Expectations soared for Build a Rocket Boy (Barb), the ambitious studio established by Leslie Benzies, a former producer of the Grand Theft Auto series. After parting ways with Rockstar North in 2016, Benzies aimed to replicate his previous success with a new venture. The studio’s flagship project, Everywhere, promised an expansive multiplayer RPG set in a futuristic world where players could craft their own narratives.
With a staggering £233 million raised by 2024 and a workforce of 448 employees, Barb appeared poised for success. However, the absence of a tangible game release led to a strategic pivot towards MindsEye, which began as a component of the original Everywhere concept.
Internal Struggles and Employee Discontent
Amidst the studio’s lofty ambitions, discontent brewed among staff. A letter signed by 93 former employees accused Benzies and his colleague Mark Gerhard of “systemic mistreatment, mismanagement, and mishandling of the redundancy process.” Jamie, a former employee, expressed frustration over the lack of coherent direction, stating, “Leslie never decided what game he wanted to make.” This ambiguity, he noted, plagued the project from its inception.
Former lead data analyst Ben Newbon described a work environment characterized by erratic decision-making from management, where employee feedback often went unheeded. The term “Leslie tickets,” referring to Benzies’ detailed notes and directives, became synonymous with a culture of micro-management. “No matter what else you were working on, the Leslie ticket had to be taken care of,” Newbon recalled, highlighting the pressure this placed on staff.
The lead-up to MindsEye’s launch was marked by intense crunch periods, with many employees working unpaid overtime under the promise of future time off. This approach, however, led to a cascade of mistakes and regressions, as teams struggled to coordinate their efforts. Isaac Hudd, a former audio programmer, noted the toll this took on morale, stating, “You really do start to see the morale go down… People are burning the candle at both ends.” Following the game’s release, the team faced a barrage of negative reviews, leaving many to question the project’s viability.
In a tense all-staff meeting shortly after the game’s lackluster reception, Benzies characterized the criticism as “uncalled for” and suggested that internal “saboteurs” were to blame. His remarks, which included a condemnation of dissenting voices within the company, left many employees astonished, as they felt acutely aware of the reasons behind MindsEye’s failure.
Recently, Barb faced significant upheaval, with between 250 and 300 employees laid off, primarily from its Edinburgh studio. The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union’s Game Workers Branch, which had organized the open letter from disgruntled staff, announced plans to pursue legal action against the company. IWGB chair Spring McParlin-Jones did not mince words, stating, “[BARB devs] have been routinely belittled, cheated, and manipulated by the company they dedicated years of their lives to.” She emphasized that the union’s efforts were aimed at ensuring respect for workers’ rights in an industry often perceived as unregulated.
In response, Barb asserted that it approached the redundancy process with “care and transparency,” expressing a commitment to learn from the feedback received. The studio acknowledged the shortcomings of MindsEye’s initial launch, stating, “The version of the game that was released did not reflect the experience our community deserved.” They pledged to continue refining MindsEye, with hopes of delivering the envisioned game in the future. However, the path ahead remains uncertain, as the game’s poor reception has left lingering doubts about its future and the studio’s direction.