Management Issues Revealed at MindsEye
Founded by Leslie Benzies, the former producer of the Grand Theft Auto series, Build A Rocket Boy had high hopes for its new game, MindsEye. However, behind the scenes, things appear to have gone awry. According to the BBC, former employees accuse the studio of mismanagement, excessive overtime, and directionless development processes.
The “Leslie Ticket” Crisis and Management Chaos at MindsEye
Former employees who spoke to the BBC say that studio founder Leslie Benzies never fully decided what kind of game MindsEye would be. “Leslie never knew what she wanted to do,” said one anonymous developer, adding that the project’s constant directional shifts wasted both time and budget. The studio was also developing an online game creation platform called Everywhere alongside MindsEye, but this project was put on hold due to issues.
According to leaks from within the company, any issue Benzies personally noticed was labeled a “Leslie Ticket” and prioritized over all other work. Some developers even referred to this as a “Leslie bug” or simply “Leslies.” Former data analyst Ben Newbon says this system completely paralyzed workflow:
“It didn’t matter what you were working on; when a ‘Leslie Ticket’ came up, everything would grind to a halt.”
There were also allegations of frequent “micromanagement” within the studio. In a YouTube video, Benzies allegedly instructed developers to fix even the smallest details, from fire extinguishers to raindrops, while playing a game. This led to comments from employees saying, “We’ve become bug hunters, not developers.”
The allegations aren’t limited to the creative process. During the period, which saw a total of 250-300 layoffs, employees published a collective open letter, calling the studio’s layoffs “opaque and poorly managed.” Legal action was initiated with the support of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain. The studio, in a statement, maintained that the process was conducted “transparently and carefully.”
Former sound programmer Isaac Hudd stated that excessive overtime in the lead-up to the game’s release had diminished quality: “Bugs started piling up. Old bugs were resurfacing because the team was exhausted.”
Despite this, the remaining team members at the studio say they are continuing to develop MindsEye and working to make the game better. However, according to former employees, the problems aren’t just technical; they’re structural:
“We all know how valuable we are,” says former producer Margherita Peloso. “It’s time to stand together.”
These allegations have raised serious questions about the future of Build A Rocket Boy and Leslie Benzies’ leadership. MindsEye’s future, however, seems to hinge on the outcome of this management crisis.
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