Build a Rocket Boy Reportedly Ends Publishing Deal With IO Interactive After MindsEye Collapse
Build a Rocket Boy has reportedly ended its publishing deal with IO Interactive following the troubled 2025 launch of MindsEye, according to a report from Insider Gaming. The move is notable because MindsEye was positioned as the first title published under IO Interactive’s newer publishing push, and this separation suggests that initial strategy is now being recalibrated in real time.
Per the report, the decision to cut ties is said to have come from Build a Rocket Boy rather than IO Interactive, with the studio aiming to bring publishing in house to secure more control over its direction, timelines, and business outcomes. In practical terms, that kind of pivot is often about governance and autonomy, owning the marketing narrative, the release cadence, and the long tail roadmap without a third party gatekeeping key decisions. The same report also claims that a previously planned MindsEye collaboration with Hitman has been cancelled, which reads like an immediate cost and focus consolidation as the studio tries to stabilize.
This comes after MindsEye became a punchline for the wrong reasons in 2025. The game’s launch was widely described as severely broken, with bugs and technical issues dominating conversation, and criticism landing not only on stability but also on overall content density and story delivery. Build a Rocket Boy then faced layoffs, and leadership, including former Rockstar Games producer Leslie Benzies, was publicly challenged by developers in an open letter. A subsequent BBC report, referenced in the broader discussion around the studio, further amplified the perception of internal turbulence and execution issues.
The market impact is simple: once a game becomes defined by clips, memes, and negative word of mouth, the commercial recovery window narrows fast. Even with post launch patches and content updates, studios burn runway while trying to regain trust, and partners reassess risk. That is why this reported split is strategically interesting. If Build a Rocket Boy genuinely believes it can engineer a comeback, taking publishing internal could be an attempt to reduce friction, accelerate decision making, and own the turnaround end to end. The flip side is that publishing internally also means Build a Rocket Boy carries more responsibility for funding, distribution leverage, and reputation repair.
For now, the key qualifier is that neither Build a Rocket Boy nor IO Interactive have officially confirmed or denied the report. Until either side comments publicly, this remains credible reporting rather than a finalized corporate statement.
Do you think Build a Rocket Boy can realistically pull off a redemption arc for MindsEye, or is the best move to sunset it and rebuild trust with a new project and a tighter scope?
