Edinburgh-based video game studio Build A Rocket Boy faces mounting legal challenges as nearly 100 current and former employees are pursuing action through the Independent Workers of Great Britain union’s Game Workers branch. The legal proceedings follow the studio’s decision to lay off an estimated 250-300 UK workers after the catastrophic commercial failure of its debut title, MindsEye.
The union is filing “multiple legal actions” against the studio for what it describes as the “disastrous handling of redundancies,” including allegations of failure to conduct fair consultation ahead of redundancies and multiple cases of unfair dismissal. Under UK employment law, companies proposing 100 or more redundancies must begin a 45-day consultation process, while those affecting 20-99 workers require 30 days’ consultation.
Workplace Conditions Under Scrutiny
An open letter signed by 93 employees paints a damaging picture of working conditions at the studio, accusing co-CEOs Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard of “longstanding disrespect and mistreatment” of staff. The letter details systematic workplace issues including mandatory overtime of eight hours per week for every employee during the four months leading up to MindsEye’s launch, with time-off-in-lieu provided at an unfavorable rate of seven hours for every eight hours worked.
“Our experience at the company has been one of burnout, job insecurity, health issues, and the failure of a game that many of us have put years of our lives into,” the employees state in their letter. Former data analyst Ben Newbon described the conditions as resulting in “some horrific mental and even physical illnesses, beyond the typical widespread burnout”.
The workers also criticise management for a lack of transparency and communication, claiming information was “sparse and vague” with radical changes implemented “with little or no input from those affected”.
MindsEye’s Commercial Disaster
MindsEye launched on June 10, 2025, to widespread technical problems and critical condemnation. The action-adventure game currently holds a Metacritic score of 38 for PC and just 28 for PlayStation 5, making it the lowest-rated game on the platform this year. Steam data shows the game peaked at 3,302 concurrent players on launch day but had fallen to just 46 players within 24 hours.
The game’s disastrous reception prompted PlayStation to begin issuing refunds, a rare occurrence previously seen during the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Build A Rocket Boy initiated the redundancy process on June 23, just 13 days after the game’s release.
Industry Veterans Under Fire
The controversy has placed particular scrutiny on the studio’s leadership. Leslie Benzies, the company’s founder and game director, previously served as president of Rockstar North where he was instrumental in developing the Grand Theft Auto series.
Co-CEO Mark Gerhard joined the company in August 2022 following Build A Rocket Boy’s acquisition of his company PlayFusion, where he had previously served as CEO of Jagex, the company behind RuneScape.
In a July video call with staff, Benzies reportedly blamed the studio’s struggles on “internal and external saboteurs,” echoing earlier claims by Gerhard about a “concerted effort” to undermine the game. These statements were later denied by the head of IO Interactive, publisher of the Hitman series.
Legal Demands and Union Response
The workers’ legal action comes with four specific demands: a public apology and proper compensation for laid-off employees; the option for remaining employees on redundancy notice to work their notice period or receive payment in lieu; documented efforts to improve company conditions including recognition of the IWGB as a trade union; and commitment to use external partners for future redundancies.
“The treatment that workers at Build A Rocket Boy have been facing in the past 12 months has been shocking,” said Spring Mcparlin Jones, IWGB Game Workers chairperson. “They have been routinely belittled, cheated, and manipulated by the company they dedicated years of their lives to”.
Broader Industry Context
The Build A Rocket Boy situation reflects wider challenges facing the UK games industry, which has experienced unprecedented layoffs in recent years. An estimated 45,000 jobs were lost globally from 2022 to July 2025, with the UK particularly affected. Scotland’s games sector, worth approximately £188.5 million annually to the economy, has seen several high-profile closures including Glasgow-based Axis Studios, which shut down in July 2024 with the loss of 162 jobs.
The Independent Workers of Great Britain union has emerged as a significant voice for games industry workers, providing legal and financial advice while campaigning for better working conditions. Under UK employment law, it is illegal for employers to dismiss workers for union membership, and employees have strong protections against unfair dismissal.
Build A Rocket Boy secured over $110 million in Series D funding in January 2024, led by RedBird Capital Partners. The studio was founded in 2016 with headquarters in Edinburgh and additional studios in Budapest and Montpellier. MindsEye was intended to be part of a larger project called Everywhere, described as a “Roblox for adults” creation platform.
In a statement to media outlets, Build A Rocket Boy said: “We didn’t anticipate having to make redundancies after launch, but we approached the process with care and transparency, meeting all our obligations. We’re listening closely to feedback from former employees and are committed to learning and growing from it”.
