MindsEye licencie 300 salariés ; l'ancien patron de GTA Benzies s'adresse aux employés

The situation at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) — the UK-based studio behind the much-hyped, story-driven action-adventure game MindsEye — has taken a dramatic turn following a disastrous launch and mounting internal turmoil. With approximately 300 UK employees now facing potential job losses, and a 45-day redundancy consultation process underway under UK law, the future of the studio hangs in the balance.

Key Developments in Summary:

1. Mass Layoff Notices Issued

• Build A Rocket Boy has sent redundancy notices to around 300 UK staff, with additional concerns for roughly 200 international employees.
• The process was triggered after MindsEye’s underwhelming launch, which failed to meet commercial or critical expectations.
• A similar redundancy process was initiated at PlayFusion, acquired by BARB in late 2024, signaling broader restructuring across the newly consolidated entity.

2. MindsEye’s Troubled Launch

• MindsEye, initially envisioned as a flagship project for Everywhere — a bold adult-oriented creative platform led by Leslie Benzies (former creative director of Grand Theft Auto) — was pivoted into a standalone title.
• Despite a high-profile reveal and strong marketing, the game launched with severe technical flaws, including:
  • Poor performance and frame-rate drops
  • Glitches and bugs
  • Unpredictable AI behavior
  • A subpar narrative experience for many players

3. Player Reception & Player Count Collapse

• Launch peak on Steam: 3,302 concurrent players
• 24-hour low: Just 46 players
• As of now, only 26 players are active on Steam
• The game holds a "mostly negative" review rating — a sharp contrast to the studio's ambitious promises

4. Publisher and Developer Denials vs. Internal Panic

• BARB’s statement confirmed the layoffs were necessary to "focus on delivering ongoing updates and performance optimization" for MindsEye, while protecting the long-term viability of future projects.
• Leslie Benzies addressed staff via a brief video call on July 2, vowing to "recover and relaunch" MindsEye. He cited internal and external sabotage, including "saboteurs" and "spam bots" driving negative sentiment.
• Mark Gerhard, co-CEO and former PlayFusion head, previously claimed there was a "concerted effort" to "trash the game and the studio," suggesting paid critics and bot campaigns.
• IO Interactive’s CEO, who oversees Hitman, denied any involvement in such tactics — calling the claims baseless and damaging.

5. Post-Launch Efforts: Patches, Promises, and Distrust

• BARB has released three post-launch updates for consoles, with a PC version pending.
• The studio claims to have analyzed "hundreds of hours" of gameplay and player feedback to prioritize fixes.
• The promised multiplayer mode — a major pillar of the game’s long-term vision — remains unannounced and unconfirmed, fueling uncertainty among both players and staff.

6. Cultural and Financial Fallout

• BARB cancelled all sponsored streams, a move that signaled a retreat from community engagement.
• Sony, known for strict refund policies, reportedly began issuing player refunds — a rare and telling sign of player dissatisfaction.
• The game’s failure has cast a long shadow over the $150M+ funding and high-profile talent behind the project, including Benzies’ reputation and the studio’s ambitious "Roblox for adults" premise.

The Bigger Picture: Can BARB Recover?

There is internal hope among some staff that MindsEye can be salvaged — that a series of high-impact patches, a relaunch, and a renewed community push could turn things around.

But with:

• Dwindling player numbers
• Mass layoffs
• Leadership blaming external forces instead of product flaws
• No evidence of a comeback strategy beyond patches

...the road to redemption seems steep.

For now, employees wait anxiously — many still uncertain whether they’ll keep their jobs, or whether the studio will survive long enough to deliver on its promises.

Final Thoughts

MindsEye was meant to be a revolutionary step in adult-focused, player-driven gaming. Instead, it's become a cautionary tale of overpromising, underdelivering, and the high cost of ambition in a hyper-competitive market.

As BARB scrambles to stabilize, the gaming world watches:
Will this be a comeback story — or a corporate collapse in slow motion?

Only time — and the next patch — will tell.