Pain, Stress, and Accusations: 93 MindsEye Developers Accuse Build A Rocket Boy of "Disrespect and Mistreatment"


The launch of a much-anticipated video game is supposed to be a moment of triumph. For the developers at Build A Rocket Boy and their title, MindsEye, it was the beginning of a crisis—one that has now erupted into a public firestorm. Abandoned by players and reeling from massive layoffs, the studio faces an existential threat not from outside competition, but from its own employees.

In a stunning display of collective action, 93 past and present developers have signed a scathing open letter, accusing studio head and former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies of "disrespect and mistreatment," painting a picture of a studio culture defined by poor management, a lack of transparency, and relentless, unpaid crunch.

An Open Letter and a Union's Backing

The discontent, which had been simmering for months, has now been formalized with the help of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). The open letter, published by the Game Workers United UK branch, serves as a direct indictment of Build A Rocket Boy's leadership.

The allegations are severe and multifaceted. Developers point to a "huge lack of communication" and a "lack of transparency" from management, creating an environment of uncertainty and fear. This, they claim, was exacerbated by mandatory "crunch periods" that reportedly persisted even after the disastrous launch of MindsEye. According to the letter, employees were forced to work an estimated eight hours of unpaid overtime per week, a practice that is both ethically questionable and devastating to team morale and well-being.

"Routinely Belittled, Cheated, and Manipulated"

The situation escalated dramatically in recent months with over 250 layoffs. Former employees claim these job cuts were handled with stunning incompetence, citing "inaccurate information" and an "erroneous assessment of their skills" during the termination process.

In a powerful statement to IGN, which first broke the details of the open letter, Spring McparlinJones, chair of the IWGB's video game workers' committee, did not mince words.

"The treatment that workers at Build A Rocket Boy have been facing in the past twelve months has been shocking," McparlinJones said. "They have been routinely belittled, cheated, and manipulated by the company they dedicated years of their lives to. It's scary to think that 10 years ago, other executives like Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard could treat their workers like this and face zero repercussions. I'm proud to say that that's not the case anymore."

This statement underscores a significant shift in the games industry, where developers are increasingly willing to unionize and speak out against practices that were once silently endured.

A Former Employee's Damning Testimony: "Horrific Mental and Physical Illnesses"

The open letter is bolstered by harrowing accounts from those who lived through the development cycle. Former employee Ben Newbon provided a devastatingly detailed account of the studio's culture, directly linking leadership's actions to the game's commercial and critical failure.

"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," Newbon stated.

He saved his most potent criticism for the studio's response to the failure, accusing leadership of refusing to take responsibility. "Studio leadership have chosen not to take responsibility for the game's failure and instead blamed saboteurs, as if individual employees or online influencers could have caused this," he said. "The arrogance of leadership to believe they can act with impunity throughout development and the following redundancies has pushed myself and many former and continuing employees to take a stand."

This accusation of blaming external "saboteurs" echoes other reports and claims surrounding the studio's management, further complicating the narrative.

A Studio in Radio Silence

As of this writing, Build A Rocket Boy has not issued an official comment on the publication of the open letter. The silence from management is only amplifying the unease surrounding the studio's future.

The controversy has even spilled over to the talent involved in the project. The actor who portrays the game's protagonist, Jacob Diaz, has recently spoken out, expressing his own fears and disappointment about the situation, adding another layer of public relations woe for the embattled studio.

A Broader Industry Reckoning

This case is not happening in a vacuum. It is part of a growing, industry-wide movement where game developers are demanding better treatment, fair pay, and an end to exploitative crunch culture. The involvement of the IWGB signals a formalization of this fight in the UK, setting a potential precedent for other studios.

For the 93 developers who signed the letter, and the hundreds more affected by the layoffs, the goal is clear: to hold leadership accountable for what they describe as years of disrespect. The "pain and stress" referenced in their accusations have now been transformed into a unified call for change, leaving Build A Rocket Boy at a critical crossroads where its next move—or lack thereof—will be scrutinized by the entire industry.

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