MindsEye studio plans to reveal more in the upcoming IOI showcase despite the execs' departure. Read on to learn more about what the studio is doing behind the scenes and the game’s latest overview trailer.
MindsEye Inching Closer to Launch
Latest Overview Trailer
As the game inches closer to release, developer Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) and PlayStation continue to give fans a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming futuristic action-adventure shooter. They also look to reveal more information about the game at the IOI Showcase on June 6.
Meanwhile, PlayStation revealed on May 27 the latest trailer for MindsEye, featuring new story and gameplay details. Players will take the role of Jacob Diaz, a former special-ops officer riddled with fragmented memories from his MindsEye neural implant. He takes on the AI-powered world to uncover the mysteries of the city and protect humanity.
Beyond the third-person shooter and driving mechanics, MindsEye also highlights its wide range of situations that offer unique gameplay, including maneuvering drones and even taking the battle to space. They also introduced their new content delivery system via entering portals in the game, allowing players to take on missions built on different worlds, which adds a wide variety of experience on each playthrough.
The trailer gave fans a glimpse of the game’s content roadmap for 2025. At launch, the base game will include its free-roam open world experience, several missions such as horde and combat missions, racing competitions, and more. They offer a Premium Pass that adds an exclusive horde mission and an "Exotic Pack" featuring a DC 2 Drone skin, Silva vehicle skin, and Jacob vest skin.
In the coming months, BARB will add more content to the game, such as new missions, special collaborations, multiplayer mode, and much more. The game is now available for pre-order, which gives players the Deluxe edition for no additional cost.
Themes Inspired by the Real World
MindsEye’s themes of artificial intelligence, greed, corruption, and others were inspired by current events in the real world. GameRant sat down with BARB on June 4 and talked about the game’s development and design choices.
When discussing the game’s origins, BARB highlighted their goal of creating a world that hits close to home. They said, "It started with a simple idea—a world that feels familiar, but slightly off. Not broken, just unsettled. We talked a lot about trust, control, and how people live inside systems that don’t always work the way they should. From the beginning, it was about building something cinematic, with tension just under the surface."
The present world’s accelerated advancements are due to technical progress and social networks, and MindsEye looks to foresee the future if people continue down this path. "MindsEye reflects and anticipates the current course of humanity," they stated.
MindsEye Studio Shocking Moves and Claims
Studio Execs Leave Company 1 Week Before Launch
With just a few days before its release, a couple of executives from BARB departed the studio. Chief Legal Officer Riley Graebner and Chief Financial Officer Paul Bland have left the company after more than 2 years working with them. There were also claims from the studio that there is a "concerted effort" to take them and the game down.
In a LinkedIn post on June 3, Graebner expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his team. He stated, "After three and a half years my time at BARB has come to a close. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. During that time we more than doubled the size of the company to over 450 employees. We launched multiple products worldwide. We built the legal team and legal ops infrastructure from the ground up, working to systemize and automate."
Meanwhile, Bland has updated his LinkedIn profile to indicate that he is no longer with the studio. Fans on MindsEye’s official Discord voiced their concerns regarding the executives’ sudden departures. Many speculated that there may be internal conflicts within the company, while some question the timing of their exit, just a week before the game’s release.
BARB co-CEO Claims Someone is Trying to Bring Them Down
MindsEye’s community has heard a lot of buzz lately, as during the game’s Q&A discussion on Discord on May 27, BARB co-CEO Mark Gerhard claimed that there is an obvious plan to take the game and studio down.
When asked about the possibility of the negative comments surrounding the game being paid for by someone, he responded, "100%. Doesn't take much to guess who." Fans were shocked to see that a top executive would make bold accusations like this publicly, but Gerhard doubled down and said, "Not wild when it's true....."
Some fans have been critical of the game and studio in the past, and wondered if they were the ones Gerhard alluded to. However, Gerhard clarified that he isn’t accusing any user of anything, but wanted to emphasize that there is a "concerted effort to trash the game and the studio."
He then went back on his initial claim, and elaborated, "No I never said that [people being paid off to criticize MindsEye]. I do KNOW that there are bot farms posting negative comments and dislikes." Gerhard has yet to provide substantial proof to support his claims, and fans are still wondering who or what he is referring to.
Despite the recent departures and claims, BARB’s goal in delivering a unique sci-fi shooter looks to stand firm amidst these events. MindsEye is set to be released on June 10 for 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:
Former BARB CLO Riley Graebner LinkedIn post
MindsEye Official Discord chat
Introducing MindsEye | PS5 Games
