Developers at MindsEye have endured another wave of layoffs attributed to "system espionage and internal sabotage."

Build a Rocket Boy under pressure: new layoffs and a cyber‑fraud investigation

What happened Who is involved Layoffs of more than 100 employees (out of 300) Within the first days after the release of *MindsEye* Build a Rocket Boy leadership, Mark Gerhard Investigation of cyber‑espionage and corporate sabotage Starting in February Mark Gerhard, former head of Rockstar North Leslie Benzis Financial losses from a defamation campaign During 2025 Unknown American company (campaign > €1 million)

Key facts
- Mark Gerhard – CEO of the studio, stated that there is “indisputable evidence” of organized espionage and sabotage that led to the failure of *MindsEye*’s launch last year.

- As a result of these actions, the company was forced to carry out a second wave of layoffs. The first round, conducted immediately after the game’s release, affected more than 100 employees out of a total staff of 300.

- Gerhard emphasized that “leaders take responsibility for project outcomes,” but admitted that the launch suffered from factors beyond ordinary operational issues and competitive environment.

- In February he revealed details: an American company spent over €1 million on a defamation campaign against the studio and *MindsEye*. At the same time, employees of the PC version of the game were installed with software to track their activity.

- During the investigation, founder and former president of Rockstar North Leslie Benzis temporarily left the company, after which Gerhard declared himself sole CEO.

*MindsEye* project status
- The game was released on June 10 2025 for PC (Steam, EGS), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

- Despite poor reviews from critics and users, Build a Rocket Boy is trying to steer the project in a *Cyberpunk 2077*-style and *No Man’s Sky* direction, hoping to regain audience interest.

Conclusion: The studio faced serious internal problems, including cyber‑espionage and sabotage, leading to mass layoffs. Management continues the investigation and attempts to change the game’s direction to restore the company’s reputation.