// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Ex-GTA developer's studio faces closure after debut game flopped
MindsEye, released in June 2025, was Build A Rocket Boy's debut game
A video game studio founded by a former senior Grand Theft Auto developer is facing closure 15 months after the disastrous release of its debut game.
Edinburgh-based Build A Rocket Boy (Barb) launched MindsEye in June 2025 to a string of bad reviews and player complaints, with some calling it "the worst game" of the year.
Former workers said development of the game was chaotic and accused its boss, Leslie Benzies, of mismanaging the studio.
Barb has now gone into administration - a process which could result in it being sold to a new owner or closed down.
Leslie Benzies, pictured at the 2025 Bafta Game Awards, is regarded as a key figure in the development of Grand Theft Auto
Benzies set up Barb in 2016 - the same year he left Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar Games after a legal row over unpaid royalties.
It began work on Everywhere, intended to be a multiplayer role-playing game set in a futuristic city, before pivoting its focus to action-adventure MindsEye.
The project attracted a lot of interest and, according to company documents, external, Barb had managed to attract more than £233m of investment by 2024.
Former staff previously told BBC Newsbeat the development process had "no coherent direction" and accused senior managers of failing to listen to their concerns.