MindsEye Was So Bad That IO May Be Done Publishing Other Developers’ Games

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IO Interactive has expressed uncertainty about their third-party publishing endeavors following the rocky debut of MindsEye, a game initially touted as a possible challenger to Grand Theft Auto. Unfortunately, MindsEye – which was IOI Partners’ inaugural publication, their external publishing division – seems to have placed the subsidiary in a precarious position.

In 2024, IOI Partners was established by IO Interactive, creators of the Hitman series, to venture into game publishing and aid other studios. With their inaugural project, MindsEye developed by Scottish studio Build a Rocket Boy, anticipated to set a strong precedent, the excitement surrounding it was palpable. Led by Leslie Benzies, former developer of Grand Theft Auto, and marketed as an ambitious science-fiction shooter with live service capabilities, there were high expectations for MindsEye to become a groundbreaking success.

IO Interactive CEO Isn’t Happy with MindsEye’s Launch

Contrarily to expectations, the game named MindsEye was launched in June, receiving harsh criticism and a significant amount of backlash from players, earning a reputation as one of the most infamous flops in recent years. Critics faulted MindsEye for a mediocre storyline, limited playtime, and numerous technical flaws, placing it among the lowest-rated games of this console generation. Now, Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive, has shared his thoughts on MindsEye’s commercial success in an interview with IGN. Acknowledging that the reception was “tough” and not what he or Build a Rocket Boy had anticipated.

Abrak admired Build a Rocket Boy’s innovative approach to MindsEye, but was cautious about the future of IOI Partners, stating vaguely: “IO Interactive will handle our own game publishing internally, but whether IOI Partners continues remains uncertain.” This comment raises some concerns since it suggests that IO Interactive might be reassessing external publishing following the disastrous outcome of MindsEye. Producing and marketing a game can be a costly affair, and given the performance of MindsEye, there’s no way to know how much money IOI Partners may have had to write off.

So, IO Interactive will publish our own games internally. IOI Partners? That remains to be seen.

It’s important to point out that while Abrak didn’t explicitly state that IOI Partners will close, there’s a chance the publishing label might scale back its goals and focus on smaller games developed by upcoming indie studios. This move could reduce financial risk for IOI Partners and potentially introduce more unique games to the market. For instance, the game “Animal Well,” published by Dunkey in May 2024, was met with widespread praise and adoration from players after its release.

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2025-09-04 19:36