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MindsEye studio execs depart Build a Rocket Boy, one week before game's debut

The Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer at MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy have left the company, a week before the game's release.

www.eurogamer.net

The Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer at MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy have left the company, a week before the game's release.

Writing on LinkedIn, former CLO Riley Graebner said he was "proud" of what the team has accomplished during his time there, stating that during his tenure the company had "doubled" in size, to "over 450 employees". Graebner did not give a reason for this departure.

In addition, Build a Rocket Boy's CFO Paul Bland has also left the company after two years.

Over on the MindsEye Discord, many have expressed concern that two key members of the Build a Rocket Boy team are leaving so close to the game's release. As a reminder, MindsEye is launching on 10th June, across PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

"It could be a sign of very troubling internal affairs, or [they] don't want to deal with potential legal issues if MindsEye comes out broken," one member has speculated.

"Trying to keep an open mind, but that's sus indeed..," another wrote. "People don't bail right before they think they're releasing a hit usually. If you were the CFO at Rockstar a week out from GTA6 launch, would you resign?"

Eurogamer has contacted Build a Rocket Boy for further comment on Graebner and Bland's departures.

 

[Bitstream]

The old' Jade Raymond approach? This sounds promising

 

[R3TRO]

Maybe this will drop in price fast and I can grab it for cheap down the line.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Maybe this will drop in price fast and I can grab it for cheap down the line.

If all these red flags are anything to go by you probably wont want to.

 

[Thief1987]

Citing random discord mumbling is a next level journalism

 

[Three]

The old' Jade Raymond approach? This sounds promising

Chief Legal officer and Chief Financial Officer. I mean sure they could probably find a higher paying non-gaming company. I thought Benzies left or something.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Take a look at a trailer for this dumpy looking game and then consider that they have over 450 employees.

 

[Connificent]

Long live the chief

 

[Punished Miku]

Take a look at a trailer for this dumpy looking game and then consider that they have over 450 employees.

448

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

this happens all the time.

 

[phant0m]

The old' Jade Raymond approach? This sounds promising

This game has very near release date. It's not uncommon for senior leaders to go around now, the work is basically done and focused just on bug fixes.

Very different from Jade getting canned after a private playtest and no product in sight

 

[Chuck Berry]

I'm staying as the glass half full guy over all of this

 

[balls of snow]

Who needs a cfo when your game will have 400k concurrent players on steam.
Literally gonna print money with the MindsEye.

 

[MMaRsu]

Lmao the amount of bullshit threads on this game and so called 'news', I might even believe somehow someone has a gripe against this game and is drumming up all this nonsense as 'oh noes"

 

[phant0m]

Lmao the amount of bullshit threads on this game and so called 'news', I might even believe somehow someone has a gripe against this game and is drumming up all this nonsense as 'oh noes"

That's like 30% of all GAF threads lately

Everything is bomba
Everything is fail

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Ah, my favorite genre. Commercial Flop.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Big money, 450 people, and their output is that Everywhere community creation thing and Mindseye. Disasters waiting to happen.

But hey. Nice grift. Like a lot of tech companies, give them credit for always finding investment money itching to be blown. Tech, media and weird start up biotech companies. Probably the only kinds of companies in the world where you can always find easy investment money.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Not my game and removed from my wishlist after the glass door incident. Not because I dislike the game or the company, I actually didn't like the sabotage that was done, but instead because I honestly can barely stand GTA open world gameplay much less a ripoff of GTA.

 

[GHG]

Is anyone actually reading what positions these people were in?

 

[JerryinSoCal]

Chief Legal officer and Chief Financial Officer. I mean sure they could probably find a higher paying non-gaming company. I thought Benzies left or something.

Hard to find two positions that have less to do directly with the actual game than those. I'm sure the game is going to have issues, it sounds like it really should have been delayed but those two people leaving doesn't mean much in my (minds) eyes.

 

[DannyDanger]

Is anyone actually reading what positions these people were in?

Thought I was crazy or something. "Studio Heads" was definitely meant to stir the pot here

 

[Baemono]

He found a (better) job elsewhere, nothing to write home (or anything) about it

 

[Neilg]

Based on benzies having little meltdowns about how the bad press is being paid for by rockstar just to ruin his game and the glassdoor reviews, it's got to be pretty rough dealing with him as one of the C suite.

And they do have everything to gain from profit sharing. You don't get a C in front of your title without taking a piece off the top when there's money flowing. They are months away from bonuses if the game were to be successful.

 

[rofif]

I'm staying as the glass half full guy over all of this

Maybe we should at least wait a month? Not to wait for reviews but inevitable price drop ? What do you think?
I will do what you do.

 

[Connificent]

OverHeat

 

[Arsic]

Is anyone actually reading what positions these people were in?

Sounds like a couple of basic bitch missionary position fans.

Surprised their husbands can make it work like that.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Maybe we should at least wait a month? Not to wait for reviews but inevitable price drop ? What do you think?
I will do what you do.

Unless its truly a complete and utter broken mess I'm buying it on the 10th.

 

[rofif]

Unless its truly a complete and utter broken mess I'm buying it on the 10th.

will we know sooner?
One rumor I've seen is that there is no game here. Just few missions

 

[clarky]

Lmao the amount of bullshit threads on this game and so called 'news', I might even believe somehow someone has a gripe against this game and is drumming up all this nonsense as 'oh noes"

Lol. What stake do you have in this game?

 

[clarky]

Is anyone actually reading what positions these people were in?

Go with the headlines ffs.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Lmao the amount of bullshit threads on this game and so called 'news', I might even believe somehow someone has a gripe against this game and is drumming up all this nonsense as 'oh noes"

Sure is seeming that way

 

[Certinty]

This game might actually have the biggest and quickest price drop since Agents of Mayhem.

 

[MMaRsu]

Sure is seeming that way

There is a same thread on it in the purple screech forum.

People actually think Leslie Benzies left the company

Do people read or even think anymore?

Cfo leaving means nothing

 

[MMaRsu]

Lol. What stake do you have in this game?

When I see a constant barrage of horrible clickbait articles being posted as 'oh noes, time to be worried' then thats my stake in it, I hate false narratives

 

[clarky]

When I see a constant barrage of horrible clickbait articles being posted as 'oh noes, time to be worried' then thats my stake in it, I hate false narratives

Game looks mediocre at best, I don't knew what you're seeing. We will find out soon enough.

 

[Hudo]

Thank God they don't build actual rockets.

 

[StueyDuck]

That Eurogamer article reads like a person who's never left a college campus.

That being said, the CFO and CFL leaving is most likely down to a board decision and an "amicable" split, not "sus" development.

If anything is sus it's more likely that the CFO and CFL were up to dodgy shit and got caught out. But we have no evidence or reason to believe that.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Someone at the purple asylum got a copy so I'm keepin an eye on that thread to see what the fucking deal is