MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy reportedly lays off around 170 more employees following story campaign update inspired by alleged sabotage

Build A Rocket Boy has reportedly laid off approximately 170 employees in the past week—the third round of major staff cuts following the troubled release of MindsEye. The layoffs reduce the studio’s headcount from around 250 to just 80 employees, according to reports from Kotaku citing sources familiar with the restructuring. While the studio has not officially announced the cuts, multiple LinkedIn posts from affected employees confirm the redundancies.

The timing is notable, arriving just days after the release of “Blacklisted,” a new in-game mission that players describe as a cryptic parody of the alleged sabotage the studio claims MindsEye faced during development. The mission was originally designed as a Hitman crossover and served as part of the studio’s broader attempt to revitalize the critically panned open-world shooter.

MindsEye, released in summer 2025, has become one of gaming’s most infamous failures, plagued by production chaos and becoming one of the lowest-rated games ever released. Build A Rocket Boy had publicly signaled intentions to rework and relaunch the game in a bid to repair its reputation, making these latest layoffs particularly significant. The cuts suggest those recovery efforts may be faltering or being scaled back substantially.

The repeated rounds of layoffs underscore the mounting pressure on the studio as it struggles to salvage a project that has become defined by disaster. With just 80 staff remaining, Build A Rocket Boy faces an uncertain future as it attempts to manage both MindsEye’s troubled legacy and the studio’s own viability.

MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy reportedly lays off around 170 more employees following story campaign update inspired by alleged sabotage

Sources