Build A Rocket Boy enters administration following MindsEye's failed launch

Build A Rocket Boy, the studio founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, has entered administration following its recent wave of layoffs. The company confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that Opus Advisory Group is acting as its administrator after a filing with the UK's Companies House.

The appointment of an administrator indicates that a firm is insolvent and requires protection from legal action by creditors. According to Build A Rocket Boy's most recently available accounts for the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, the company posted a £47.5 million operating loss and a £36.2 million net loss. As of that date, the studio owed creditors a total of £61.8 million.

Build A Rocket Boy's troubles began with the June 2025 launch of MindsEye, its debut title. The shooter was panned by critics and players alike. Eurogamer awarded it one out of five stars, stating that despite showing early promise, the game was "sunk by a ridiculous story, inconsistent writing, poorly designed mission scenarios, and utterly atrocious combat." Within a month of release, around 300 staff received notices of potential redundancy.

The studio has faced multiple waves of layoffs since MindsEye's launch, with additional redundancies announced in early 2026 and again in September 2026. During the early 2026 layoffs, employees discovered that Teramind monitoring software had been installed on work machines without management notification. Co-CEO Leslie Benzies attributed this measure to efforts to sabotage the studio and game. Fellow co-CEO Mark Gerhard later alleged, without providing evidence, that "a very big American company" had spent over €1 million in 2025 "committing criminal activity" against Build A Rocket Boy.

The IWGB Game Workers union launched legal action against Build A Rocket Boy in October 2025, alleging mishandling of the redundancy process, and again pursued data privacy violations following the use of Teramind. Industry veteran Chris Wilson, who worked as MindsEye's lead animator, described severe workplace culture issues at the studio. "Even before the disastrous launch of MindsEye, staff had suffered months of crunch, resulting in some horrific mental and even physical illnesses, beyond the typical widespread burnout," Wilson said. He reported that cinematics teams crunched for six to nine months without overtime pay.

Build A Rocket Boy attracted investment from NetEase Games, RedBird Capital Partners and Galaxy Interactive, though directors representing these firms were terminated from the board during summer 2026. The studio was founded in 2016 by Benzies following his departure from Rockstar. MindsEye released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.