MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy enters administration

Build A Rocket Boy, the studio that made the action game MindsEye, entered administration on 23 September 2026, according to BritBrief. Administration is a UK insolvency process in which outside administrators take control of a company that cannot pay its debts. GamingBolt reports that the filing came after the studio confirmed it was insolvent.

Jobs and administrators

BritBrief reports that Allister Manson and Mark Harper of Opus were appointed as joint administrators. The company had 85 employees when the administrators came in; 49 kept their jobs on appointment and 36 were made redundant. BritBrief adds that between 250 and 300 staff had already been made redundant following the launch of MindsEye.

In a statement quoted by BritBrief, the administrators said: "The directors sought the protection of Administration to safeguard the Company's business and assets while options for its future are assessed." They said they intend "to continue trading the business while exploring all available options with a view to maximising value for creditors."

The financial picture

GamingBolt reports that, for the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, the studio recorded operating losses of £47.5 million and a net loss of £36.2 million. It owed £61.8 million to creditors, according to the same report.

Build A Rocket Boy was founded in 2016 by Leslie Benzies, a former Grand Theft Auto developer, BritBrief reports. Cryovex describes the company as an Edinburgh-based developer that went through multiple rounds of layoffs before the filing.

MindsEye's troubled launch

MindsEye was released in June 2025 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, GamingBolt reports, and its underperformance preceded the studio's layoffs. The studio kept releasing post-launch updates, including additions to its Arcadia creation suite and a multiplayer mode called Grenade Football that arrived in July.

GamingBolt also cites claims about working conditions at the studio. MindsEye lead animator Chris Wilson said: "Even before the disastrous launch of MindsEye, staff had suffered months of crunch, resulting in some horrific mental and even physical illnesses, beyond the typical widespread burnout." He said cinematics teams experienced crunch lasting "between six to nine months". These are his accounts and have not been tested in any formal process.

Cryovex notes that the company had previously suggested external saboteurs were behind its difficulties, but that there is no public evidence to support those claims.

Why it matters

Build A Rocket Boy was founded by a former Grand Theft Auto developer, and its move into administration follows repeated layoffs since MindsEye launched. The administrators say they will keep the business trading while they look for a way forward, so the future of MindsEye and the remaining staff now depends on the options the administrators are assessing.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.