IO Interactive Parts Ways With MindsEye Developer Build A Rocket Boy

IO Interactive has officially parted ways with Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of the controversial 2025 action-adventure game, MindsEye. In a new press release, the studio behind the iconic Hitman franchise confirmed previous rumors that it has, as of March 16, transferred all publishing rights for MindsEye to Build A Rocket Boy, making the developer the sole publisher of the title going forward.

Initially published by IO Interactive, MindsEye became the worst-reviewed game of 2025, even prompting PlayStation to issue refunds to players due to the performance issues and bugs present in the title, something the company very rarely does. Despite MindsEye having former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies at the helm, Build A Rocket Boy’s very first title became a massive failure for the studio, as both critics and players blasted the lackluster story, lifeless world, outdated gameplay, bugs, and more.

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IO Interactive Transfers MindsEye Publishing Rights to Build A Rocket Boy

Nearly one year on from the launch of MindsEye, the game’s publisher, IO Interactive, has officially parted ways with developer Build A Rocket Boy. This confirms a previous report from Insider Gaming from back in January, and also comes after IO Interactive’s CEO admitted that it may be done publishing other studios’ games after MindsEye‘s disastrous launch. Now, in a new press release, the company has confirmed that all publishing rights have been transferred to the game’s development studio, Build A Rocket Boy, as of March 16. “IOI Partners’ involvement with MindsEye comes to an end, except for any essential transitional functions required to transfer publisher-of-record status to Build A Rocket Boy,” the press release states.

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For those who have stuck with MindsEye over the last year, the separation of IO Interactive and Build A Rocket Boy, unfortunately, means that the planned Hitman collaboration for MindsEye has also been cancelled. The Hitman studio said in the press release that the planned crossover event, first revealed in June 2025, will “no longer be released.” It’s unclear if Build A Rocket Boy intends to repurpose the material into separate content or if it has yet to even be developed. IO’s statement does note that MindsEye development studio plans to work with other partners for separate projects in the future, suggesting further content is still being planned.

Build A Rocket Boy recently announced more layoffs at the studio this month, as CEO Mark Gerhard said the company had made the “painful decision” to make further redundancies. The executive then went on to reveal that the studio has been working with external partners and legal advisors to investigate “criminal activity” that took place at the launch of MindsEye. Gerhard claims that there is now “overwhelming evidence” of organized espionage and corporate sabotage that negatively affected MindsEye.

Despite the second round of layoffs, developers remaining at Build A Rocket Boy are continuing to support MindsEye with new updates and content. Back in February, the title aimed for a fresh start with a new update for the controversial title, introducing a brand refresh and “another step forward in overall polish.” The patch was focused on smoothing campaign flow, making objectives easier to follow, and continuing to refine AI behaviour. There has yet to be any official word on when the next update for MindsEye will be released.