MindsEye Developers Protest Edinburgh Fan Event Amid Fresh Layoffs and Surveillance Allegations

Build a Rocket Boy staff are set to protest outside their Edinburgh headquarters on Saturday, 11 July, in response to the studio’s all-expenses-paid MindsEye fan event, condemning the decision after multiple recent rounds of layoffs totalling over 270 jobs and privacy controversies involving workplace surveillance.

Staff from Build a Rocket Boy, creators of MindsEye, will picket outside the studio’s Edinburgh office at 10am on Saturday, 11 July, in protest of the company hosting a much-publicised fan event. The event, described by the studio as “all-expenses-paid”, involves flying in members of the MindsEye community to preview the game’s latest build and offer feedback on new content. Workers are joined by members of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and other union representatives from the public, challenging the decision to fund this event after several waves of redundancies since MindsEye’s 2025 launch.

Multiple Redundancies and Studio Controversies

Since July 2025, Build a Rocket Boy has laid off over 270 employees in at least three major redundancy waves:

• July 2025: Shortly after initial MindsEye release, more than 100 staff notified of layoffs.
• March 2026: Another round of layoffs followed a significant MindsEye update.
• May 2026: 170 further job cuts after shipping a new campaign mission, which the studio claims reflected alleged sabotage during the game’s development.

In addition, in October 2025, 93 current and former Build a Rocket Boy employees and IWGB union members signed a letter condemning leadership for “longstanding disrespect and mistreatment”. This letter forms part of a sustained campaign highlighting alleged poor treatment and escalating workplace anxieties.

The studio’s top leadership, including founder Leslie Benzies and co-CEO Mark Gerhard, have publicly claimed that “organised espionage and corporate sabotage” undermined development on MindsEye. In response to these suspicions, Build a Rocket Boy installed Teramind, an “invasive surveillance software,” on employee devices during the development period. The IWGB Game Workers’ Union argues this surveillance violated UK employee data protection and privacy laws, prompting a legal challenge filed in April 2026.

The IWGB stated: “The desire to root out said ‘saboteurs’ has caused the studio to install ‘invasive surveillance software’ Teramind (since been removed) on worker devices, which the IWGB Game Workers Union alleges violates employee data protection and privacy. The union initiated legal action against BARB in April in response.”

Studio Response and Community Testing

Following the initial report of the planned protest, Build a Rocket Boy issued a statement distancing the fan event from recent controversies:

“Saturday’s playtest is about our players and the future of MindsEye. Community playtests are a routine part of game development that also gives us invaluable feedback as we continue improving the experience. We’re grateful to everyone taking part, and we’re focused on listening to our community and continuing to build what’s next for MindsEye.”

The studio’s leadership maintains the fan event is crucial for gathering gameplay feedback and fostering player engagement, but the timing of large-scale layoffs and privacy allegations continues to overshadow MindsEye’s ongoing development. The new campaign mission, shipped in May 2026, reportedly depicts themes of internal sabotage—a direct reference to the very disputes now affecting both the game’s staff and public image.

Key Facts:

• Edinburgh protest scheduled for Saturday, 11 July, 10am local time.
• IWGB and public supporters are joining MindsEye team members at the protest.
• Fan event is described as “all-expenses-paid”, featuring invited community members testing new game features.
• Since July 2025, over 270 Build a Rocket Boy staff have been laid off.
• Studio accused of violating employee privacy with Teramind surveillance software; legal action initiated April 2026.
• 93 staff and union members signed a complaint letter in October 2025 citing mistreatment and disrespect.
• Studio leadership alleges ‘organised espionage’ affected MindsEye development.

This protest continues to highlight tensions inside Build a Rocket Boy as staff and their unions push back against executive decisions that prioritise marketing events over job security and workplace rights, keeping MindsEye at the centre of ongoing industry scrutiny.