Dozens of green banners appeared across social feeds as studio staff confirmed fresh MindsEye developer layoffs at Scottish developer Build A Rocket Boy [4]. The departure notices arrived from human resources, visual effects, and design departments over the past 24 hours [3]. While departing personnel warned that the Edinburgh studio might be winding down completely, studio management has not yet released an official statement confirming an outright closure [2].
Inside MindsEye Developer Layoffs and Closure Warnings
Dan Hawkins, the principal talent acquisition partner who led recruitment operations at Build A Rocket Boy, announced his redundancy after spending nearly five years building the internal team before the latest MindsEye developer layoffs took effect [4]. Hawkins stated that he raised his green banner Open to Work badge (the LinkedIn banner indicating active job seeking) with departed teammates [3]. He confirmed that he would remain with the company until the very end to assist in wrapping up administrative matters inside the human resources division [1].
Redundancies spread across departments. Senior VFX artist Jason Waller confirmed that his role was eliminated along with everyone else left at the developer [2]. Production halted.
Lead 3D weapon and prop artist Adam Ridsdale echoed those farewells publicly, noting that he was facing redundancy after contributing to major commercial properties including the Fallout series during his nine years in the video games industry [1]. Other veterans joined the exodus, including head of audio Stuart Ross, an experienced former Rockstar sound designer who had guided acoustic production on MindsEye [2]. While individual posts emphasized personal gratitude toward immediate colleagues, their uniform language suggested that the studio had initiated an unannounced, company-wide liquidation rather than an isolated restructuring exercise [5].
From Massive Expansion to Severe Financial Losses
Build A Rocket Boy originally expanded at a breathtaking pace, scaling its workforce from 200 to 550 personnel in an effort to construct an ambitious cinematic universe [3]. Former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies founded the enterprise to deliver MindsEye (an action-adventure title directed by Leslie Benzies) together with an expansive user-generated content framework [5]. Early recruitment momentum reflected high commercial expectations from financial backers who poured substantial capital into the Scottish developer [4].
Those ambitions collapsed almost immediately when the game debuted in June 2025 with severe stuttering, unstable frame rates, and broken artificial intelligence routines [1]. Critics panned the experience, sponsored promotional live streams were abruptly cancelled, and the studio dismissed approximately 300 employees in an emergency retrenchment [4]. Although the company raised more than $300 million from international investment groups, subsequent operational costs and abysmal sales generated losses reaching tens of millions of dollars [1].
Player retention deteriorated rapidly. Could a single major expansion reverse months of critical hostility? Dwindling engagement pushed concurrent Steam players into mere dozens of users despite a promotional November starter pack trial [4]. Commercial recovery stalled entirely [5].
Sabotage Allegations and the Fractured Publishing Partnership
Rather than attributing technical defects to rushed production schedules or flawed design direction, studio leadership insisted that external conspiracies had undermined their launch [5]. In March, Build A Rocket Boy CEO Mark Gerhard publicly disclosed that the executive team was investigating suspected criminal acts carried out by malicious saboteurs [1]. Management insisted that coordinated corporate sabotage had deliberately damaged their debut title [3]. No evidence surfaced [2].
Executive insistence on criminal conspiracies created an irreparable rift with original publishing partner IOI Partners, the specialized distribution arm of Hitman developer IO Interactive [3]. The publisher distanced itself from the studio before officially terminating their publishing agreement in March [4]. Similar industry adjustments occurred when Physint secured a publishing agreement with Xbox following Sony’s departure, but Build A Rocket Boy chose to reacquire full distribution rights independently [1]. Independence brought immediate burdens [2].
Assuming full control over publishing operations did nothing to resolve underlying structural deficiencies or restore community trust across global gaming forums [1]. In February, the studio initiated a fresh public relations campaign promising a comprehensive overhaul, followed by the release of the Blacklisted expansion (a post-launch patch intended to revive interest) that supposedly contained factual evidence proving third-party sabotage [2]. Players who downloaded the update discovered no substantive proof of foul play, leaving community forums cynical and unconvinced [4]. Player interest remained completely flat. The costly relaunch failed to shift commercial momentum [5].
Workplace Surveillance Disputes and Edinburgh Office Protests
Internal discord plagued the Scottish studio long before recent MindsEye developer layoffs surfaced on social media. Nearly 100 current and former staff members signed an open letter detailing chronic organizational chaos, unresolved leadership failures, and debilitating mismanagement throughout the creation of MindsEye. Several affected creators took their complaints to employment tribunals, arguing that executive leadership had repeatedly disregarded standard statutory protections during earlier redundancy consultations [3].
Friction intensified when trade union representatives initiated formal legal proceedings over corporate monitoring policies. The IWGB Game Workers Union filed legal claims against Build A Rocket Boy, alleging that leadership had violated statutory data privacy protections by installing invasive surveillance software on employee work laptops without explicit worker consent [3]. Union organizers contended that such intrusive tracking software created an atmosphere of intimidation among developers who were already coping with severe job insecurity [6].
Labor grievances spilled into public view in July when furious employees staged demonstrations directly outside the studio headquarters in Edinburgh. Protesters affiliated with the IWGB Game Workers Union (an affiliate of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain) condemned executive management for hosting an all-expenses-paid promotional fan event while hundreds of dismissed colleagues struggled to secure new employment. Staff members characterized the lavish gathering as an insult to workforce sacrifices, intensifying public scrutiny surrounding executive spending [4].
Companies House Filings and Ongoing Trade Union Support
Michaela Emslie, who advanced from an entry-level Junior QA role into a senior position as Release Manager during her four years at Build A Rocket Boy, confirmed on professional networks that she had received redundancy notification together with fellow team members. Reflecting on her professional progression, Emslie expressed profound pride in her team’s technical achievements despite turbulent studio conditions, joining a wave of departing developers seeking fresh career opportunities throughout the international games ecosystem. Her public notice underscored how deeply the current redundancy wave has hollowed out the developer’s operational hierarchy, touching veterans who shepherded the title from early testing through commercial launch [6]. Key institutional knowledge disappeared practically overnight. Departmental handovers concluded rapidly across Edinburgh.
Trade union representatives quickly mobilized to offer backing to impacted workers across Edinburgh. Can collective workplace advocacy mitigate the fallout of widespread corporate collapse? Ben Newbon, vice-chair of the IWGB Games Worker Union, conveyed unwavering solidarity to affected staff, describing the sudden job losses as a heartbreaking consequence of an enterprise that had been spiraling downward for months. Newbon reiterated that the union remains committed to seeking accountability for management practices while organizing developers to eradicate abusive workplace conditions across the video games sector [6].
Despite widespread expectations of an imminent shutdown, official commercial registries show that Build A Rocket Boy LTD remains an active corporate entity, with MindsEye game director Leslie Benzies and CEO Mark Gerhard listed as active directors at Companies House [6]. Furthermore, sources familiar with corporate structure noted that the enterprise might not formally dissolve even if every remaining production worker departs [4]. Neither Benzies nor Gerhard has issued a public briefing clarifying whether studio-wide MindsEye developer layoffs will precede outright liquidation, transition into a shell company, or attempt yet another restructuring [2]. The long journey concluded in silence [5].
- ONLINE NEWS Takahashi, D. (2026, September 16). MindsEye maker Build A Rocket Boy lays off more staff. GamesBeat. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Chalk, A. (2026, September 16). MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy may finally be closing. PC Gamer. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Argüello, D. (2026, September 16). Report: MindsEye developer seemingly closing after more layoffs. Game Developer. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Blake, V. (2026, September 16). MindsEye developers report new round of layoffs at Build A Rocket Boy. GamesIndustry.biz. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Barovic, A. (2026, September 16). It seems MindsEye studio Build a Rocket Boy is closing for good. Destructoid. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Warren, M. (2026, September 16). MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy appear to be making fresh redundancies, as one staffer says he’s “helping wrap things up here in the HR department”. Rock Paper Shotgun. [Article Link]
