IO Interactive has ended its publishing partnership with Build A Rocket Boy for MindsEye, shifting full publishing responsibility back to the game’s developer. Reported on March 18, the move marks a major change for a project that had been positioned as a notable third-party title under IO Interactive’s publishing label.
Under the updated arrangement, IO Interactive is stepping away from its publishing role, aside from essential transition work required to transfer publisher-of-record status to Build A Rocket Boy. Both companies are expected to spend the coming weeks finalizing that handover. Once it’s complete, Build A Rocket Boy will be solely responsible for publishing MindsEye moving forward.
One immediate casualty of the split is the planned Hitman crossover mission. The crossover had been part of MindsEye’s roadmap and helped draw extra attention to the game, but it’s now reported to be canceled following the end of the publishing deal.
The change is especially notable because it directly reverses IO Interactive’s previously announced plans. Back in October 2024, IO Interactive publicly stated it would publish and distribute MindsEye, describing it as a cinematic AAA action-adventure thriller from Build A Rocket Boy, the studio led by Leslie Benzies. At the time, the game was presented as a key part of IO Interactive’s broader publishing push.
This publishing shake-up arrives after a difficult period for MindsEye, which has faced intense scrutiny since launch. While the game itself is not being discontinued, the loss of a high-profile publishing partner—and the removal of the Hitman tie-in—changes the trajectory of how MindsEye will be supported and promoted going forward.
In short: IO Interactive is no longer publishing MindsEye, Build A Rocket Boy is taking over all publishing duties, and the previously announced Hitman crossover is no longer happening.
