In July, Build a Rocket Boy’s staff were gathered for an all-hands meeting. Their debut title, the sci‑fi adventure MindsEye, flopped — critics described it as “unfinished”, “buggy” and even “the worst game of 2025”.
Studio head Leslie Benzis insisted that “everything is under control” and blamed a mix of “internal and external forces” for derailing the launch. He vowed to “find the saboteurs”, a declaration that alarmed employees who had recently been briefed on potential redundancies. Staff rejected his explanation — saying the collapse stemmed from managerial chaos rather than some conspiracy.
Reporting by the BBC found the studio had endured months of crunch, unpaid overtime and stringent micromanagement. Inside the company a phrase emerged — “Leslie tickets” — referring to tasks that had to be executed immediately, even when doing so disrupted the production pipeline. Employees said any attempt to raise concerns was met with ridicule by senior management.
After release the game was plagued by bugs, cancelled streams and a surge of negative reviews. Within a month Build a Rocket Boy cut up to 300 roles, most from its Edinburgh office. The IWGB union condemned the move as a “botched redundancy” and is preparing legal action.
In a formal statement the studio accepted responsibility for the troubled launch and pledged “improvements and new content.” Former staff, however, say MindsEye is beyond saving and call the episode “a lost opportunity for the entire UK games industry.”
Source: iXBT.games