabotage. To those who participated in the game, this allegation strikes as somewhat peculiar, given that no saboteurs were necessary to play the game effectively – the game’s performance is self-explanatory.

Major Layoffs At Build A Rocket Boy

After a disappointing launch of their game, the studio finds itself in a difficult situation and has announced impending layoffs for a large number of its staff. Starting from late June, the studio initiated a 45-day consultation period, a requirement when a company intends to dismiss more than 100 employees.

At present, approximately 500 people worldwide work for the studio, with about 300 based in the UK and 200 employed overseas. Consequently, a substantial portion of our staff could potentially face job losses.

It’s truly unfortunate that BARB seems to be mirroring the rocky start of Cyberpunk 2077. In fact, Sony granted refunds for the game, MindsEye, because of its disastrous launch – much like Cyberpunk2077. Now, the staff are bearing the brunt and the fate of this freshly-minted studio hangs in the balance.

MindsEye Will Relaunch?

Despite accusations and potential staff reductions, Benzies isn’t abandoning MindsEye just quite yet. He’s also working towards a re-release of the game, aiming to rectify technical glitches and enhance its overall gaming experience.

The previously mentioned game, “Cyberpunk 2077”, had a successful comeback. Regular updates have significantly enhanced the game to the point where it’s now considered an excellent gaming experience. However, whether MindsEye can achieve the same level of improvement is uncertain due to their current studio situation.

The circumstances surrounding the release of the game “Build A Rocket Boy” seem highly questionable. Shifting blame and putting out an incomplete game with promises to fix it later doesn’t bode well for the new studio’s standing, regardless of whether the game ultimately improves – such actions can significantly impact their initial reputation.

Read More

2025-07-08 17:09