Senior staff at Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) have confirmed a significant round of redundancies. The developer, founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, had previously secured over $100 million in investment to develop its high-profile action-thriller, MindsEye.
Confirmations of the job losses emerged on September 16, 2026, through professional social media updates. Lead weapon artist Adam Ridsdale and principal talent acquisition partner Dan Hawkins both confirmed their roles had been made redundant. Senior VFX artist Jason Waller provided further detail on the scope of the cuts, stating that his redundancy was part of an action affecting “everybody else left at Barb.”
Funding and Strategic Shifts
The current downsizing represents a sharp turn for the studio, which had reached a financial peak in early 2024. In January of that year, Build a Rocket Boy successfully closed a $110 million Series D funding round led by RedBird Capital Partners. At the time, the capital was earmarked to support the development of MindsEye and the studio’s massive “Everywhere” platform, a multi-world gaming experience intended to give players tools to create their own content.
The studio’s trajectory also saw the departure of several industry veterans prior to the current redundancy round. This includes the exit of Rockstar veteran Stuart Ross, signaling a significant loss of leadership-level talent during the critical development phases of its flagship projects.
According to LinkedIn posts from senior staff, the layoffs appear to encompass the remaining workforce at the studio’s various locations. While the studio has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the future of its intellectual property, the current redundancies follow the confirmed departures of several key staff members.
The MindsEye Publishing Context
The development of MindsEye is bolstered by a publishing partnership with IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series. The deal is designed to provide MindsEye with a premium global reach and professional distribution infrastructure.
Leslie Benzies, who served as the producer for much of the Grand Theft Auto series before his high-profile exit from Rockstar, has not yet commented on the recent staff departures. Build a Rocket Boy was widely viewed as one of the most well-funded independent startups in the industry, making the sudden reports of significant redundancies a notable shift for the prestige development sector.
