What happened
Build A Rocket Boy, the Edinburgh studio behind MindsEye, entered administration. Allister Manson and Mark Harper of Opus Restructuring LLP were appointed joint administrators of Build A Rocket Boy Ltd on 23 September 2026, and the story reached the wider gaming press in the days after.
According to the administrators' statement as reported by Brit Brief, the directors sought administration to safeguard the company's business and assets while options for its future are assessed.
The jobs numbers
At the point of appointment the company employed 85 people. Forty-nine were retained and 36 were made redundant. The administrators said redundant staff will be supported in claiming their statutory entitlements.
Be careful with the headline headcount figures you may see elsewhere. Earlier reports put the cuts after MindsEye's launch at between 250 and 300 staff, and one outlet describes roughly 300 redundancies. Those are cumulative layoffs across the year. The 36 figure is the new round at the moment of administration.
“The directors sought the protection of Administration to safeguard the Company's business and assets while options for its future are assessed.”
What administration means here
Administration is a UK insolvency process, not a closure. The administrators said they are undertaking an immediate review, plan to continue trading the business and are exploring all available options with a view to maximizing value for creditors and other stakeholders.
That can end in a sale of the business or its assets, a restructure, or a wind-down. Reporting on the filing lists potential assets as intellectual property, development tools and codebase. Which outcome happens has not been announced.
How it got here
MindsEye launched in June 2025 and was widely panned for unstable performance, broken AI and a long list of visual bugs. The studio was founded in 2018 by Leslie Benzies, who previously led production on the Grand Theft Auto series at Rockstar North.
Per reporting on its accounts, the company posted a 47.5 million pound operating loss, owed about 61.8 million pounds to creditors, and saw cash fall from 52 million pounds at the end of 2024 to 19.4 million pounds. Treat those as press-reported figures from filed accounts, not numbers we have audited.
What it means for MindsEye and players
The administrators said they will engage with stakeholders about ongoing investigations and potential causes of action connected to the launch of MindsEye. For players, there is no announced shutdown of the game, and no statement yet on future updates.
MindsEye is still listed on Steam as a PC game. If you own it, nothing in the administrators' statement changes access. Nothing in it promises further development either.
Our take
A rough launch rarely kills a studio on its own. Burning through cash while the game struggles to recover does. The honest read is that this is a managed process with a real chance of a rescue sale, but also a clear sign that a high-profile debut with famous leadership gives no protection against a failed release. Expect the next news to be about a buyer, or the lack of one.
Frequently asked
Is Build A Rocket Boy closing down?
Not yet. The administrators say they intend to continue trading while exploring all options to maximize value for creditors. Outcomes could include a sale, restructure or wind-down, and none has been announced.
When did Build A Rocket Boy enter administration?
Allister Manson and Mark Harper of Opus Restructuring LLP were appointed joint administrators on 23 September 2026. Coverage in the gaming press followed over the next several days.
How many people lost their jobs at Build A Rocket Boy?
Of 85 employees at appointment, 36 were made redundant and 49 were retained, according to reporting on the administrators' statement. Earlier layoffs after the MindsEye launch were reported at 250 to 300 staff.
What is MindsEye?
MindsEye is the debut game from Build A Rocket Boy, launched in June 2025. It received some of the worst reviews of that year over unstable performance, broken AI and visual bugs.
Will MindsEye servers or updates continue?
The administrators have not announced a shutdown or a development plan. Their statement covers continued trading of the business, and it says nothing specific about the game's future updates.
Who founded Build A Rocket Boy?
Leslie Benzies founded the Edinburgh studio in 2018. He previously served as president of Rockstar North and led production on the Grand Theft Auto series.