Build A Rocket Boy Enters Administration After MindsEye Flop
Build A Rocket Boy (Barb), a video game studio located in Edinburgh, has gone into administration after the disappointing launch of its first game, MindsEye, in June 2025, which was met with negative reviews. Established in 2016 by Leslie Benzies, previously associated with Rockstar Games, the studio initially focused on Everywhere before pivoting to MindsEye. By 2024, the project had secured over £233 million in external funding. Former employees noted a lack of guidance and unaddressed issues. Following the game's release, between 250 and 300 staff were laid off. Benzies suggested that both "internal and external" factors undermined the launch, for which Barb accepted accountability. Recent financial statements revealed a £36.2 million loss and £10.5 million in net assets, with administration potentially resulting in asset sales or liquidation.
Key facts
- Build A Rocket Boy (Barb) has gone into administration, risking sale or closure
- MindsEye, released in June 2025, was the studio's debut game and received bad reviews and player complaints
- Leslie Benzies founded Barb in 2016, the same year he left Rockstar Games after a legal row over unpaid royalties
- The studio had attracted more than £233m in external investment by 2024, according to company documents
- Between 250 and 300 staff were made redundant following the game's turbulent launch
- Benzies alleged "internal and external" forces conspired to hinder MindsEye's release and vowed to root out "saboteurs"
- Barb's most recent accounts, up to September 2025, show a £36.2m loss and £10.5m in net assets
- Reports last week suggested the remaining workers at the studio had also been let go
Entities
Artists
- Leslie Benzies
Institutions
- Build A Rocket Boy
- Barb
- Rockstar Games
- BBC Newsbeat
- Bafta Game Awards
Locations
- Edinburgh
- Scotland
- United Kingdom