US EditionMindsEye Becomes Self-published as IOI Partners Ends Collaboration
IOI Partners is ending its role as publisher of MindsEye due to poor performance and low player engagement, with just 17 concurrent players on Steam, effective March 16, 2026.
- IOI Partners said in a press release that it will no longer publish MindsEye, with Build A Rocket Boy assuming sole publishing rights effective March 16, 2026.
- After its 2025 launch, MindsEye drew criticism for bugs and poor gameplay, peaking at merely 3,302 concurrent players with just 17 active on Steam despite several patches from Build A Rocket Boy.
- Employees charged that over 90 staff signed an open letter last October demanding an apology and proper compensation, while co-CEO Mark Gerhard alleged a 'concerted effort' to 'trash the game and the studio'.
- With IOI's exit, Build A Rocket Boy will now publish MindsEye alone, canceling the Hitman: World of Assassination crossover mission and disappointing fans and community.
- Originally tied to the Everywhere plan, MindsEye, with Leslie Benzies's pedigree, now faces a steep recovery task after recent layoffs and internal drama, as IOI Partners announced its transition today.
16 Articles
16 Articles
IO Interactive splits with MindsEye developer and ends Hitman collab
MindsEye developer Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) has gone through serious drama recently including layoffs and accusations of sabotage. Now, the company is parting ways with its MindsEye co-publisher IOI Partners (the company behind Hitman publisher IO Interactive) and assuming sole publishing responsibilities going forward. It also means that a planned MindsEye and Hitman collaboration will be cancelled, the companies announced in a press release. …
IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy announce the end of their editorial collaboration around MindsEye. As of 16 March 2026, Build A Rocket Boy will now assume all the responsibilities of editor alone. Since its creation in 2016, Build A Rocket Boy, an independent British studio, develops new generation interactive experiences. Until now, IOI Partners, the publishing branch of IO Interactive with more than 25 years of experience, shared these mis…
Earlier this year we released the news that IO Interactive and developer Build a Rocket Boy were about to split up, but now, six weeks later, it has been officially confirmed. In a press release, it has been confirmed that from March 16, MindsEye’s publishing rights have been returned to Build a Rocket Boy, which means that the game will be self-published by the developer. Similarly, the Hitman mission that was announced in June 2025 will not ta…
IO Interactive and Build a Rocket Boy officially announce split, with MindsEye set to be self-published going forward
We broke the news that IO Interactive and developer Build a Rocket Boy were seemingly set to split and head their separate ways earlier this year, but now, around six weeks later, this news has been officially confirmed. In a press release, it has been confirmed that as of March 16, the publishing rights for MindsEye have been handed back to Build a Rocket Boy, meaning the game will now be self-published by the developer. Likewise, the Hitman …
Partnership Between Hitman And Mindseye Developers Officially Ends
IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy, the publishers behind the Hitman games and the infamous MindsEye, will no longer be working together. It may come as a shock to some that these two studios were even working together in the first place, but it was a pretty long partnership before it ended. IOI Partners is the “new” publishing division of IOI Interactive, which was established in 2024 after the studio bought itself out of Square Enix in 2017. …
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