Partnership Between IOI Partners (Hitman) and Build A Rocket Boy (MindsEye) Concludes

IOI Partners, the publishing arm behind the acclaimed Hitman series, and Build A Rocket Boy, the developers of the highly anticipated but troubled MindsEye, have officially announced the termination of their publishing agreement. This marks the end of a notable partnership that began with IOI Partners taking on the role of publisher for MindsEye.

IOI Partners was established in 2024 as the publishing division of IOI Interactive, following the studio's independent buyout from Square Enix in 2017. Their collaboration with Build A Rocket Boy to publish MindsEye represented a significant venture for the newly formed entity.

MindsEye's launch was marred by significant technical issues and widespread player dissatisfaction, quickly becoming a subject of numerous critical videos and discussions online. Despite the involvement of industry veteran Leslie Benzies, former president of Rockstar North, the game struggled to meet player expectations. While the official press release did not explicitly attribute the partnership's end to MindsEye's performance, the game achieved the lowest Metacritic rating of 2025 and faced internal turmoil, including CEO Mark Gerhard reportedly laying off staff amidst suspicions of espionage and sabotage related to its poor debut.

As part of the dissolution of their agreement, IOI Partners will transfer all publishing responsibilities for MindsEye to Build A Rocket Boy. The statement emphasized a smooth transition: “IOI Partners’ involvement with MindsEye comes to an end, except for any essential transitional functions required to transfer publisher-of-record status to Build A Rocket Boy. Build A Rocket Boy will assume sole publishing responsibilities going forward, ensuring continuity for the MindsEye community and all partners. IOI Partners and BARB are coordinating closely to ensure a seamless transition over the coming weeks.”

A direct consequence of this concluded partnership is the cancellation of a previously announced Hitman crossover level. This mission, which would have seen Agent 47 interacting with characters from MindsEye, was revealed in June 2025 but will now no longer proceed.

Given MindsEye's tumultuous history and challenging reception, its future under Build A Rocket Boy's sole publishing direction remains a subject of considerable speculation.