Overview
- Multiple Build a Rocket Boy staff posted on LinkedIn on Wednesday that they were being made redundant or are now open to work, and the studio’s principal talent acquisition lead said he would “see BARB through till the very end.”
- Kotaku cited unnamed sources saying the studio is permanently closing its doors while at least one industry source told IGN the company entity may remain even if staff are let go, leaving the scale and legal form of any shutdown unresolved.
- The latest cuts follow earlier rounds of layoffs after MindsEye’s disastrous June 2025 launch, which drew very low Metacritic scores and prompted repeated attempts to patch and relaunch the game.
- The IWGB Games Workers Union issued a statement of solidarity with affected workers and has led grievances and legal complaints alleging unlawful employee monitoring, crunch, and other mistreatment at the studio.
- If the studio does close, hundreds of former employees will need new roles and may pursue further legal or union actions, and the case highlights how product failure, management decisions, and workplace practices can rapidly unravel a large game studio.