MindsEye, the debut title from Build A Rocket Boy, has had a rocky release. The game, developed by the studio founded by former Rockstar Games producer Leslie Benzies, has faced a series of problems leading up to and following its launch. What was intended to be a major new title now finds itself under scrutiny for technical issues, unmet expectations, and an increasing number of player refunds.
Related Story: MindsEye Launch Faces Technical Issues, Details Patches Coming in June
Trouble began even before the game was released. Just a week prior to launch, two of the studio’s top executives departed the company. This sudden change in leadership raised concerns within the industry, especially given the timing so close to release. Around the same period, the final pre-launch trailer was met with criticism rather than enthusiasm, as early previews failed to generate excitement.
Compounding the situation, one of the studio’s co-chief executive officers made comments online suggesting that negative opinions about the game were the result of paid attacks. The comment did not sit well with the community and only added to the negative attention the game was already attracting.
Days before release, physical copies of MindsEye began circulating early as some retailers broke the street date. In response, the studio issued a warning that these early versions would not include a major day-one patch. However, players who had already gained access expressed concerns that the game had several technical issues that might not be resolved even with the update.
Now that the game is officially out, performance problems have become a major point of criticism. On PC, players are reporting that the game struggles to maintain 60 frames per second at 4K resolution, even on high-end systems, unless NVIDIA’s DLSS and Frame Generation features are enabled. On consoles, performance is more restricted, with the game locked at 30 FPS and no performance mode available to increase frame rate.
This performance gap has led to players seeking refunds. According to a report from TheGamer, a user who purchased MindsEye on PlayStation 5 Pro received a refund after pointing out that the game was advertised as running at 60 FPS on the enhanced console, which it currently does not. Other users have shared similar experiences online, including one user who posted a message from PlayStation Support acknowledging that, while refunds are usually not issued for downloaded titles, one was granted due to technical issues.
Build A Rocket Boy has not yet issued a detailed response regarding the performance issues or the reports of refunds. The studio has only confirmed that patches are in development. Notably, one planned sponsored livestream promoting the game was quietly canceled, suggesting the studio may be limiting public exposure while working on fixes.
As more users report problems and refunds, the situation has drawn comparisons to the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. However, MindsEye has not been delisted from digital storefronts, nor has PlayStation made any official platform-wide statement. Still, many players are expressing disappointment not just with technical performance, but also with the overall experience.
While the final outcome of MindsEye’s release remains to be seen, early signs point to a challenging road ahead for Build A Rocket Boy’s first title.
