Just a week before the official launch of MindsEye, two of the top executives at Build a Rocket Boy have left the studio. The legal director Riley Graebner and the financial director Paul Bland stepped down from their positions just days before the game’s release on June 10.
Graebner’s departure was announced on LinkedIn, where he expressed pride in the work done and the progress made by the team, highlighting that the studio had doubled in size during his tenure, surpassing 450 employees. However, no explanation was given for this decision. Bland, on the other hand, will be leaving the company after two years as financial director, also without a public statement on the reason.
In the game’s official Discord, several users expressed concern about the timing of these departures, questioning the potential impact of internal changes so close to the launch. Speculations about possible legal issues associated with the release and doubts about the company’s stability were among the reactions.
These departures come at a time when the studio has been at the center of some controversy. Recently, Build a Rocket Boy’s co-CEO, Mark Gerhard, stated in the same Discord community that the negative reception to the game was driven by an organized campaign, allegedly funded by third parties. When asked if he believed that negative comments were paid for, Gerhard replied: “100 percent.”
MindsEye is set to launch on June 10 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms. So far, Build a Rocket Boy has not officially commented on Graebner and Bland’s departures.
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