adminBuild a Rocket Boy layoffs reported in May 2026 may not represent a new round of redundancies. A former employee and union member said the departures were connected to cuts announced in March, with some affected staff having stayed on at the studio for a period afterward.
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Build a Rocket Boy layoffs: what the former employee said
On May 18, former employee and IWGB union member Kirby Lipardo said there was no reason to believe the company had begun a separate round of redundancies in May. Lipardo said that, based on contact with current and former employees, the departures appeared to be the final stage of the March cuts.
Lipardo added that some workers had lost access to their work accounts on the day they were laid off, while other colleagues continued working at the developer for a time. Their departure, Lipardo said, appeared to be taking place later.
The statement described the human impact on workers and raised concerns about how redundancies, remote work and intimidation had affected workplace relationships. Lipardo also said union organising had helped employees regain a sense of solidarity and agency.
The IWGB is pursuing a legal case relating to the previous redundancies. The union alleges that the process involved breaches of collective consultation obligations, procedural unfairness, unlawful blacklisting and detriment connected to trade union activity. These are allegations, not findings of a court. Lipardo said a successful claim could cost the company millions.
What was reported about the May departures
Earlier reports on May 6 said an undisclosed number of employees had been laid off from the studio behind MindsEye. One report put the figure at 170, with about 80 employees remaining. Technical level design, audio design and quality assurance were among the roles reportedly affected. Members of the studio’s social media team also said on its Discord server that they had been affected.
The company had not confirmed the reported headcount at the time. Because the May departures were later described by Lipardo as a continuation of the March cuts, the reported figure should not automatically be treated as confirmation of a separate new round.
Background to the studio cuts
The reported departures followed earlier job losses and the reported closure of the company’s France operation in March. The Montpellier studio opened in 2022. In July 2025, about 300 UK-based employees were laid off after the developer confirmed job cuts following the launch of MindsEye.
In March 2026, CEO Mark Gerhard attributed the latest cuts to what he described as organised espionage and corporate sabotage during the game’s launch. He argued that negative narratives had prevented the title from finding an audience and developing through ongoing updates. Those statements reflect the company’s position; they do not establish the underlying claims as fact.
The developer has described a reset and continued development for MindsEye, which received negative launch feedback related to bugs and performance issues. For readers following the story, it is useful to distinguish confirmed company statements from reported figures and allegations made by either side.
What to know about Build a Rocket Boy layoffs
Based on the available statements, the May 2026 departures were described by a former employee as the delayed completion of March’s cuts, rather than a newly announced round. The number of people affected in May was not confirmed by the company in the original report. Updates to the Build a Rocket Boy layoffs story should therefore be read with attention to who is making each claim and whether the company has verified the figures.
