MindsEye Collapse: Build a Rocket Boy Faces Accusations of Toxic Leadership and Developer Mistreatment

MindsEye, the long-anticipated debut from Build a Rocket Boy, has become a cautionary tale in modern game development – a story of ambition crushed by poor leadership, chaos, and mistreated workers. What was once billed as a revolutionary open-world experience helmed by Leslie Benzies, the legendary producer behind Grand Theft Auto V, has instead unraveled into one of gaming’s most public failures of 2025.

When Build a Rocket Boy was first announced, expectations were sky-high.

With Benzies at the helm and a hefty $110 million in funding secured for its first two projects, the studio seemed destined to make a splash. The promise of a GTA-scale game from the man who helped shape the most successful open-world franchise in history had players dreaming big. But as development dragged on, the dream started to crack – and behind the scenes, developers say, the workplace was already in disarray.

Leading up to MindsEye’s release, early signs pointed to trouble. The studio kept its marketing vague, avoiding gameplay details until the last minute. The launch trailer failed to impress, leaving fans puzzled about what kind of game it even was. Then, two executives abruptly left just weeks before launch, fueling rumors of deeper problems within the company. When early physical copies leaked, players exposed bugs, broken missions, and performance issues that were impossible to ignore. Build a Rocket Boy’s assurances that a day-one patch would fix everything proved hollow – the patch arrived, but the problems stayed. What was supposed to be a triumphant debut quickly became an industry-wide embarrassment.

The fallout was swift. Sony began issuing refunds for PlayStation owners. Reviewers called the game an unfinished mess, and players flooded forums with videos of catastrophic glitches. As the situation worsened, Benzies publicly blamed “internal and external saboteurs,” echoing earlier remarks he made during the preview controversy. Yet many inside the company saw things differently. According to a scathing open letter signed by 93 current and former employees, the real saboteurs were not outsiders – but the very executives running the show.

In their letter, titled “Open Letter to the Executive Leadership at Build a Rocket Boy”, the workers allege a culture of disrespect, burnout, and neglect. “For years, you have expected employees to adapt to your every whim, with dissenting voices silenced or dismissed,” the letter reads. They estimate that over half of the company’s 250–300 staff have lost their jobs since production began. “These layoffs happened because you repeatedly refused to listen to your workforce’s years of experience, resulting in one of the worst video game launches this decade.”

The letter doesn’t stop there. It outlines three major failings in leadership: a total lack of transparency, unbearable overtime, and the disastrous mishandling of layoffs. Many describe working conditions that left them exhausted and demoralized. “Our experience has been one of burnout, job insecurity, and the heartbreak of watching a game we poured years into collapse before our eyes,” one developer wrote. The group demands a public apology, fair compensation for laid-off workers, and concrete steps toward reform, including recognition of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union. They also call for external oversight to prevent future abuses. “BARB needs to change,” the letter concludes. “The CEOs must step back and let the people who actually make the games lead the company forward.”

It’s a devastating indictment for a studio once seen as a new creative beacon in the UK games industry. Employees recount that promises of innovation and creative freedom turned into micromanagement and endless crunch. What was pitched as a visionary experiment became, in their words, a “suffocating machine.” Some say leadership’s obsession with matching Rockstar’s scope doomed the project from the start. “They wanted a blockbuster without giving us the time or structure to make one,” a former engineer reportedly said.

Insiders describe a workplace where dissent was punished and leadership acted like “celebrity executives.” Benzies and co-founder Mark Gerhard often invoked “family values,” telling employees they were part of something special. The letter’s closing line cuts deep: “You call us family – but is this how you treat your own?”

For players, MindsEye has already joined the ranks of infamous launches like Anthem and Cyberpunk 2077 – but with none of the recovery hope those games eventually found. For developers, it’s a painful reminder that prestige names and massive funding don’t guarantee success when leadership fails to respect the people actually building the game.

Whether Build a Rocket Boy survives this crisis remains uncertain. Some remaining staff reportedly cling to hope that lessons will be learned, but others fear the damage is irreversible. With IO Interactive – the publisher behind Hitman – rumored to be rethinking its publishing division due to MindsEye’s failure, the ripple effects may spread even further. What was once meant to challenge Rockstar’s dominance now risks ending as one of gaming’s most spectacular implosions.

It’s a grim but vital reminder of how fragile creative ambition can be when mismanagement, ego, and disregard for workers collide. Build a Rocket Boy might still rebuild, but the trust of its developers – and the players they disappointed – will take far longer to patch than any broken code.