IO Interactive officially ends publishing deal with MindsEye as HITMAN crossover is cancelled

MindsEye was easily one of 2025’s biggest fumbles, with the ambitious title from ex-Rockstar president Leslie Benzies and studio Build A Rocket Boy receiving less-than-stellar reviews upon its initial launch last year. Since then, the situation has continued to devolve, with claims of intentional sabotage supposedly having taken place. In amongst all the drama, it appears as though publisher IO Interactive wants to distance themselves from the title, officially announcing that they have now ended their “publishing collaboration.”

Last month, insiders claimed that Build A Rocket Boy would soon be announcing that they “have decided to part ways with their publisher, IO Interactive” in order to “bring its publishing in-house and gain more control over its future.”

Sure enough, the announcement has now come to pass, with IOI and Build A Rocket Boy sharing a joint press release, stating: “IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy today announce the conclusion of their publishing collaboration for MindsEye, effective 16 March 2026, with Build A Rocket Boy assuming sole publishing responsibilities going forward.”

While some of you may have forgotten, it was previously announced that HITMAN would be crossing over into MindsEye at some point in the future. In the wake of this separation however, the collab has been cancelled, with them writing:

“The Hitman mission announced in June 2025, planned as a crossover event within MindsEye, will no longer be released. However, BARB [Build A Rocket Boy] plans on working with partners on other projects in the future. Both IOI Partners and Build A Rocket Boy recognize the anticipation this collaboration generated among the community and express their appreciation for the support shown by the players.”

IOI’s partnership with MindsEye ultimately was not the greatest of starts for the company’s publishing division. That said, hopefully this whole situation serves as a lesson to both IOI and Build A Rocket Boy. It will be interesting to see what the future of MindsEye looks like.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the announcement? Does MindsEye have any potential? Let us know down below.

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