MindsEye: How ex-Grand Theft Auto boss’s grand vision became a £200m flop

Lesley Benzies was one of the architects behind one of the most successful video games in history.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveGrand Theft Auto made him a legend. His latest game was a disaster15 hours agoShareSaveTom RichardsonBBC NewsbeatShareSaveBuild a Rocket BoyIn July this year workers at Build a Rocket Boy, a video game studio in Edinburgh, were called to an all-staff meeting.

Their first ever game, a sci-fi adventure called MindsEye, had been released three weeks earlier - and it had been a total disaster.

Critics and players called it "broken", "buggy", and "the worst game of 2025".

Addressing staff via video link, the company's boss, Leslie Benzies, assured them there was a plan to get things back on track and said the negativity they'd seen was "uncalled for".

Then he pivoted, alleging "internal and external" forces had been working to scupper the MindsEye launch.