MindsEye Boss Declares 'Worst Launch in History' – Then Promises In-Game Sabotage Evidence? Bloody Hell, Mate!

AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer · Wed Apr 01 2026

MindsEye's CEO Mark Gerhard admitted the game had 'the worst launch in history,' blaming 'organised espionage and corporate sabotage,' and shockingly claims the studio will share 'evidence' of this in a future multiplayer update. It's a chaotic narrative of high hopes, tough reality, and a truly unique approach to explaining a game's woes.

Right, so apparently, we've just witnessed 'the worst launch in history,' according to the very bloke who steered the ship at Build A Rocket Boy. And get this, folks: the studio's now planning to deliver the 'evidence' of the alleged corporate sabotage *inside the game itself* through a multiplayer update. Fair dinkum, you really can't make this stuff up, can you?

I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell, and it works a bit too well, but also not at all, and then your potion bottle starts humming about corporate espionage? That’s the vibe I’m getting from MindsEye’s tumultuous journey.

Now, for a bit of context, because these things rarely happen in a vacuum, do they? Build A Rocket Boy was founded back in 2016 by none other than Leslie Benzies, a name many of you will recognise from his illustrious past as a former GTA producer. High expectations, then, weren't just baked into the foundations; they were practically the rebar. Their first game, 'Everywhere,' was announced in 2022, promising a grand vision of a user-generated content platform – a digital playground designed to 'redefine how players connect with one another and the digital world around them.' Sounds like a proper ambitious, almost magical endeavour, doesn't it?

But somewhere along the ley lines, 'MindsEye,' which was initially unveiled as a component of this grand 'Everywhere' vision, went rogue. It evolved into a standalone 'AAA' game that eventually dropped last June. And 'dropped' is probably the right word, because according to CEO and CTO Mark Gerhard himself, it was 'without doubt, the worst launch in history.' You’ve got to admire the blunt honesty, even if it does sound like something you’d scream after accidentally teleporting yourself into a swamp.

The complaints when the game actually arrived weren't quiet whispers; they were a full-blown digital riot. Glitches, bugs, and issues galore blighted the experience, pushing many players away faster than a goblin hoard with a grudge. Build A Rocket Boy quickly acknowledged the problems, saying they were 'working around the clock to improve.' But the damage was done. Weeks later, layoffs were confirmed, followed by more earlier this year. A truly grim tale for any studio, let alone one with such pedigree.

Here’s where it gets properly spicy, though. Even before launch, Gerhard was already batting away criticism, claiming 'all the people who reacted negatively were financed by someone.' He didn't 'take much to guess who.' Later, he escalated, blaming 'organised espionage and corporate sabotage' for MindsEye’s troubles. Fast forward to a recent interview with GamesBeat (which is where much of this tale comes from, courtesy of Matt Wales over at Eurogamer), and Gerhard doubles down on this narrative, stating they're planning to 'relaunch our game now that the interference has stopped.'

Interference, you say? By whom? And how exactly does one ‘stop’ corporate sabotage? Is there a magical ward they finally cast? He insists the game is now 'being very well-reviewed' and that 'sales are increasing organically, doubling almost weekly.' Which is a bold claim, especially when stacked against Eurogamer’s launch review, which awarded MindsEye a rather dismal one out of five stars, citing a 'ridiculous story, inconsistent writing, poorly designed mission scenarios, and utterly atrocious combat.' And in the same breath, Gerhard admits sales have been 'very modest.' Confusing, isn't it? It’s like trying to read a scroll where every other line contradicts the last.

But the real kicker, the piece de resistance in this unfolding drama, is the promise of 'evidence.' Gerhard claims the studio has 'very strong evidence' of interference and has 'identified [the] parties involved,' with the matter now in the hands of US and UK authorities. 'We'll leave them to do what they do, make their arrests or any announcements in due course,' he says. All very official, very serious. And yet, simultaneously, the studio plans to use MindsEye's forthcoming multiplayer update – which will supposedly introduce a new mission called Blacklist and a new female playable character – to 'share some of the evidence of the sabotage' with the community.

Now, I’m a curious digital wizard, but this particular spell has me scratching my head. Is the game going to feature a hidden questline where players uncover digital breadcrumbs leading to the perpetrators? Will there be corrupted data files that spell out the names of alleged saboteurs? It’s one thing for legal authorities to be involved, quite another for a developer to present evidence of a crime *in a video game update*. It feels less like evidence for a court and more like a narrative device for a particularly meta espionage thriller. Which, honestly, sounds pretty cool, but also raises a few eyebrows about the validity and implications of such an act. What does this mean for players, exactly? Are we meant to become digital detectives, sifting through game lore for corporate malfeasance?

Beyond this intriguing – if slightly bewildering – strategy, Gerhard still holds onto the original 'Everywhere' dream. He says the team hopes to release tools that'll enable the MindsEye community to 'make their own [content and] dream up their own creations... without being a studio or needing to program or anything.' That's a noble aspiration, a true return to the spirit of community creation. If they can pull that off amidst all this 'worst launch' and 'sabotage evidence' drama, then perhaps there's a phoenix rising from these digital ashes after all.

For now, it's a bizarre, chaotic situation that perfectly encapsulates the wild west of game development. A game released to widespread criticism, blamed on shadowy figures, with promises of in-game evidence and a grand relaunch. One thing's for sure: MindsEye isn't just a game; it's a developing saga, and I reckon we're all watching with bated breath to see how this particular potion boils over.

*Original Source: "We know we had, without doubt, the worst launch in history" admits MindsEye boss as he says studio will share "evidence of sabotage" in-game by Matt Wales for Eurogamer.net*

Tags: MindsEye, BuildARocketBoy, GamingIndustry, GameLaunch, Controversy

Original article: Eurogamer