Build a Rocket Boy (BARB), the studio behind the troubled futuristic action title Vagira, is reportedly making further staff cuts as employees begin leaving the company, according to a wave of social media posts spotted by the gaming community. The departures come after the studio ballooned from roughly 200 to 550 employees in a short period, only to appear to be winding down operations once again. In a LinkedIn post flagged by ResetEra users, principal talent acquisition partner Dan Hawkins announced he is “Open to Work” and actively seeking a new role, writing that he “will be seeing BARB through till the very end, helping wrap things up here in the HR department” — a statement that has drawn concern about the company’s immediate future.
The news follows a separate post by BARB release manager Michaela Emslie, who confirmed that she and several colleagues have received redundancy notices. “After four years at Build a Rocket Boy, I’ve unfortunately been given my redundancy notice along with some of my fellow colleagues,” she wrote. “I’m incredibly proud of how much I’ve learned and how far I’ve come during my time there, from an entry position Junior QA into a Release Manager.” Hawkins, who joined as the first hire on the studio’s internal recruitment team, added that he remains “very interested in hearing about any opportunities, both within and outside of the games industry to join growing companies.”
A Studio in Freefall
The pattern of losses has left the industry community grappling with a company that many believe has been in decline for some time. Hawkins, who spent just shy of five years at BARB, described the experience as “one hell of a ride,” noting the rapid expansion that preceded the contraction. The studio’s flagship project, Vagira, has drawn criticism for its ambitious scope and mixed reception, casting a long shadow over the company’s stability.
Despite the outflow of personnel, an IGN report citing a source familiar with the situation suggests the company may not be fully dissolved even if all staff depart. As of now, the UK government’s Companies House registry still lists Build A Rocket Boy LTD as an active business, with MindsEye game director Leslie Benzies and CEO Mark Gerhard named among its directors.
We offer nothing but solidarity and support to everyone impacted by any job losses and remain committed to getting justice for BARB management’s treatment of workers and organising to root these practices out of the video games industry. Only by joining and becoming active in a trade union can we achieve these goals.
Build a Rocket Boy staff solidarity statement
The posts, which circulated widely after being shared by
, were accompanied by a collective message of support from former and current BARB employees. “We came together to fight tooth and nail to prevent the hardworking people working there from such a fate after pouring their heart and soul into Minds Eye,” the group wrote. “We are proud of what we built there but still hearing of redundancies is always an injustice.”
A History of Disputes
The current wave of departures is not the first controversy to surround the studio. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has previously filed legal claims against BARB over alleged mishandling of previous redundancies and alleged violations of employees’ data privacy through the installation of surveillance software on workers’ devices. Hawkins, who has now reached out to both Build A Rocket Boy and the IWGB for comment, noted that he is “still hearing of redundancies” as part of an ongoing pattern.
For Emslie, the redundancy notice marks the end of a career trajectory she had hoped to continue. Rising from a junior quality assurance role to release manager, her departure underscores the broader uncertainty facing the studio’s workforce, many of whom are now actively searching for new positions.
Looking Ahead
As BARB appears to wind down, the industry is watching to see whether the company will fully dissolve or restructure in some form. The continued listing on Companies House offers a glimmer of ambiguity, but the steady exodus of talent suggests significant instability remains. Workers across the sector have expressed solidarity with their BARB colleagues, and union advocates are calling for greater accountability in how studios manage their personnel.
For now, the focus remains on supporting those affected and holding management to account. Until MindsEye and BARB provide official comment, the full scope of the studio’s plans — if any — will remain unclear, leaving both employees and fans of Vagira in a state of uncertainty about what lies ahead.
Solidarity to any BARB workers who are now looking for new work.
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