MindsEye Crashes At Launch: From GTA Killer To Gaming Flop

MindsEye, the highly anticipated sci-fi action shooter by Build A Rocket Boy and IO Interactive, touted as a “GTA killer” due to Leslie Benzies’ involvement, launched in 2025 but faced heavy criticism for being nearly unplayable.

Build A Rocket Boy developed and IO Interactive published the sci-fi action shooter MindsEye, which was anticipated to be one of the biggest gaming hits in 2025. As further details emerged, it became clear that this game was going to be another “GTA killer”, especially after the game was marketed as the debut title of Grand Theft Auto elder, Leslie Benzies. Instead of success, it is now being criticised for being almost unplayable at launch.

The release of what was expected to be a groundbreaking open-world shooter has turned out to be one of the most controversial releases of the year. Here is a summary of everything that went wrong with the launch of MindsEye.

What Is MindsEye? A Glimpse at the Original Vision

It was advertised as a mix of several genres, a third-person action-adventure game set in a futuristic desert city modelled after Las Vegas and called Redrock. Its protagonist is Jacob Diaz, a soldier with neural implants, who battles through an intricate web of secrets and advanced tech conspiracies.

The cinematics provided a glimpse of the storytelling and combat. While the game was marketed as open-world, the actual experience feels more like a campaign with a sandbox skin, earning it the title ‘faux-pen world’ from critics.

Launch Day Disaster: From High Hopes to Players’ Outrage

MindsEye launched on a Tuesday with massive anticipation. But within minutes, players began reporting severe issues, including:

• Game-breaking bugs
• Constant crashes across platforms
• Poor optimization on PC and consoles
• Glitched NPC behavior and animations
• Broken quests and unresponsive controls

Social media platforms and gaming forums were flooded with meme-worthy clips and angry reactions. The official Discord server even disabled emoji reactions in an attempt to control the negative sentiment.

Performance Woes and Missing Features

Despite a hefty price tag of $60–$80, many users described the game as feeling “unfinished” and “rushed.” Among the major complaints:

Steam Reviews, Refunds, and Developer Response

Currently, Steam reviews sit at a 60 percent negative rating with refund requests flowing in. In turn, Build A Rocket Boy released a statement vowing to fix issues in an Update 3 Performance Booster Premiere, particularly for console players. Even so, the damage is done. What was planned as a “Roblox-like” live experience or episodic series now feels stagnant and unlikely to sustain engagement long-term without substantial revisions.

Internal Chaos and Allegations of Bot Attacks

Adding to the chaos, Build A Rocket Boy’s Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer left the company days before the scheduled launch. While their LinkedIn goodbyes were friendly, the timing strongly hints that there were issues regarding the game’s preparedness.

In a surprising turn of events, co-CEO Mark Gerhard blamed Rockstar Games for what he claimed was a bot campaign to ruin the game’s reputation before its release. This defensive posture has only fueled skepticism and criticism from the gaming community.

Can MindsEye Recover? The Road Ahead

Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man’s Sky have demonstrated that a poor launch isn’t always the end. If the updates deliver significant improvements and rebuilds player trust, MindsEye could still have a second life. That said, the more ambitious vision of an evolving, community-driven platform may already be irreparably damaged. Players who have been burned by the launch experience are unlikely to invest in future installments.

Final Thoughts

MindsEye’s launch serves as a cautionary tale in the gaming industry. High expectations and a buzzworthy trailer crafted by a popular creative lead do not matter when the product is riddled with issues at launch. Unless radical and rapid changes are made, it is poised to be one of 2025’s most disappointing games. While there is potential for reclaiming the trust of the player base, it will require far more than promises to actually achieve that goal.

Compiled by ApocaGames