MindsEye Developer Build a Rocket Boy Is Reportedly Shutting Down After Another Round of Layoffs

Build a Rocket Boy appears to be reaching the end of the road.

The studio behind MindsEye is reportedly winding down after another round of layoffs, with multiple employees publicly saying their time at the company is coming to an end.

Kotaku reports that sources familiar with the situation confirmed Build a Rocket Boy is permanently closing its doors. Several current employees also posted messages on LinkedIn indicating that layoffs are affecting much of the remaining staff.

Build a Rocket Boy has not publicly confirmed the closure at the time of writing, so the situation should still be described as reported rather than formally announced by the company.

Employees Say They Are Reaching “The Very End”

The clearest signs came directly from employees.

Dan Hawkins, Build a Rocket Boy’s principal talent acquisition partner, wrote that he would be helping the company through “the very end” while wrapping up work in the HR department. Other employees, including artists, QA workers and designers, have also announced that they are being made redundant and are now looking for new jobs.

Those posts suggest this is more than another small round of cuts.

Build a Rocket Boy has already experienced multiple layoffs since MindsEye launched in June 2025, but the latest messages are being framed by employees as the end of their time at the studio itself.

Kotaku says sources familiar with the company confirmed that Build a Rocket Boy is shutting down permanently. The publication has contacted the studio for comment.

MindsEye Was Supposed to Be the Beginning

The reported closure is especially notable because MindsEye was originally presented as the beginning of a much larger platform.

Before launch, Build a Rocket Boy and publisher IO Interactive described MindsEye as a story driven action game supported by a proprietary Game Creation System. The plan was to release new premium content on a regular basis while allowing players to create their own missions and experiences using the same tools available to the developers.

MindsEye launched on June 10, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. IO Interactive originally served as the game’s publishing partner through its IOI Partners label.

The ambition was significant.

Build a Rocket Boy wanted MindsEye to become a long-running experience rather than a one and done release. The studio promoted monthly premium content, user generated missions and an expanding universe that could continue growing after launch.

That future now looks deeply uncertain.

The Studio Had Already Been Through Major Layoffs

Build a Rocket Boy’s difficulties did not begin this week.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain said in April that around 300 employees had been made redundant following MindsEye’s weak commercial performance and critical reception. The union also said workers were pursuing legal claims related to the redundancy process and alleged employee monitoring.

Those claims are allegations made by the union and have not been independently established as fact.

The IWGB also said dozens of employees had raised concerns about the use of Teramind surveillance software on work devices. According to the union, management later removed the software.

The labor disputes added another layer of pressure to a studio already dealing with a difficult launch and a shrinking workforce.

What Happens to MindsEye Now?

The biggest unanswered question is what happens to MindsEye itself.

Build a Rocket Boy’s website is still online, and the studio’s legal and support pages remain accessible. Its site also still describes the company’s Creative System and community features.

However, the latest reports do not confirm whether MindsEye will continue receiving updates, whether another company could take over support or whether any of Build a Rocket Boy’s technology and intellectual property will survive under a different structure.

That uncertainty matters because MindsEye was sold on the promise of long-term content.

Players were told to expect a steady stream of studio created missions, challenges and other additions. If the developer is permanently closing, those plans may no longer be realistic unless another party takes control of the project.

Nothing has been officially announced about the future of the game.

A Difficult Ending for a Studio With Huge Ambitions

Build a Rocket Boy was founded in 2016 by Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North and one of the key figures behind several Grand Theft Auto games.

That background gave the studio enormous expectations from the beginning.

MindsEye was positioned as a cinematic action game with a large scale future ahead of it, while Build a Rocket Boy itself grew rapidly. One employee said the company expanded from roughly 200 employees to 550 during his time there.

The contrast between that growth and today’s reported shutdown is significant.

Game development is expensive, and ambitious projects can become difficult to sustain when launch sales, player retention and long term content plans fail to meet expectations.

For Build a Rocket Boy, the last year has included layoffs, workplace disputes, publisher changes and attempts to improve MindsEye after launch.

Now, employees are openly preparing for life after the studio.

The Story Is Not Fully Closed Yet

The reporting is strong enough to say Build a Rocket Boy appears to be shutting down, but one piece is still missing confirmation from Build a Rocket Boy itself.

Until the company issues a statement, questions remain about MindsEye, employee severance, ownership of its technology and whether any portion of the business could survive under another company.

That distinction is important.

This is not a rumor based on one anonymous social media post. Multiple employees have publicly announced redundancies, and Kotaku says sources familiar with the situation confirmed a permanent closure.

But it is also not yet a formal corporate announcement.

For a studio founded with ambitions of building the next major gaming universe, the reported ending is a sharp reminder of how quickly the industry can change.

MindsEye was supposed to be the first chapter.

It may instead become the project that defined Build a Rocket Boy’s entire story.