Former lead cinematic animator Chris Wilson has detailed alleged mismanagement, unauthorized surveillance, brutal crunch, and leadership rifts at Build a Rocket Boy's MindsEye studio. His Kotaku interview amplifies ongoing worker grievances and sabotage claims amid multiple layoffs, as covered in prior reports on the studio's turmoil.
In the wake of multiple layoff rounds—including the third announced March 5 via co-CEO Mark Gerhard's LinkedIn post (see prior coverage)—Chris Wilson, who worked at Build a Rocket Boy from November 2020 until April 2026, has broken his silence on the studio's internal chaos. Wilson contributed to MindsEye, the open-world game from ex-Rockstar president Leslie Benzies that launched to poor reviews in summer 2025 and has seen rocky updates.
Wilson highlighted a February layoff round learned via social media or family alerts, stunning staff without internal meetings. An Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain grievance, backed by 40 workers, accuses the studio of unlawful blacklisting and non-consensual monitoring via Teramind software—which tracks keystrokes, emails, and audio. Rolled out deceptively around December 2025 (after Gerhard cited its installation in January), it became Wilson's breaking point; even Benzies reportedly tested it on his devices.
Leadership tensions simmered between Benzies and Gerhard. Wilson described a tense early 2026 meeting where Benzies read 'hate mail' from YouTuber Cyber Boi—likened to 'League of Legends chats'—as Gerhard pursued sabotage claims, including a Discord cease-and-desist and an April 28 'Blacklisted' mission update repurposed from a canceled Hitman crossover.
Crunch defined development: cinematics teams endured six to nine months of unpaid overtime from June 2025, fueling illnesses noted in an October open letter from over 90 staff—echoing Benzies' Rockstar past. Early vibes under Benzies were positive, but Gerhard's 'negative energy' and unclear direction post-Benzies' Epstein-related leave drew criticism.
Build a Rocket Boy denied the allegations, with Gerhard stressing lawful operations and player focus. Wilson worries MindsEye's fallout damages developers' careers, defending the team's passion amid the disarray.
