A new report claims that Build a Rocket Boy, the development studio behind the recently releasedMindsEye, has been hit with layoffs following the action-adventure game’s disastrous launch earlier this month. Build a Rocket Boy has yet to comment on the supposed layoffs, but the report claims that more than 100 employees at theMindsEyestudio are at risk of losing their jobs as the redundancy process begins.
Build a Rocket Boy was founded in 2018 by formerGrand Theft Autoproducer and Rockstar Games president, Leslie Benzies. Just four years after the studio’s creation, it revealed that it was developing a brand-newmassively multiplayer online game and platform known asEverywhere. While some are speculating that the title has since been canceled, Build a Rocket Boy did recently release its very first game,MindsEye. Unfortunately, the game’s launch has gone down like a lead balloon, quickly becoming the worst-reviewed game of the year due to its unprecedented number of bugs, poor framerate on current-gen consoles, and general lack of triple-A quality.
Over 100 Build a Rocket Boy Employees Reportedly at Risk
Followingthe massive failure ofMindsEye, a new report fromIGNclaims that Build a Rocket Boy has informed staff that a redundancy process has now begun at the studio. An anonymous source reportedly told the outlet that while there is currently no word on how many staff will be affected by the layoffs, the standard 45-day consultation process will begin today, June 23, and is triggered by UK law when an employer wants to make 100 or more employees redundant within 90 days. IGN also states that Build a Rocket Boy has approximately 300 employees within the UK, and around 200 more in other countries. The studio itself has yet to respond to the report in an official capacity.
Build a Rocket Boy quickly responded to the negativeMindsEyereception, promising a steady stream of new updates that would address the game’s most severe issues. While the studio previously outlined a fullpost-launch roadmap forMindsEye, it’s unclear if future plans will be affected by the supposed layoffs. According to the roadmap, new content updates were planned to launch in the Summer, Fall, and Winter. The first of the three major updates will include a special collaboration withHitman, as well as new community updates and missions.
Rumors also began circulating last week that Build a Rocket Boy was in the process ofdeveloping a sequel toMindsEyewith a heavy focus on multiplayer. The validity of these claims remains unverified, but the source of the rumor suggests that the future of a potentialMindseye 2is likely up in the air after the game’s disastrous launch this month. Now, with reports claiming that Build a Rocket Boy is experiencing layoffs, the future ofMindsEyeand a potential sequel seems even more uncertain.
