Just when it didn’t seem like things could get any worse for the biggest video game flop of 2025, it turns out MindsEye’s gameplay is not even close to the worst thing about the game. The game’s incredible failure can apparently be explained to some extent as well, at least according to former and current employees.
In an open letter issued today by 93 Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) employees and ex-employees, as well as the Game Workers Branch of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB), workers allege unhealthy workplace conditions, mismanagement, and an overall failure by the company’s leadership to “listen to [the] workforce’s years of experience.”
Things Were Worse At MindsEye Than We Thought
The Open Letter Alleges Forced Overtime, CEOs Mismanaging The Company, & More
The open letter from MindsEye employees and ex-employees goes into great detail about the various issues at BARB, pointing out the company’s “lack of transparency and communication, unbearable levels of overtime, disastrous handling of redundancies,” among various other concerning allegations.
While some details about the game’s development struggles and problems with executive over-reach have been discussed since MindsEye’s controversial release, there was no indication just how bad things were for the actual workers at BARB. The letter highlights “burnout, job insecurity, health issues, and the failure of a game that many of us have put years of our lives into.”
Build A Rocket Boy has apparently laid off “a UK-majority of 250-300 workers across the company” according to the open letter, and the game’s terrible launch and critical reception were clearly a devastating result for workers who had years of their lives invested in the project.
Employees who signed the letter are demanding “a public apology for this mistreatment of employees and proper compensation for laid-off employees,” as well as redundancy options for current employees, a “documented effort to improve conditions and processes,” and more. The letter points to the ultimate issue that caused the game’s failure: “CEOs need to take a backseat and allow the skilled people who remain at the company to forge the path ahead.”
MindsEye’s Failure Makes Much More Sense Now
While Certain Issues Were Obvious, Employees Make It Clear What’s Gone Wrong
MindsEye’s abysmal failure was incredibly suspect for many players who were excited over the project for years. It had all the right components on paper, but clearly something went wrong in the development process. What that was exactly has not been clear, at least until now. The open letter from employees to MindsEye executives puts the company’s dirty laundry on full display, and the studio can’t hide from it any longer.
Ultimately, it’s unclear if the open letter or any future legal action will result in change at Build A Rocket Boy, but it’s abundantly clear that the current formula and approach to business is not working. While the MindsEye employees signing off on this letter are only telling one side of the story, the allegations certainly need to be addressed by official BARB executives one way or the other.
MindsEye
- Released
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June 10, 2025
- ESRB
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Rating Pending
- Developer(s)
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Build A Rocket Boy
- Publisher(s)
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IO Interactive Partners A/S
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
- PC Release Date
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2025