IOI Partners Ends MindsEye Deal with Build a Rocket Boy

IO Interactive's publishing arm, IOI Partners, and developer Build a Rocket Boy have ended their collaboration on the action-adventure game MindsEye, with the developer assuming full publishing responsibilities as of March 16, 2026. The split, announced jointly by both companies, cancels a planned crossover mission featuring the Hitman series and marks the conclusion of IO Interactive's first foray into third-party publishing.

The agreement, which began in October 2024, saw IOI Partners handle marketing, distribution, localization, and customer support for MindsEye without providing funding. Build a Rocket Boy, founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, developed the third-person shooter, which launched on June 10, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The release faced significant technical problems, including bugs and performance issues, resulting in low critical reception scores of 38 on Metacritic for the PC version and 28 for PS5, the lowest-rated game of 2025 on the platform. Players reported widespread glitches, prompting some retailers like PlayStation to issue refunds and Build a Rocket Boy to cancel sponsored marketing streams shortly...