The management of Mindseye’s development studio is now bringing out the big guns. In an internal meeting, co-CEO Mark Gerhard spoke of a large-scale sabotage campaign.
It sounds like the plot of a spy thriller, but according to a report by Insider Gaming, this is the current reality at Build a Rocket Boy. In an internal video conference that took place at the end of January, a recording of which is available to Insider Gaming, co-CEO Mark Gerhard addressed the staff with explosive information.
The studio has been the victim of a targeted sabotage campaign. Gerhard confidently announced that those responsible for the attacks on the studio’s reputation and the controversial shooter Mindseye, which flopped spectacularly upon its release in summer 2025, had been caught.
Targeted reputation damage for big money
According to statements made during the meeting, a “very large American company” is behind the alleged campaign. However, Gerhard cryptically emphasized that it is probably not the company that might come to mind at first glance. The CEO estimated the budget for this smear campaign at over one million euros, which is said to have been spent in 2025 alone.
The allegations are serious: The US company is said to have commissioned the UK-based company Ritual Network, which Gerhard described in the meeting as “a bunch of gangsters.” This agency allegedly acted as an intermediary to carry out the acts of sabotage.
The goal was to destroy the reputation of Build a Rocket Boy and systematically undermine confidence in Mindseye.
Bribed influencers, journalists, and moles
The details about the people allegedly involved are particularly explosive. Gerhard claims that Ritual Network distributed money to various actors. Specifically, he named the GTA YouTuber Cyber Boi, whom he claims to have recently threatened with legal action via Discord.
But that’s not all: Three unnamed journalists and Build a Rocket Boy employees are also said to have received payments to damage the studio from within and without.
The consequences for those involved are expected to be drastic. Gerhard announced:
“All of these individuals will soon be personally served with criminal charges. […] Everyone involved is in real trouble, including the company behind it. This is the beginning of our comeback.”
Reaction of the other side and official statements
Of course, these massive accusations are not going unchallenged. Insider Gaming confronted Ritual Network with the allegations, and the agency denies any involvement.
In a statement, Ritual Network explained that it is a support platform for creators and is not involved in the matter in question. It said it knew nothing about any legitimate legal action and had received no evidence to support the allegations. Any connection to these accusations is false.
Build a Rocket Boy also issued an official statement when asked, albeit more cautiously than the CEO in internal circles. A spokesperson declined to comment on leaked internal communications, but confirmed the essence of the matter:
“Unfortunately, we have evidence that there was a coordinated campaign to deliberately and maliciously damage Build a Rocket Boy’s reputation and undermine confidence in Mindseye.”
When Mindseye was released in June 2025, the creators refused to give GameStar a review key, which delayed the test – but the disastrous Steam reviews already painted a clear picture. After the commercial failure, 100 developers were fired.
Names of the “perpetrators” to be integrated into the game
What makes the story truly bizarre is Mark Gerhard’s plan for how the studio intends to deal with the scandal in the game itself. He announced that he would use the names of the alleged saboteurs and “the facts of the case” for his own game.
“We will incorporate some of these names into our upcoming espionage mission,” Gerhard said. According to information from Insider Gaming, this is a revised version of a Hitman mission that was originally planned. This had been announced before the studio parted ways with publisher IOI.
Gerhard put it combatively in the meeting:
“We’ve taken a few hits. We’ve repeatedly turned the other cheek while we’ve been sorting everything out internally. And now it’s time to counterattack, like in judo. And, you know, let’s have a little fun with it. At the end of the day, we’re storytellers, we’re game developers.”
Controversial surveillance of its own employees
However, the internal leak also reveals measures that are likely to have caused unrest among the workforce. In the context of the sabotage allegations, Gerhard justified the installation of advanced cybersecurity software on employees’ computers.
According to sources, this software is called Teramind.
This software allows for extensive monitoring, including the recording of keystrokes and screen activity, in order to detect internal threats. The software was apparently rolled out without the prior knowledge of employees.
Gerhard admitted in the meeting that this had led to “confusion, anger, and mistrust.” He hates the fact that monitoring is necessary at all:
“I think it goes without saying that we can trust 99.9 percent of this company. The problem is the one percent.”
He takes full responsibility for the poor communication and hopes to be able to remove the measures within the next three months.
The harsh reality on Steam
So while the executive suite uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
According to the patch notes, the patch brings AI improvements and, for owners of the Deluxe Edition, the “Silva E-Series” street race.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspiracies and plans virtual vendettas, the team released Update 7 for Mindseye on February 4.
The harsh reality on Steam
While the management uncovers international conspira
Despite the update, Steam reviews continue to languish at a meager 42 percent approval rating. Even more alarming are the player numbers: in recent days, often only double-digit numbers of players have been straying onto the servers at any one time.