MindsEye Studio’s Employees File Lawsuit Alleging Privacy Violations With Monitoring Software

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The developers of MindsEye, Build A Rocket Boy, are planning new content for the game, but are also dealing with internal issues. Employees, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), are taking legal action against the studio, claiming Build A Rocket Boy installed monitoring software on their work computers.

The IWGB union reports that the software, Teramind, wasn’t removed from employee devices until last month, following a complaint signed by 40 workers. Studio management has also declined to share what information was gathered from employees. According to the union, studio leaders Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies admitted to installing Teramind without informing their staff.

The IWGB Game Workers Union claims that Build A Rocket Boy is breaking data protection laws and disrespecting its employees by secretly using software to monitor them. According to the union, this monitoring goes beyond acceptable workplace security measures, as it involves recording workers in their homes without their permission. Leaked details from an internal meeting revealed that company leaders Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies confirmed the installation of Teramind, a program that tracks keyboard activity, records screens, and captures audio through microphones, all without informing employees.

Earlier this month, members of the IWGB union also filed legal claims concerning how the studio handled layoffs announced in March. Chris Wilson, a lead animator and union member, has since stated that the studio’s secretive and overly controlling environment was the worst he’s encountered in his career.

After 20 years in gaming, I’ve rarely seen a more damaging work environment than the one at Build A Rocket Boy, which was marked by excessive secrecy and overly strict control, according to one source.

They’ve agreed to remove Teramind from our computers, which is a good first step, but we still need answers about why it was installed in the first place. It seems likely they added the software to closely monitor us, showing they didn’t trust their employees. This created a tense and uncomfortable work environment, and that’s not conducive to making great games.

In March, Gerhard announced job cuts at Build A Rocket Boy, explaining that the launch of their game, MindsEye, faced issues beyond typical business challenges and a tough competitive landscape. He also reiterated accusations of sabotage against the studio, stating they were working with outside help and lawyers. He claims this has uncovered significant proof of planned spying and corporate sabotage targeting MindsEye. Because legal action is being considered, the full details can’t be released to the public at this time.

The game MindsEye came out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in June 2025. You can read our full review for more information. Although reviews haven’t been great since its release, the developers at Build A Rocket Boy have continued to improve the game with updates.

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2026-04-21 19:14