MindsEye CEO Alleges $1 Million Plot to Sabotage Game in Leaked Footage

Mark Gerhard, co-CEO of Build a Rocket Boy, has reportedly claimed that a “very big American company” known as Ritual Network, a YouTube and TikTok management agency based in the UK, is behind a campaign exceeding $1 million aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the poorly received 2025 open-world game.

According to insider sources, Gerhard discussed this alleged conspiracy during an internal meeting with Build a Rocket Boy staff. In a supposed recording of his comments, he referred to Ritual Network as “a bunch of gangsters” and identified YouTuber Cyber Boi as one of the “influencers” involved in the smear campaign against MindsEye.

Cyber Boi recently faced a “formal cease and desist demand” from Gerhard via the MindsEye Discord server after releasing a now-deleted video concerning ex-Rockstar producer Leslie Benzies and the Epstein files. Benzies has since stated that he has never met Epstein. It has been confirmed that an email address listed on Cyber Boi’s YouTube channel was associated with Ritual Network.

However, Gerhard’s assertion that Ritual Network is a “very big American company” seems to be inaccurate, as the company is registered in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, and reportedly employs fewer than 20 people. Additionally, their publicly available tax returns indicate that their net current assets were around £800,000 (approximately €920,000) in February 2025, which falls short of the alleged $1 million mentioned in the recording.

Gerhard also claimed during the meeting that Ritual Network and the content creators they allegedly compensated “will all be served in person, criminal complaints, shortly,” facing charges such as “espionage, sabotage, and criminal interference.” He mentioned an “enhanced cybersecurity software” called Teramind that had been installed on Build a Rocket Boy employees’ systems without their knowledge.

If true, this scenario sounds like a plot twist straight out of a futuristic, dystopian game narrative. Interestingly, Gerhard expressed a desire to incorporate the names of those linked to Ritual Network into a future MindsEye mission, stating, “Given this has happened to us, I’m gonna own this narrative. We will use these people, these names and these facts for our own fun. We’re gonna put some of these names into our upcoming spy mission.”

In response, Ritual Network has stated that they are “not involved in the matter” and are unaware of any legitimate legal action against them, having not received any evidence to support these claims.

Despite the controversy, Build a Rocket Boy remains firm in its allegations. A spokesperson for the studio stated, “Sadly, we do have evidence that there has been a coordinated campaign to purposefully and maliciously damage Build A Rocket Boy’s reputation and undermine confidence in MindsEye. We are working with our legal team and taking steps to address this.”

Build a Rocket Boy is currently attempting to revive the struggling 2025 title. A surprise update on February 4 was described as part of “a reset for the brand and the title,” marking the start of a “new era” for MindsEye. However, the shooter still holds a less-than-50-percent positive rating on Steam and, as of now, has only 40 concurrent players.