In July, Build a Rocket Boy employees were gathered for a general meeting. Their first game, the sci-fi adventure MindsEye, had failed. Critics called it "raw," "glitchy," and "the worst game of 2025."
Studio head Leslie Benzies stated that "everything is under control" and blamed "internal and external forces" for allegedly disrupting the launch. He promised to "find the saboteurs," which shocked employees who had recently been warned about possible layoffs. Employees didn't believe it: according to them, the failure was due not to conspiracies, but to chaos in management.
The BBC found out that the studio had experienced months of crunch, unpaid overtime, and strict micromanagement. Inside the company, the concept of "Leslie tickets" appeared - tasks that had to be performed immediately, even if it broke the production process. Employees complained that any attempts to discuss problems were ridiculed by management.
After release, the game faced bugs, disrupted streams, and a wave of negative reviews. A month later, Build a Rocket Boy laid off up to 300 employees, mostly from the Edinburgh office. The IWGB union accused the company of a "failed reduction" and is preparing a lawsuit.
In an official statement, the studio acknowledged responsibility for the unsuccessful launch and promised "improvements and new content." But former employees believe that MindsEye cannot be saved - and call what happened a "lost opportunity for the entire British industry."
