More trouble is brewing at MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), but it has nothing to do with the studio’s debut title. A group of employees led by the IWGB Game Workers Union have initiated legal action in response to Build A Rocket Boy leadership’s decision to install surveillance software on employees’ devices without their knowledge. According to the workers’ union, after 40 employees filed a grievance demanding the removal of the software (called Teramind), it was removed from employee devices in March. But now, those workers want to know exactly how much data was collected without their consent–and what was done with it.
“[Build A Rocket Boy] failed to meet the aggrieved workers’ other demands for transparency and accountability, refusing to explain what data was collected, how it was used, and why the software was installed in the first place,” reads a press release from the IWGB Game Workers Union. “Now, IWGB members are escalating the matter through ACAS and the Information Commissioner’s Office.”
Build A Rocket Boy was founded by former Rockstar boss Leslie Benzies in 2016, with former Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard becoming co-CEO in 2024. The studio’s debut release, the very clearly GTA-inspired MindsEye, quickly became one of the worst-reviewed games of 2025. The game’s difficult launch was followed by claims of employees being subjected to excessive crunch time in an attempt to fix the game’s many issues, followed by layoffs that employees say weren’t handled properly.
The controversy around Build a Rocket Boy extends beyond its debut title and surveillance grievances, as Benzies was also accused of sexual assault. Although he was put on indefinite leave after the accusation, he recently returned to the office, and has repeatedly suggested that MindsEye flopped not because of leadership failures, but rather because of “espionage and corporate sabotage.”
“We’ve all watched the spectacle of the bonfire that is BARB–but there is a human cost behind the drama and financial mismanagement that often goes untold,” IWGB Game Workers Branch chair Spring McParlin Jones said in the union’s press release. “Having borne the brunt of Mark and Leslie’s paranoia, these workers stood up for each other and stood up to bullies in management, forcing them to be accountable for their actions and get rid of Teramind. Now BARB must meet our demands for data transparency. Their alleged actions are a violation of their employees’ rights to privacy.”
Employees first voiced their concerns in October 2025 via an open letter citing “lack of transparency and communication,” “unbearable levels of overtime,” and “disastrous handling of redundancies” among their chief concerns.
Per the press release, the workers have also begun legal proceedings regarding those redundancies.
“Following the poor sales performance and critical reception of its latest release, MindsEye, the studio made 300 staff members redundant,” the IWGB’s press release reads. “If successful, the legal claim–which includes allegations of unlawful blacklisting, detriment, and failure to engage in collective consultations–could cost BARB millions.”
“Build A Rocket Boy’s toxic culture of secrecy and micromanaging is one of the worst I’ve seen in a 20-year career in the gaming industry,” IWGB member and lead cinematic animator Chris Wilson said of his time at the studio. “While [BARB leadership] have conceded to our headline demand of removing Teramind from our devices, many questions still remain about their actions. It can only be assumed this software was added as a part of their effort to micromanage us, a product of their mistrust of their employees.”
Meanwhile, Build A Rocket Boy is now lacking a publisher after parting ways with IO Interactive, and Mark Gerhard says MindsEye’s first major update will feature a mission that includes proof of corporate espionage against the studio and features characters based on former employees that were apparently behind this alleged sabotage. In early March, Gerhard implied that Build A Rocket Boy was pursuing some sort of legal action against an entity that was apparently behind MindsEye’s less-than-stellar launch.
“We have been working with external partners and legal advisors to investigate the criminal activity that took place around our launch,” he said. “That work has taken far longer than expected, but it has now resulted in overwhelming evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage affecting MindsEye. Because this matter is moving toward prosecution, we cannot share the full details publicly yet.”
As for adding former employees to the game through an update, Gerhard didn’t seem to be joking.
“We will use these people, these names, and these facts for our own fun,” Gerhard allegedly said in footage of an internal meeting obtained by Insider Gaming. “We’re gonna put some of these names into our upcoming spy mission. And let’s have some fun with it. Let’s tell the community the story before it even plays out in court.”
But according to MindsEye lead cinematics animator Chris Wilson, there’s nothing to tell: MindsEye’s failure was the result of micromanagement, mistrust, and an unwillingness to listen to developers–not corporate espionage.
“[Management’s paranoia] created an atmosphere of unease, something that doesn’t lead to great video game production,” he said.
