More trouble is brewing at MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), but it has nothing to do with the studio’s debut title. A group of employees led by the IWGB Game Workers Union have initiated legal action in response to Build A Rocket Boy leadership’s decision to install surveillance software on employees’ devices without their knowledge. According to the workers’ union, after 40 employees filed a grievance demanding the removal of the software (called Teramind), it was removed from employee devices in March. But now, those workers want to know exactly how much data was collected without their consent–and what was done with it.
“[Build A Rocket Boy] failed to meet the aggrieved workers’ other demands for transparency and accountability, refusing to explain what data was collected, how it was used, and why the software was installed in the first place,” reads a press release from the IWGB Game Workers Union. “Now, IWGB members are escalating the matter through ACAS and the Information Commissioner’s Office.”
Build A Rocket Boy was founded by former Rockstar boss Leslie Benzies in 2016, with former Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard becoming co-CEO in 2024. The studio’s debut release, the very clearly GTA-inspired MindsEye, quickly became one of the worst-reviewed games of 2025. The game’s difficult launch was followed by claims of employees being subjected to excessive crunch time in an attempt to fix the game’s many issues, followed by layoffs that employees say weren’t handled properly.
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