What’s happened so far with Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) and MindsEye has been amazing, but we can take it up a notch.
BARB is inviting an unspecified number of community members to an in-person gameplay test at its Edinburgh studio. The studio will cover the participants’ airfare to Scotland, lodging for two nights, and their return airfare. Given that participants will be attending a meeting with BARB staff, they will likely cover the cost of at least one meal as well. The studio is doing this following several rounds of layoffs, the most recent of which was in May. These layoffs have shaken up the team and upset some employees. As a result, on Saturday, July 11, employees will stage a protest at BARB’s headquarters during the game test.
All of this seems legitimate and true. In June, BARB announced on Discord that it was organizing an in-person playtest for a small community group. The company promised to cover the cost of flights to Edinburgh, return travel after the event, and hotel accommodations. They are planning a protest: “Build a Rocket Boy execs are spending thousands on an unnecessary playtest event after laying off over 400 staff members in the last year. Come join affected workers and supporters outside their offices to show that we’re organized and ready to fight for our jobs,” reads a post on Town Spot. The situation is so serious that the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, the group currently pursuing legal action against Rockstar over the layoff of 31 employees in 2025, is also getting involved.
“With their latest release labeled the worst game of 2025 and surrounded by allegations from workers of secret surveillance, mishandled layoffs, and union blacklisting, BARB management is desperately turning to fans for help. In an attempt to win over fans, they are offering prize holidays and handing over work, both paid and unpaid, from the BARB workforce to the BARB fanbase during a job crisis in the gaming sector. The playtest, in which fans will take on the duties of professional testers, follows the recent decision to lay off longstanding community team members and hire a player. There has been no indication of a formal interview process or job posting,” the union wrote on Instagram.
The union, which is currently pursuing legal action against BARB for recording individuals in their homes without their knowledge using surveillance software installed on employees’ computers without consent, has confirmed that it will participate in the July 11 protest. As for what will happen next, we can’t even begin to guess.
Source: PCGsmer, Eurogamer, Town Spot
