GoKawiilFacepalm: Build A Rocket Boy has found a new way to upset the people who made MindsEye. On Saturday, the studio flew a group of fans to its Edinburgh headquarters for a travel-and-accommodation-paid playtest of the game's next release, while former employees and union supporters protested outside.
The event, first announced on the company's Discord server in June, saw Build A Rocket Boy cover selected community members' flights to Scotland, two nights of hotel accommodation, and return journeys. Participants were also given the opportunity to meet members of the development team.
The fans were there to test new features of the critically panned MindsEye. Former employee Isaac Hudd argued that the playtest could have been conducted remotely.
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which organized the July 11 protest and represents some current and former Build A Rocket Boy employees, accused the studio of misusing funds following repeated rounds of layoffs.
The union also claimed that fans were being brought in to perform testing duties that would ordinarily be handled by professional staff. IWGB Game Workers branch chair Spring McParlin-Jones called the event "a waste of money, and a kick in the teeth for the fired workers."
I'd encourage you to watch this speech from former employee, Isaac Hudd. Also, given this is yet *another* Edinburgh-based studio at the heart of *another* controversy affecting game workers in the UK, you'll spot some familiar faces from Rockstar who turned up to show their solidarity on the day.
[image or embed] – Chris Bratt (@chrisbratt.bsky.social) July 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM
The union also alleged that Build A Rocket Boy recently cut long-serving members of its community team before hiring a player from the studio's Discord server, with no sign of a formal interview process or publicly advertised position.
Former employee Ben Newbon described the playtest as "little more than a grandstanding gesture" from management.
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