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Build a Rocket Boy, the developer of action-adventure game MindsEye, is laying off more than 100 staff following a disastrous launch earlier this month. Players weren’t thrilled with the title, and critics panned the game for a variety of bugs, low framerate, and other issues. Now, as reported by IGN, the studio is already undergoing the mandatory 45-day redundancy consultation period under UK law.
Studios usually only go through a consultation period when large-scale layoffs are on the horizon. The staff must be informed before the period is completed, with a day one consultation at the latest, but there are often delays, particularly in the UK. It can then be extended by 45 days before actual terminations occur.
Studio founder and former Grand Theft Auto producer and Rockstar Games president Leslie Benzies founded Build a Rocket Boy in 2018 with high hopes for its upcoming titles.
However, poor commercial and critical reception for MindsEye has led to the studio making hard choices as it begins the process of downsizing its UK offices.
The original ambition was to continue to deliver on a post-launch roadmap of new missions and even collaborations with Hitman developer IO Interactive. That all seems less likely now, though.
Build a Rocket Boy Layoff Process Underway
Over 100 staff at Build a Rocket Boy could be laid off, and the company has more than 300 staff in the UK, and about 200 worldwide. Staff have been informed of the redundancy consultation period, which will last 45 days. No comment has been given from the company as of the time of writing.
That process comes on the back of a rocky launch period for MindsEye, which saw one of the worst reviews of the year (bugs, lack of polish, poor performance). Even if summer content and partnerships such as the Hitman collaborations come to pass, the scale of this layoff does call into question whether those plans can be realized.
Future of MindsEye and Build a Rocket Boy
The future of MindsEye and Build a Rocket Boy are unclear, and what started as a promising new studio with some industry heavyweights behind it is now threatened by a big misstep.
Even if the company can rebound, delivering on the summer content and additional plans for MindsEye seems unlikely, especially as the wider community awaits news on the status of Everywhere.
The next few months will be interesting to watch in regards to the future of Build a Rocket Boy. If MindsEye can be rescued, or if the company needs to shift to a new project, we’ll see in the coming months.
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