IO Interactive exits MindsEye publishing deal as game struggles after rocky launch
Summary
IOI Partners, IO Interactive's publishing arm, has ended its publishing agreement with Build a Rocket Boy for MindsEye
BARB assumes sole publishing control to ensure continuity for players and partners
The split follows a troubled launch marked by bugs, poor performance, and last-minute marketing cancellations
IO Interactive's first third-party publishing venture ends without the planned Hitman crossover collaboration
"It wasn't what they hoped for, and also what we didn't hope for at IOI Partners."
01
Deal breakdown - IOI Partners exits after difficult MindsEye launch
IOI Partners provided BARB with marketing, distribution, localisation, and customer support - but no funding
The publishing agreement was IO Interactive's first foray into third-party game publishing
BARB now holds sole publishing responsibilities to "ensure continuity for the MindsEye community and all partners"
Both companies are "coordinating closely to ensure a seamless transition over the coming weeks"
The planned Hitman x MindsEye collaboration is officially cancelled as a result of the split
02
Launch failure - bugs and poor performance triggered the fallout
MindsEye launched to negative reception, with players citing bugs and poor performance
BARB cancelled sponsored marketing streams at the last minute following the troubled launch
The studio has since announced "a new phase of ongoing development" to recover player trust
BARB also made further redundancies following what CEO Mark Gerhard called a "difficult period" and "corporate sabotage"
"The launch period was affected by factors beyond normal operational challenges and a competitive environment."
03
IO Interactive's publishing ambitions - a cautious first step, now reset
Abrak had previously framed the BARB partnership as a deliberate and focused first move
"We're not going to turn into the Volkswagen of publishing overnight. Right now, we're super focused on this partnership."
Despite the setback, IO Interactive signaled openness to future third-party publishing deals
"It is very possible that there will be more of this in the future for IO Interactive."
04
What's next - BARB rebuilds solo, IO reassesses publishing path
BARB plans to continue developing MindsEye independently and work with new partners on future projects
IO Interactive will need to reassess its third-party publishing strategy following its first venture ending in a split
The outcome raises questions about how deeply publishers should be involved when no funding is provided
Explore more: partnerships and collaborations hub
Events
Companies
Games
Locations
—
COMPILED BY GAMES ATLAS EDITORIAL
RELATED ARTICLES
EXPLORE MORE
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!