Mindseye Creator Build a Rocket Boy Announces Studio Closure
WHO:
Kotaku - Dan Hawkins stated on LinkedIn, “With a very heavy heart I raise my green banner, along with the rest of my colleagues at Build a Rocket Boy. I am ‘Open to Work’ actively looking for a new adventure[…]”
Engadget - Build a Rocket Boy, a studio owned by Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard.
Kotaku - Employees including level designer Liam Shannon, QA analyst Elizabet Tyaneva, release manager Michaela Emslie, and production QA analyst Cameron Deaves.
Kotaku - Dan Hawkins, Build a Rocket Boy’s principal talent acquisition partner.
Kotaku - Ben Newbon, vice-chair of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB).
WHAT:
Kotaku - The IWGB Games Worker Union’s vice-chair Ben Newbon expressed “solidarity and support to everyone impacted” by the job losses at Build a Rocket Boy.
Engadget - Build a Rocket Boy is reportedly shutting down.
Kotaku - The studio is closing down permanently after multiple rounds of layoffs.
Kotaku - Employees reported that their time at the company is “coming to an end.”
Kotaku - Dan Hawkins stated he will be helping “BARB through till the very end” as the studio winds down.
Kotaku - The IWGB Games Worker Union confirmed job losses at Build a Rocket Boy.
WHERE:
Kotaku - The studio is located in the video game industry, specific location not mentioned.
WHEN:
Kotaku - Update on September 16, 2026, at 11:52 a.m. ET regarding the closure.
WHY:
Kotaku - Ben Newbon stated, “We came together to fight tooth and nail to prevent the hardworking people working there from such a fate after pouring their heart and soul into Minds Eye.”
Kotaku - The studio faced multiple rounds of layoffs, a collective grievance led by the IWGB, accusations of crunch, and unlawful employee monitoring.
Kotaku - Ben Newbon stated that the company has been “slowly spiralling for a long time.”
HOW:
Kotaku - Employees expressed their job losses through LinkedIn posts and statements.
(UPDATED September 16, 2026 20:06 UTC)
Dan Hawkins has announced on LinkedIn that he is "Open to Work," expressing his heavy heart alongside his colleagues at Build a Rocket Boy as they face job losses. In response, Ben Newbon, the vice-chair of the IWGB Games Worker Union, has voiced solidarity and support for those affected by the layoffs. Newbon emphasized the union's efforts to protect the dedicated workers who invested their passion into the project Minds Eye, stating they fought hard to prevent this outcome.
--
(UPDATED September 16, 2026 19:05 UTC)
Build a Rocket Boy, a studio co-owned by Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard, is reportedly shutting down permanently after enduring multiple rounds of layoffs. Employees, including level designer Liam Shannon and QA analyst Elizabet Tyaneva, have shared that their time at the company is coming to an end, while Dan Hawkins, the studio's principal talent acquisition partner, has committed to supporting the team through the winding down process. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain has confirmed the job losses, attributing the studio's struggles to ongoing grievances, accusations of crunch, and unlawful employee monitoring.