The co-CEO of the developer of MindsEye has claimed there exists a “concerted effort” to “trash the game and the studio,” and has even suggested people are being paid or using spam bots to post negative comments.
Mark Gerhard, who became co-CEO of Edinburgh, Scotland-based Build A Rocket Boy alongside former Rockstar North development chief Leslie Benzies last year, issued the claims on the official MindsEye Discord, sparking a number of shocked responses from fans.
MindsEye is due out on June 10, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. It has elements of Grand Theft Auto, Watch Dogs, Cyberpunk, and a user generated content portion that has been labeled “AAA Minecraft.”
During the Q&A session on Discord, reviewed by IGN, Gerhard, who goes by the username MMG on the platform, was asked: “Do you think that all the people who reacted negatively were financed by someone?”
“100%,” Gerhard responded, before adding: “Doesn’t take much to guess who 🤣”
This accusation sparked a number of shocked responses, including one who said: “A co-CEO for a studio implying another studio is paying previewers to talk negatively about your game is an absolutely wild comment to make in a public environment in any situation.”
Gerhard responded to that comment by saying: “Not wild when its [sic] true…..”
Some users, who had clearly expressed concern about MindsEye and Build A Rocket Boy in the Discord in the past, wondered whether they were the target of Gerhard’s comments. One such user, ‘Cyber Boi,’ sparked a separate response:
“Folks I never said Cyber Boi was being paid by anyone,” Gerhard insisted. “I just said that there is a concerted effort by some people that don’t want to see Leslie or Build A Rocket Boy to be successful that are making a concerted effort to trash the game and the studio. Its [sic] pretty easy to see the bots and the repeated replies to any content that we put out.”
Gerhard was then asked to clarify his comments by another user: “So just to clarify — you believe that individuals, be it content creators or otherwise, have been paid off to criticise MindsEye?” Gerhard then appeared to walk back the initial accusation, responding: “No I never said that. I do KNOW that there are bot farms posting negative comments and dislikes.”
The comments, still live on the Discord at the time of this article’s publication, were subsequently picked up on social media and began to circulate online. Gerhard has so far failed to provide evidence to back up his claims. Build A Rocket Boy and publisher IO Interactive, the studio behind Hitman, declined to comment when contacted by IGN.
MindsEye carries a $59.99 price tag. At launch, there is a “tightly crafted linear story campaign,” and what’s called “single-player free roam,” but there are also a number of missions: a horde mode mission called “Destruction Site Shootout,” and two combat missions (“Honor Amongst Thieves” and “Friendly Fire”). Also at launch are six races, six checkpoint races, and three drone races. If you get the premium pass, you get an extra horde mode mission and an exotic cosmetics pack.
Following launch, Build A Rocket Boy said it will deliver a “constant stream” of fresh premium content monthly, “ensuring MindsEye is a living, ever-expanding player experience.” This includes new missions, challenges, and game assets. “The continuous stream of studio-developed content, combined with the very best of the community’s own beautiful creations, means that MindsEye will continue to surprise and delight its players for decades to come,” Build A Rocket Boy added.
Build A Rocket Boy also confirmed its 2025 roadmap of content. In the summer there will be community updates, new missions, in the fall new single-player modes, multiplayer, and new missions, and in the winter free roam updates and new missions. Premium pass owners get extra missions and new packs throughout.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
