It was highly anticipated, but MindsEye missed the mark when it was released in early June. The teams at Build A Rocket Boy studio tried their best to limit the damage, but the game suffered from a plethora of bugs. Add to that the reports about working conditions, and unsurprisingly, it was a total downer. As a result, some very difficult decisions were inevitably made internally.
The teams pay the price for MindsEye
Despite attempts to sell MindsEye as a solid adventure poised to redefine GTA-like games, Build A Rocket Boy failed to deliver a sufficiently polished version upon release. The studio has started rolling out patches, but more will likely be needed to limit the damage. It will then be necessary to redouble our efforts, as some players are already trying to request a refund from PlayStation in particular.
However, it is hard to believe in a rebirth worthy of No Man's Sky or Cyberpunk 2077. In fact, a hard blow has just hit the Build A Rocket Boy teams. Our colleagues at IGN were warned by a member of the studio who wished to remain anonymous. They then publicly revealed that at least a hundred people would be threatened with dismissal. Faced with these revelations, the studio had no other choice but to confirm the news in a statement to the media:
We confirm that we had to make the painful decision to inform our team of dedicated workers of certain internal changes at Build A Rocket Boy. While we work to reallocate roles to as many people as possible affected by these changes, we are unfortunately beginning a formal consultation process that may result in redundancies. This decision has not been taken lightly; we are committed to managing this process with transparency, fairness, and respect for all employees. We will provide further information to the team in the coming weeks.
The launch of MindsEye was a significant milestone for Build a Rocket Boy. However, we know we still have much more to do to grow our community over the coming years. The challenges we have faced have only strengthened our resolve. While we are deeply saddened by the current decision and grateful to our incredible team, this change allows us to focus on rolling out continuous updates and optimizing MindsEye's performance, while ensuring the long-term success of Build a Rocket Boy's future ambitions.
Official Build a Rocket Boy statement.
Build A Rocket Boy is already looking to the future
Given the youth of the studio behind MindsEye and the issues already raised internally, it was only a matter of time before the axe fell. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Build A Rocket Boy launched a consultation process, following the legal procedure for a planned layoff of 100 or more people over a 90-day period. Ultimately, the studio would lay off at least a third of its team. It's simply unclear who this will affect. Will it affect certain branches in particular? Mainly the 200 employees abroad, or the entire workforce? Only time will tell.
However, Build A Rocket Boy's leaders are already thinking about the future amidst their misfortune. Mark Gerhard, co-CEO of Build A Rocket Boy, reportedly assured his teams in an email that MindsEye will benefit from long-term support despite these decisions. The latest statements to IGN confirm these statements. Moreover, the studio is already talking about the future, which coincides with the latest statements about a new game based on a well-known TV series.
However, Build A Rocket Boy executives did not provide any details on employee support. At a time when the video game industry is collecting layoffs, each new announcement of this kind is a real blow. MindsEye will therefore have cost both the studio and its teams dearly.
Source: IGN.
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