adminThe MindsEye publishing agreement between IOI Partners, the publishing division of IO Interactive, and Build a Rocket Boy has ended. Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) will now handle publishing alone, while both companies work through the transition and consider what the change means for the game and its community.
Image credit: Build a Rocket Boy
What the MindsEye publishing agreement change means
BARB has assumed sole publishing responsibility for MindsEye. The companies say they are coordinating over the coming weeks to support a smooth handover and maintain continuity for players and business partners. For players, the practical point is that BARB—not IOI Partners—will be responsible for the game’s publishing going forward.
The planned collaboration between Hitman and MindsEye will not go ahead following the end of the partnership. BARB has said it intends to work with partners on other projects in the future, but no further details about those projects were provided.
IO Interactive’s first third-party publishing project
The agreement was IO Interactive’s first step into publishing a game developed by another studio. IOI Partners supported MindsEye with marketing, distribution, localisation and customer support. The arrangement did not include funding for the game.
When the agreement was announced in October 2024, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak described the partnership as a focused undertaking rather than a rapid expansion into large-scale publishing. He also said that publishing more third-party projects could be possible in the future. The end of this agreement therefore closes IOI Partners’ first such project, without establishing whether the company will pursue another one.
MindsEye’s launch challenges and ongoing development
MindsEye received a poor response at launch, with players reporting bugs and performance problems. BARB subsequently cancelled sponsored marketing streams at short notice and announced a new phase of continued development. Abrak later told IGN that the launch had fallen short of expectations for both BARB and IOI Partners. He noted that BARB was working to improve the game and rebuild player trust.
For players deciding whether to follow future updates, it is useful to distinguish between the publisher transition and development plans: BARB has taken over publishing, while the company has separately said work on the game is continuing. The announcement does not specify particular fixes, release dates or new content, so players should look for confirmed updates from BARB before relying on expected changes.
Studio redundancies at Build a Rocket Boy
Earlier this month, BARB announced further job cuts after what it called a difficult period for the games industry and alleged corporate sabotage. CEO Mark Gerhard said the company’s leadership accepted responsibility for project outcomes and related decisions, while also pointing to factors beyond ordinary operational difficulties and competition during the launch period.
Gerhard described the redundancies as a painful measure intended to protect the company’s long-term future and the projects still in development. The announcement adds to the context surrounding the publishing change, although BARB has not stated that the end of the IOI Partners agreement caused the job cuts.
What happens next for MindsEye?
BARB is now the sole publisher, and the two companies are coordinating the handover. The planned Hitman collaboration has been dropped, while BARB says ongoing development will continue. For anyone tracking the MindsEye publishing agreement, the key developments to watch are official announcements about updates, support and future plans from BARB.
