MindsEye's Collapse Goes to Court: CEO Claims Game Targeted by Criminal Sabotage
In these challenging times, we're working diligently to overcome the unforeseen obstacles faced by Build A Rocket Boy, ensuring transparency and cooperation with external partners during our ongoing investigations into the alleged espionage and sabotage affecting MindsEye.
Bruno Pferd · 3 min read
Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by former Rockstar developer Leslie Benzies, has announced new layoffs following the poor performance of its debut project, MindsEye, released in 2025. According to co-CEO Mark Gerhard, the studio possesses substantial evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage that undermined the game's success. He argues that Build A Rocket Boy has been the victim of unprecedented criminal attacks, rather than simply facing general economic pressures in the gaming market. Gerhard stated that the company is working with external partners and legal consultants to investigate these activities. Due to ongoing judicial proceedings, specific details and evidence cannot be shared publicly. Gerhard's claims echo statements made earlier this year. In February, Insider Gaming reported on an internal meeting where Gerhard told employees that the culprits had been identified. He alleged that a large American company financed a defamation campaign worth over 1 million euros. This campaign, allegedly orchestrated through a British agency, Ritual Network (which has publicly denied the accusations), involved bribing influencers, journalists, and even Build A Rocket Boy employees to sabotage and disparage MindsEye.
Game Layoffs Amidst Ongoing Sabotage Allegations and Internal Strife at MindsEye
These allegations contrast with reports from former team members last year, which suggested that internal management issues were to blame for the game's failure, rather than external conspiracies. These reports cited intense crunch periods, poor resource management, and a lack of creative direction under Leslie Benzies, who reportedly pushed for hasty implementation of new mechanics. Moreover, critics cited numerous bugs, poor performance optimization, and weak AI in their reviews of MindsEye upon its 2025 release. Regardless of the reasons, these layoffs add to the growing number of job losses in the gaming industry in 2026.
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Sources
- Build a Rocket Boy confirms more layoffs amid further claims of "organized espionage and corporate sabotage"
- Related Story "They Don't Know How to Run a Game Studio": Former BaRB Staff Call Out MindsEye Leadership as Leslie Benzies Takes Temp. Leave
- MindsEye studio claims it now has 'overwhelming evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage' that somehow made its game bad, and also it's laying off more people
- "Overwhelming evidence of organized espionage": MindsEye CEO blames flop launch on "corporate sabotage" and commits to "prosecution" amid more layoffs



