Just one week after the disastrous release of the MindsEye DLC, Blacklisted, it appears the layoff hammer has struck Build a Rocket Boy once again. Following reports from Kotaku, multiple developers have confirmed a fresh wave of redundancies hitting the studio, casting a grim shadow over the future of the developer.

New Rounds of Redundancies at Build a Rocket Boy

The news of these layoffs surfaced via LinkedIn and the official MindsEye Discord. In a particularly poignant development, three members of the MindsEye community team confirmed they were among those let go. The farewell messages shared within the community reflect a deep sense of disappointment and affection for a team that was struggling to maintain even a small player base.

While the studio has yet to issue an official statement, reports suggest the scale of these cuts is significant:

  • Reported Job Losses: Sources indicate up to 170 employees may have been let go.
  • Previous Cuts: The studio already underwent two major rounds of layoffs earlier this year and in June 2025.
  • Staffing Trends: Co-CEO Mark Gerhard previously noted the team had shrunk from a peak of 800 to roughly 240 employees.

If these numbers are accurate, the studio is rapidly approaching its stated goal of downsizing to a core staff of approximately 100 people.

The Decline of MindsEye and the Arcadia Platform

The ongoing instability at Build a Rocket Boy comes amidst a period of intense critical failure for their flagship title. MindsEye has been widely panned by players, and the recent Blacklisted update failed to provide any much-needed momentum, described by many as a short, dull experience lacking even the accidental charm of the base game.

The studio's broader strategy also appears to be faltering. The plan to expand the game’s ecosystem through the Arcadia platform for user-generated content (UGC) seems unlikely to succeed given current player metrics. Recent data shows:

  • Steam Performance: Peak concurrent player counts have plummeted to as low as 11 players.
  • Platform Viability: Such low engagement levels suggest there is currently not enough of a player base to sustain a functional UGC ecosystem.

As the studio continues its aggressive reduction in force, questions remain regarding whether any meaningful development remains for the MindsEye franchise.