Leslie Benzies Speaks on MindsEye Layoff Risks for 300 Staff

Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), the Edinburgh-based studio behind MindsEye, has issued redundancy notices to approximately 300 UK employees following the game's troubled launch. Sources confirm similar notifications were sent to staff at PlayFusion, acquired by BARB in late 2024. PlayFusion's CEO Mark Gerhard became BARB's co-CEO during the acquisition and had been developing Ascendant, a fast-paced FPS originally slated for 2024 release.

IGN previously reported BARB initiated redundancy procedures shortly after MindsEye's launch. UK labor laws mandated a 45-day consultation period beginning June 23, triggered when companies plan over 100 redundancies within 90 days. BARB currently employs roughly 500 staff globally (300 UK-based, 200 international).

The studio confirmed restructuring aims to focus resources on "ongoing updates and performance optimization for MindsEye" while securing BARB's future ambitions. Players encountered significant technical issues after launch, prompting promises of extensive patches - some of which have already been deployed.

MindsEye's commercial struggles manifested rapidly: canceled sponsored streams, widespread refund requests (including through Sony's typically strict policies), and plummeting player counts. Steam charts show peak concurrent players dropping from launch-day highs of 3,302 to just 46 daily players recently, currently maintaining about two dozen players with 'mostly negative' reviews.

Originally conceived as part of Everywhere - BARB's ambitious "Roblox for adults" platform led by ex-Grand Theft Auto designer Leslie Benzies - MindsEye transitioned to standalone release but failed commercially.

BARB insiders describe growing tensions internally, with Benzies addressing staff July 2 via video call. According to attendees speaking anonymously, executives blamed "internal and external saboteurs" for the studio's challenges while pledging eventual recovery. These claims echo earlier controversy when co-CEO Gerhard alleged coordinated efforts to damage MindsEye's reputation pre-launch, accusations denied by industry peers.

Despite hopes internally for a turnaround, current workforce uncertainties cast doubt on BARB's ability to deliver promised post-launch content, including multiplayer functionality. The studio recently deployed its third console patch, with PC updates following, citing "hundreds of hours" analyzed gameplay footage to prioritize fixes.