Build A Rocket Boy Undergoes Significant Staff Reduction
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Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) has reduced its staff significantly, with reports indicating approximately 170 employees were laid off in the past week. The developer is now managing the publishing of its game MindsEye independently after a partner exited its deal earlier this year. The studio's CEO has cited external challenges affecting the project.
Facts First
- Approximately 170 employees were laid off at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) in the past week.
- The studio's total staff is now reduced to around 80 employees, according to sources.
- This follows previous waves of layoffs that occurred in March and last summer.
- BARB is now independently publishing MindsEye after IOI Partners exited its publishing deal in March.
- The CEO has attributed challenges to external forces attempting to sabotage the game.
What Happened
Sources familiar with the restructuring at Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) confirmed that approximately 170 employees were laid off, reducing the studio's total staff to around 80. This follows previous waves of layoffs in March and last summer. Former employees confirmed via LinkedIn that they are no longer with the studio. Members of the studio's social media team also shared via Discord that they would be ending their work this week.
Why this Matters to You
If you are a fan of MindsEye or user-generated content games, this restructuring may affect the development timeline and scope of future updates. The studio's reduced capacity could lead to a slower pace of new content releases. The recent Blacklisted content update for MindsEye included a short story campaign inspired by alleged real-life attacks against the developer, suggesting the project's narrative ambitions remain active despite the challenges.
What's Next
Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) is now independently managing the publishing for MindsEye after its publishing partner exited the deal. The CEO has stated that challenges are due to external forces attempting to sabotage the game and its user-generated content ambitions. The studio's future output will likely depend on how it adapts to its significantly smaller team size.