MindsEye's boss claimed that "internal and external saboteurs" are the reason for the game and studio’s struggles. Read on to learn more about the CEO’s statement and the future of the game.
MindsEye Woes Continue After Disastrous Launch
Plans to Relaunch
MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) CEO and former President of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, plans for the studio to make a comeback and relaunch MindsEye. As reported by IGN on July 4, Benzies addressed their current dilemma to his staff during a video call on July 2.
According to Benzies, they aim to recover and re-release MindsEye following its rough launch. The developers have promised to "work around the clock" to fix the performance issues and bugs players have experienced ever since the game’s launch.
Earlier this week, BARB released Update #3 as a continued effort to fix the game. In a Twitter (X) post on June 30, the studio announced that the update went live for consoles, but will also have come on PC at a later date. The post reads, "We’ve watched hundreds of hours of gameplay footage and reviewed player feedback across multiple channels to prioritize the most pressing issues and improve the experience for all our console players."
Beyond the hotfixes BARB has promised, the developers also plan to deliver on the game’s ambitious roadmap, which includes new missions, special collaborations, multiplayer mode, and much more, set to release in the coming months. However, this may be questionable considering the current problems the studio is facing with the game’s undesirable launch.
Even though BARB has pushed through several updates since the game’s release, the community remains disconnected from the bugged-out shooter. Based on its SteamDB charts, as of writing, MindsEye has 19 players currently playing. It has also received "Mostly Negative" reviews on Steam and has a Metacritic score of 38.
Here at Game8, we gave MindsEye an overall score of 46 out of 100 because it was delivered as a bug-filled, unoptimized, and less-than-desirable mess. Despite the promise of an ambitious entry from publisher IO Interactive, it was plagued with performance issues and needed a lot more time to polish its core aspects and mechanics. For more on our thoughts on MindsEye, check out our review below!
Around 300 Employees Received At-Risk Emails
Although talks for a possible relaunch have started, inside sources by IGN confirmed on July 4 that around 300 of BARB’s UK workforce have received at-risk of redundancy emails as the studio continues its layoff process following MindsEye’s flop. This includes employees at PlayFusion, which became part of BARB in 2024.
It was previously reported by IGN on June 24 that BARB had begun their redundancy process that would affect over 100 staff members. BARB stated, "We can confirm that we have had to make the painful decision to notify our hardworking team of some internal changes at Build A Rocket Boy. While we are working to reassign roles for as many of those impacted by these changes as possible, sadly we are initiating a formal consultation process that may result in redundancies."
The studio noted that this move will allow them to "focus on delivering ongoing updates and performance optimization for MindsEye, while also ensuring the long-term success of Build A Rocket Boy’s future ambitions."
"Internal and External Saboteurs" Are To Be Blamed
While the studio is in the middle of massive layoffs, Benzies claimed that the game’s disastrous launch and the studio's current situtation was due to "internal and external saboteurs." According to anonymous staff members, the CEO stated that MindsEye and the studio’s struggles came from several fronts. This was also the sentiment of BARB co-CEO Mark Gerhard, who similarly stated during the game’s Q&A discussion on Discord on May 27 that there was a concerted effort to bring the studio down.
Despite both bosses’ remarks, the studio has not released an official statement regarding these allegations and has not presented any evidence to support their claims. On the contrary, MindsEye publisher IO Interactive’s CEO Hakan Abrak told IGN on June 10 that he doesn’t believe that the game was sabotaged.
Abrak said, "I don't know. I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I just think the game should speak for itself on June the 10th." Regardless, BARB and IO Interactive remain firm in alleviating the problems the game is facing with the consistent updates and hotfixes the developers are rolling out.
With how much scrutiny the game has received since its release, BARB’s future is up in the air despite their ongoing efforts to salvage the sci-fi action-adventure. MindsEye is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
MindsEye Dev's UK Workforce of Around 300 Receive At-Risk Emails as Former GTA Lead Leslie Benzies Finally Addresses Staff
MindsEye Twitter (X) post on Update #3
MindsEye Official Discord chat
MindsEye SteamDB Charts
MindsEye Steam page
MindsEye Metacritic Score
MindsEye Dev's UK Workforce of Around 300 Receive At-Risk Emails as Former GTA Lead Leslie Benzies Finally Addresses Staff
MindsEye Developer Build A Rocket Boy Begins Layoff Process Amid Disastrous Launch, Studio Sources Say
