MindsEye Developers Accuse Build A Rocket Boy Leaders of Mismanagement and Unfair Treatment
Dozens of current and former developers from Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind MindsEye, have signed an open letter making serious accusations against the company’s leadership, especially targeting Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies, the former GTA director and founder of the company.
The letter, published on the website of the Independent Workers of Great Britain’s video game division, reports several major issues: poor communication, mandatory and poorly managed overtime, and a chaotic layoff process that affected hundreds of employees.
Excessive Overtime and Poorly Managed Layoffs
According to the letter, Build A Rocket Boy’s management failed to communicate effectively with staff, forcing them to work “unbearable” levels of overtime in the four months leading up to the launch of MindsEye.
The layoffs were described as “disastrous”, adding further distress to employees already struggling after the failure of the game—a project many had worked on for years, which ultimately suffered from poor direction.
“These and many other issues, some of which have been made public already, have caused pain and stress for your employees,” the letter reads. “Our experience at the company has been one of burnout, job insecurity, health issues, and the failure of a game that many of us have put years of our lives into.”
The group behind the letter is calling on Build A Rocket Boy’s leadership to issue a public apology, provide compensation and structural improvements, and officially recognize the Independent Workers of Great Britain as the employees’ union.
The message ends with a direct criticism of the management: “Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies, you often refer to your employees as “family”. But we ask you to consider; is this really how you treat your own?”
