Build a Rocket Boy lays off staff after dismal MindsEye launch

The launch of open-world action-adventure game MindsEye has been rocky, to say the least. Now the reports of refunds and in-game bugs have been compounded by bad news from developer Build a Rocket Boy. The company has confirmed early reports that it is beginning the layoff process with members of its staff, with the remaining team focused on improving MindsEye and growing its community of players.

An initial report from IGN cited anonymous sources saying that Build a Rocket Boy had entered the consultation process for redundancies. That source said the cuts could number around 100. Later, Build a Rocket Boy confirmed this in a statement, saying, “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.” They didn’t confirm the number of roles that would be affected by the process.

The studio has weathered a storm since the launch of MindsEye. The game features a combination of open-world criminal mischief and a sober story about futuristic AI, as well as Game Creation tools that allow players to build their own scenarios. Both players and critics noted post-launch that the game had several technical issues, including crashes, bugs and AI issues. Several players reported on social media that they’d obtained refunds from Sony, not a simple process; and some streamers also reported that Build a Rocket Boy canceled planned MindsEye streams before they could begin.

The studio said via Discord that it was “heartbroken” that the game was thus received, and promised fixes for any of the issues. In a statement on the redundancy process, it said, “The challenges we’ve faced have only strengthened our resolve and, while we are deeply saddened by today’s decision and thankful to our incredible team, this shift allows us 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.” Build a Rocket Boy previously laid off several staff members last year, as part of an effort to become “a more agile studio.”