Based in 2018 by Leslie Benzies, the primary producer behind the immensely fashionable Grand Theft Auto sequence, Construct a Rocket Boy (BARB) has lower tons of of roles during the last 12 months following a disastrous launch of the corporate’s first mission.
Hailed by these within the business as the sport that might supersede the Grand Theft Auto franchise, MindsEye was a extremely anticipated action-adventure sport when it launched in June 2025.
Nonetheless, its launch was marred by controversy, with customers claiming it was “damaged” and “buggy,” main it to be one of many worst-rated video games of its technology.
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Following the sport’s poor reception, round 300 jobs have been lower by the studio in October final yr, with around 150 of those roles based at the firm’s base in Edinburgh.
Subsequent rounds of layoffs reportedly adopted, with fired workers protesting outdoors the studio this summer season.
This week, a number of remaining workers on the studio have introduced on LinkedIn that they’ve been let go from BARB.
Amongst these saying they’d been laid off have been manufacturing QA analyst Cameron Deaves, who stated his time on the studio was “coming to an finish,” together with stage designer Liam Shannon and launch supervisor Michaela Emslie.
Dan Hawkins, BARB’s principal expertise acquisition associate and HR operations, additionally implied the remainder of the staff on the studio had been made redundant.
“With a really heavy coronary heart I elevate my inexperienced [LinkedIn Open To Work] banner, together with the remainder of my colleagues at Construct A Rocket Boy,” he wrote on his social media account, based on The Metro.
“I’m ‘Open To Work,’ actively on the lookout for a brand new journey.”
The extent of the layoffs is at present unclear at this stage, however BARB has been approached by The Nationwide.
Though BARB has not introduced the studio’s closure, Kotaku experiences that the developer is “completely closing its doorways” following the layoffs.
Final yr, 93 present and former workers signed an open letter, issued by the Recreation Staff Department of the Unbiased Staff of Nice Britain, claiming BARB’s refusal to hearken to its workers resulted in “one of many worst online game launches this decade”.
The letter additionally claimed that every one workers have been made to work eight hours of time beyond regulation per week, with day without work in lieu allegedly promised, however on the time had not occurred on account of “excessive precedence” work nonetheless happening after the discharge of MindsEye.
Staff additionally cited burnout, job insecurity and well being points while engaged on the sport “that many people have put years of our lives into”.