Scottish studio Build a Rocket Boy has reportedly initiated another round of job cuts.
Its action-adventure game, MindsEye, was poorly received when it launched in June 2025, with players reporting bugs and performance issues, the last-minute cancellation of sponsored marketing streams, and dismal reviews. The developer laid off staff soon afterwards, but has continued to push out updates to the game, including a “free starter pack” trial on all platforms in November.
The studio is thought to have laid off around 300 developers shortly after MindsEye released, with further redundancies confirmed earlier this year. Then, in February, Build a Rocket Boy announced a “new phase of ongoing development” for MindsEye, marking the company’s first notable PR push since the game’s launch in June. In March, IOI Partners, the publishing division of IO Interactive, and Build a Rocket Boy concluded their publishing agreement for MindsEye.
Now, according to IGN, multiple Build a Rocket Boy staff have revealed that they have been laid off. The extent of the cuts is unclear.
Dan Hawkins, principal talent acquisition partner and HR operations lead at Build a Rocket Boy, confirmed his own departure in a LinkedIn post.
“With a very heavy heart I raise my green banner, along with the rest of my colleagues at Build a Rocket Boy,” Hawkins wrote.
“Just shy of 5 years here at BARB and one hell of a ride! Being the first hire into our internal recruitment team, taking the studio from 200 to 550 in a short period of time. It has been an honour to work alongside so many talented people, far too many to mention!”
Hawkins added: “I will be seeing BARB through till the very end, helping wrap things up here in the HR department. But I would be very interested in hearing about any opportunities, both within and outside of the games industry to join growing companies.”
One source familiar with the studio told IGN that Build a Rocket Boy may not be dissolved even if all its remaining staff are let go. The studio has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Build a Rocket Boy staff protested outside the studio’s Edinburgh offices in July, objecting to an “all-expenses-paid” fan event they said was inappropriate given the scale of the cuts the studio had already made.