MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) is reportedly undergoing further staff reductions. A principal talent acquisition partner at the studio indicated their role in "helping wrap things up here in the HR department," suggesting a winding down of operations. This comes as the studio continues to face scrutiny over its financial stability and future projects.
In a LinkedIn post, Dan Hawkins, BARB's principal talent acquisition partner, announced he is actively seeking new employment. Hawkins noted that after nearly five years with the company, during which he helped scale the studio from 200 to 550 employees, he is now experiencing the industry-wide trend of layoffs himself. He expressed his commitment to seeing BARB "through till the very end" in his HR capacity while also looking for new opportunities.
Further confirming the redundancies, release manager Michaela Emslie stated in a separate post that she and several colleagues have received redundancy notices after four years at the company. Emslie highlighted her personal growth, moving from a junior QA position to Release Manager during her tenure.
An IGN report cited a source familiar with BARB suggesting the company might not dissolve entirely, even if all staff are let go. Rock Paper Shotgun has reached out to Build A Rocket Boy and the IWGB union for comment on the situation. The union has previously filed legal claims against the studio regarding alleged mishandling of prior redundancies and violations of employee data privacy through surveillance software.
According to the UK government's Companies House, Build A Rocket Boy LTD remains listed as an active business with Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard listed as directors. The IWGB Games Worker Union issued a statement expressing solidarity with affected workers, noting their previous efforts to prevent such outcomes and vowing to continue organizing against unfair labor practices in the video games industry.