Mindseye Meltdown: Paid Streams Pulled, Glitches Go Viral, and Devs in Damage Control Spiral
Mindseye, the highly anticipated sci-fi shooter from former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, is having a launch week to remember—and not in a good way. Despite a splashy marketing campaign, paid influencer streams, and plenty of cinematic trailers, the game’s release quickly turned into a circus of pulled livestreams, viral glitches, and damage control that only made things worse.
- Mindseye’s launch plagued by technical issues and negative reviews
- Streamers’ sponsored streams interrupted or pulled without warning
- Confusing communication from developers about livestreaming
- Game becomes viral for all the wrong reasons
Streamers Left in the Dark
When Mindseye dropped on June 10, Twitch and YouTube creators were ready to go live, thanks to pre-arranged sponsorships. But as soon as the negative feedback started rolling in, things got weird. Some streamers were suddenly told to stop streaming—right in the middle of their broadcasts—without much explanation. Others, like DarkViperAu, continued but couldn’t hide their disbelief at the game’s story and dialogue. His reaction, complete with awkward scripted lines and genuine laughter, went viral:
Another moment spreading online comes from ExtraEmily, who managed to get stuck and die in the game without any way out. It’s not the kind of viral moment a developer dreams of.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1932615274831692098
Mixed Messages from Developers
In a surprising twist, screenshots of the official Mindseye account surfaced, pleading with players not to stream the game at all—despite it being available for purchase. This is highly unusual in an industry where launch day streams are part of the standard playbook. The confusion only grew when streamer CohhCarnage was told mid-broadcast to “pause” his sponsored stream, a first in his career:
https://clips.twitch.tv/HorribleTemperedWalrusImGlitch-gHPIZik425TI41dG
Meanwhile, ads for Mindseye were rolling in movie theaters and the game was highlighted at Summer Game Fest, showing just how much was riding on this release.
Viral for All the Wrong Reasons
Ironically, all the chaos has only increased interest in the game. Clips of Mindseye’s glitches and awkward moments are racking up massive views on YouTube, with penguinz0’s takedown of the game quickly climbing the trending charts.
According to Twitch Tracker, streaming numbers peaked early, but the game is living on in viral videos and streamer hot takes. The biggest question now: Did those cut-off streamers even get paid? Build A Rocket Boy declined to comment.
Quote of the Week
As penguinz0 puts it:
“This is one of the more fun bad games that I’ve played in recent memory. It is so terrible across the board in all of the right ways that it becomes extremely entertaining because of how bad it is. Now, I would never recommend buying this under any circumstances; it’s 60 dollars for a complete hemorrhoid of an experience. The only good thing about it is the cutscenes, like the mocap and even the voice acting, the game visually looks great. And everything else is irredeemable dogshit.”
With negative press, viral clips, and a CEO hinting at a shadowy campaign against the game, Mindseye is unlikely to fade quietly anytime soon.
