Build A Rocket Boy Studio Reportedly Shutting Down After MindsEye’s Failure

Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), the developer behind the poorly received action-adventure title MindsEye, is reportedly ceasing operations. Several staff members have taken to LinkedIn to announce that their tenure at the studio is ending, while Kotaku has confirmed that BARB is preparing to close its doors permanently.

Dan Hawkins, the studio’s principal talent acquisition partner, posted that he is joining the ‘Open to Work’ circuit alongside his colleagues. He stated he would remain with BARB until the very end to assist with winding down HR operations, signaling a complete staff departure.

The closure follows a tumultuous period for the studio since MindsEye launched in June 2025 to widespread criticism. The initial release was plagued by severe bugs, leading to reports that Sony issued refunds to dissatisfied PlayStation players. Founder Leslie Benzies, a former producer for the Grand Theft Auto series, subsequently blamed the game’s failure on internal and external ‘saboteurs,’ coinciding with an early round of layoffs.

Efforts to rehabilitate the title appeared to fail as well. An expansion released in the spring promised to expose evidence of a conspiracy allegedly responsible for the launch issues, but Rock Paper Shotgun described the content as a lackluster imitation of a Hitman mission lacking substantive revelations. Later additions, including multiplayer features and a soccer mode reminiscent of Rocket League, also failed to revive player interest.

In March, BARB became the sole publisher of MindsEye after parting ways with IO Interactive, ending a collaboration tied to the 007 First Light developer. This split was accompanied by further layoffs in March and May.

Internal tensions had already escalated earlier in the year when dozens of employees accused management of invasive surveillance. The IWGB Game Workers Union alleged that BARB installed Teramind software on employee devices without consent, recording staff in their homes under the guise of productivity monitoring and security.