Former Rockstar executives' new games face troubled launches

The action‑thriller game MindsEye, developed by Build a Rocket Boy and led by former Rockstar producer Leslie Benzies, launched on 10 June 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The release was marred by numerous bugs, crashes and unmet promises, drawing harsh criticism and prompting the publisher IO Interactive Partners to cut ties with the studio. Rights later reverted to Build a Rocket Boy, the game was patched and its price fell sharply.

A similar pattern emerged with Last Sentinel, the first title from LightSpeed LA – a studio founded by ex‑Rockstar San Diego producer Steve Martin and backed by Tencent Games. After six years of development and hundreds of millions of dollars invested, the cyber‑punk‑style project was delayed, received negative play‑test feedback and was ultimately abandoned by Tencent in July 2024, leading to the lay‑off of about 80 staff. Both cases highlight the challenges former Rockstar leaders face when launching ambitious new studios and titles.