Build A Rocket Boy Faces Legal Action Over Alleged Mismanagement and Redundancy Issues

A group of 93 current and former employees of Build A Rocket Boy have signed an open letter to the studio's leadership, detailing a history of alleged mistreatment, poor working conditions, and mishandling of redundancies. The letter, which is accompanied by news of impending legal action from the Game Workers branch of the Independent Workers of Great Britain union, lists several grievances, including a lack of transparency, excessive overtime, and disastrous handling of layoffs. The signees, who have chosen to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions, are demanding a public apology from the studio's leadership, improved working conditions, and recognition of the IWGB union. The allegations come after the studio laid off around 300 employees following the poorly received launch of its debut game, MindsEye. The game's launch was marred by criticism, with the game receiving a Metacritic score of just 37 on PC. Former employees have spoken out about the poor working conditions, including excessive overtime, lack of communication, and poor management decisions. The IWGB union has stated that it will continue to support the workers in their fight for fair treatment and better working conditions. Build A Rocket Boy was founded in 2018 by Leslie Benzies, former studio head at Rockstar North, and had planned to expand its universe with MindsEye as the first entry. However, the game's poor reception and subsequent layoffs have raised questions about the studio's future and its treatment of employees.