MindsEye Relaunches, Cites Saboteurs for Previous Poor Reception

The MindsEye relaunch is officially on the horizon, as Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) announces plans to re-enter the gaming space with a revitalized vision for the controversial title. Following its turbulent launch and widespread criticism, BARB CEO Leslie Benzies—who is also known for his role as former President of Rockstar North—recently addressed internal and external challenges during a staff-wide video call on July 2, shedding light on what went wrong and how the studio intends to move forward.

In a statement reported by IGN on July 4, Benzies pointed to both internal and external "saboteurs" as contributing factors to MindsEye’s underwhelming reception. While vague, this explanation hints at potential disruptions that may have affected development timelines, quality assurance processes, or overall product readiness before launch.

MindsEye Woes Continue After Disastrous Launch

Since its release, MindsEye has struggled to maintain player engagement due to persistent bugs, performance issues, and unmet expectations. Despite being published by IO Interactive—known for high-quality titles like *Hitman* and *Agent 47*—the game failed to deliver a polished experience, leading to widespread disappointment among players and critics alike.

Here at Game8, we reviewed MindsEye and gave it an overall score of 46 out of 100. Our critique focused heavily on technical instability, poor optimization, and gameplay mechanics that felt rushed and underdeveloped. While the game showcased ambitious design ideas, the final product was far from ready for public consumption.

Plans to Relaunch

Despite the setbacks, BARB remains committed to salvaging MindsEye. The team has pledged to work “around the clock” to address critical performance flaws and improve the user experience. This includes rolling out hotfixes and larger-scale updates aimed at stabilizing gameplay, improving server reliability, and optimizing performance across platforms.

Update #3 launched on June 30 for consoles, with a PC version scheduled to follow shortly. As stated in a Twitter (X) post by the studio, “We’ve watched hundreds of hours of gameplay footage and reviewed player feedback across multiple channels to prioritize the most pressing issues and improve the experience for all our console players.”

Looking ahead, BARB has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering on the original roadmap for MindsEye. Planned features include new missions, special collaborations, and a multiplayer mode—all set to roll out over the coming months. Whether the studio can successfully execute these promises remains to be seen, especially given the rocky start and low current player count.

Unfortunately, community sentiment remains largely negative. According to SteamDB, MindsEye currently only has around 19 concurrent players online, and the game holds a Metacritic score of 38. On Steam, it continues to receive “Mostly Negative” reviews, signaling deep skepticism from the player base.

If BARB hopes to regain trust, transparency and consistent execution will be key. The upcoming relaunch could serve as a second chance—but only if the team delivers meaningful improvements and demonstrates long-term dedication to the game’s future. For now, fans and critics alike remain cautiously skeptical but open to seeing what comes next.