From prestigious project to crash – how “MindsEye” lost everything
What was intended to be the big comeback of former Grand Theft Auto creator Leslie Benzies ended in chaos. MindsEye was supposed to be Build A Rocket Boy’s big hit – an action game with vision, technology, and story ambitions. But after its release, little remained of the grand promises: miserable reviews, technical disasters, and disappointed fans made the title one of the biggest failures of recent years.
On Metacritic, the user score is barely above 2.4 points – a devastating verdict. And while old reviews on Steam are piling up with massive criticism, new reviews sound a little more conciliatory, but this hardly changes the overall impression. Internally, however, things had been simmering for a long time, as an open letter signed by over 90 current and former employees now shows.
Published jointly with the IWGB Game Workers Branch union, the letter is addressed directly to the studio management. The allegations range from mismanagement and communication failures to systematic overtime coercion. A key passage states:
“These layoffs happened because you repeatedly refused to listen to the years of experience of your workforce – and that led to one of the worst game releases of the decade.”
Chapter 2: Layoffs, pressure, and silence – the studio is on the brink of collapse
After the financial and media debacle, the next wave of shock came: according to the open letter, between 250 and 300 employees were reportedly laid off after the release of “MindsEye” – many of them without warning. nbsp;According to former employees, mandatory overtime had already been in place in the months leading up to the launch: eight hours of extra work per week with just seven hours of time off in lieu.
The internal atmosphere was said to have been toxic—characterized by fear, pressure, and a lack of appreciation. “Disrespectful communication” and “lack of transparency” were among the most frequently mentioned issues. Meanwhile, the studio itself has remained silent so far.
Publisher IO Interactive, on the other hand, pulled the plug: CEO Hakan Abrak publicly announced that he would “reassess” the future of the project. Alex Hernandez, the game’s lead actor, also expressed disappointment and concern about his career.
What remains is a studio with a tarnished reputation and a shattered team spirit – and a game that has become a symbol of how quickly grand ambitions can end in disaster. Whether Build A Rocket Boy still has a future after “MindsEye” is more uncertain than ever.
