MindsEye Developer Build A Rocket Boy Accused Of Fostering A Toxic Work Environment

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Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Build a Rocket Boy, the developer behind the upcoming open world action-adventure game MindsEye, has been accused of fostering a toxic work environment.

Employees of MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy have accused the studio of fostering toxic work culture in their employer reviews on recruitment platform Glassdoor (via GameRoll_). Furthermore, the developer appears to be marketing the upcoming open world action-adventure game as a fill-in for GTA VI after the latter's delay to May, 2026, with ads and paid media posts drawing parallels with Rockstar Games' eagerly anticipated title.
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One employee review blames Build a Rocket Boy for fostering a culture dominated by blame, fear, and bullying, particularly towards younger or less experienced staff who are often scapegoated for management's poor decisions. They claim only those who unquestioningly follow orders and flatter senior leadership are safe, while others are pushed out. The sudden departure of the entire executive team within a year is described as chaotic, with replacements lacking expertise. HR is portrayed as a threatening force, and there's an alleged practice of quietly removing employees without explanation. They compare the situation to a band playing on the Titanic as it sank.

Another employee refers to the company as a dysfunctional hierarchy where the upper management, described as entitled and incompetent, consistently fails upward while the hard work of talented employees goes unrewarded. The culture is claimed to be one of fear, ego-stroking, and chaos, with the CEO painted as someone who disregards good ideas in favor of personal whims. Policies are seen as designed to protect the CEO rather than support employees. They offer a personal message to the CEO, calling for accountability and maturity by having the entire leadership step down and have the company transformed into a worker-owned cooperative.
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twistedvoxel.com

MindsEye Developer Build A Rocket Boy Accused Of Fostering A Toxic Work Environment

Build a Rocket Boy, the developer behind the upcoming action-adventure game MindsEye, has been accused of fostering a toxic work environment.
twistedvoxel.com twistedvoxel.com
 
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Not saying they are wrong. But I've noticed a lot of younger people call a workplace or company toxic when in fact, they were actually required to do some work, work harder or work a little longer hours. And no free snacks and shit as if they are entitled to it
 
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Interesting to note that Rockstar is reportedly a much better place to work now with them avoiding crunch.

While the former leadership, who made their own studio, gets called out for that behavior. Looks like it was this, now former R*, management that was the main culprit back in the day.
 
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The accuser is reportedly disgruntled ex-employee "Sahm Howzur"
MqovLK6.jpeg
 
Imagine sabotaging the studio you work for like this right before their games comes out.

So much for loyalty.

And for what. Nothing listed is a crime or even bad. They didn't even make them crunch that I can tell.

Harrison Ford Yelling Voice: That's how business works!
 
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Zacfoldor said:
Imagine sabotaging the studio you work for like this right before their games comes out.

So much for loyalty.

And for what. Nothing listed is a crime or even bad.

Harrison Ford Yelling Voice: That's how business works!
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Isn't it just lazy journos compiling Glassdoor reviews and using that to concoct a narrative ?

That said, wholly unsurprised given Rockstar North and the Benz's reputation hasn't been exactly glowing for years!

Liked I've explained in the past, doing time under harsh conditions for the resume bump is a sacrifice a lot of people are willing to make. Its like being a junior Chef in a Kitchen run by some MIchelin-starred perfectionist.

It used to be treated as a badge of honour that you made it "through the fire" but thanks todays retarded culture of leveraging victimhood its just an excuse for fake fuckers to clutch their pearls.
 
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Signalis said:
Not saying they are wrong. But I've noticed a lot of younger people call a workplace or company toxic when in fact, they were actually required to do some work, work harder or work a little longer hours. And no free snacks and shit as if they are entitled to it
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That's because modern day HR and management set themselves up to be taken advantage of in that particular regard.

Then again, if it distracts employees from employers low-balling them and giving crappy raises, that's a small price to pay for a company.
 
Kacho said:
Yep. What they want is toxic positivity and free vegan lunches. I can't take any of this shit seriously. I bet they're whining about it on Bluesky.
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Don't forget their knitting clubs and other non-work related like they're grown ass humans still in childcare shit.
 
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This sounds like another Ex-Dev start up company conveniently being negatively spotlighted a lot before release of their game.
 
The timing of this article is 100% meant to capitalize on the release - which isn't looking to great right now, but it's been a not so secret and borderline common knowledge that Build A Rocket Boy has the same toxic environment that Rockstar suffered from.
 
I love how any time a video game studio is claimed to be toxic it's always the boss' faults. As if there's never any blame to go around across the 50, 100 or 1,000s of desk jobbers who work there. Somehow every one of these people are saints and only managers are bad. lol
 
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StreetsofBeige said:
I love how any time a video game studio is claimed to be toxic it's always the boss' faults. As if there's never any blame to go around across the 50, 100 or 1,000s of desk jobbers who work there. Somehow every one of these people are saints and only managers are bad. lol
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Maybe it's time to stop blaming the employees, the managers, the leadership, the shareholders, and focus on who's really to blame

You, you utter cunt.
 
These complaints seem absurd. New inexperienced developers are not being allowed to tell industry veterans and their bosses what to do? Welcome to every industry and company ever. Even if Benzies is making poor decisions he earned that right and it is his company so of course the game is going to be his vision good or bad. That last part in particular is just mindblowing stupidity, "All the veterans should be let go so us inexperienced newcomers can take over the company!"

fuck you david schwimmer GIF
 
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It's been a minute since I've heard claims like this. Sounds like it might be a pretty good game. The younger, less resilient staff, will complain about everything.
 
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Signalis said:
Not saying they are wrong. But I've noticed a lot of younger people call a workplace or company toxic when in fact, they were actually required to do some work, work harder or work a little longer hours. And no free snacks and shit as if they are entitled to it
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When I got into my first jobs in the 2010's I was a bit surprised to very often hear "this job used to be done by 2 or 3 people." It was like a pattern. The amount of insane efficiency a modern worker is supposed to work under is not exactly like it was in the 70's or 80's. I mean, some jobs even put a chip in their workers clothes to make sure they move around all the time.

I don't think it's healthy for humans to have these kinds of jobs. Of course everything is relative, I won't compare stuff today to cotton pickers or chimney sweepers back in the day. But if we compare the decades in the last 50 years I'm not sure we're moving forward.
 
Signalis said:
Not saying they are wrong. But I've noticed a lot of younger people call a workplace or company toxic when in fact, they were actually required to do some work, work harder or work a little longer hours. And no free snacks and shit as if they are entitled to it
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For sure, and not just young people. I worked with one older guy (immigrated from USSR in the 80s). This dude had the least amount of responsibilities and was the least competent out of our team, came in to work like 30-45 minutes late every day, had some bullshit excuse every day for why he was late or couldn't get his work done, always weaseled his way out of work and dumped it on others…

Yet all he talked about was how difficult his job was and how management was so incompetent and unfair to him. If you only talked to him, you'd think it was the hardest job ever and that management were a bunch of cruel slave drivers. When in reality it was a really easy and low stress job most of the time.

I always take these claims with a grain of salt now. Often this says more about the one making the accusations than about the accused. There are 2 sides to every story.
 
"Another employee refers to the company as a dysfunctional hierarchy where the upper management, described as entitled and incompetent, consistently fails upward while the hard work of talented employees goes unrewarded."

This is standard in pretty much all work places.
 
Idk, I would normally believe it, but I have also heard many people complaining because on their workplace they are asked to their job, and the company culture is not a hippy community where every idea is considered.

Im not saying this is false, but we have heard a lot of overreacting people on social media these days, trying to get their 5 minutes of fame.
 
CuteFaceJay said:
"Another employee refers to the company as a dysfunctional hierarchy where the upper management, described as entitled and incompetent, consistently fails upward while the hard work of talented employees goes unrewarded."

This is standard in pretty much all work places.
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I thought the same. Is this baby's first day at work?

It's all about what connections you have. I've seen the laziest MFs get promoted and make everyone's life hell, because they had friends in correct places.
 
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