Build A Rocket Boy Announces Layoffs, CEO Claims MindsEye Sabotaged by Espionage Campaign

Build A Rocket Boy has announced today on their LinkedIn that a number of redundancies are being made at the studio. In a statement by studio CEO Mark, stated that Build A Rocket Boy would be joining the ever growing list of gaming studios that have had layoffs, or closed in recent years.

However, Mark does note that while the layoffs are due to an underwhelming launch of the studio's recent game MindsEye, which we reviewed at GamerzTheory. The statement noted that the company is undergoing legal action.

The launch period was affected by factors beyond normal operational challenges and a competitive environment. Over the past month working with external partners and legal advisors to investigate the criminal activity that took place around our launch. Has now resulted in overwhelming evidence of organised espionage and corporate sabotage affecting MindsEye.

Mark would go on to say that since this is moving to prosecution that cannot yet share full details. Weeks before MindsEye was set to launch in a Discord Q&A Mark responded to a user who asked “Do you think that all the people who reacted negatively were financed by someone?” with a very confident “100%, Doesn't take much to guess who 🤣”

Following Mark’s statements last year IO Interactive, who at the time was the publisher for Build A Rocket Boy, CEO Hakan Abrak seemed to downplay the statements saying "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." Earlier this year IO Interactive and Build A Rocket Boy split ties with Build A Rocket Boy saying they had a desire to publish in-house and gain more control over its future.

Do you think we will learn who was allegedly paying for bad reviews of MindsEye? Give us your thoughts in the comments and come join us in our GamerzTheory Discord.