Ex-GTA dev raises $110,000,000 for Build a Rocket Boy

Build a Rocket Boy, the Scotland-based game development studio created by former GTA producer and Rockstar North President Leslie Benzies, has concluded a $110 million series D funding round for its upcoming projects. RedBird Capital Partners, a US-based private investment firm with a lengthy history of investing in media, entertainment, and sports, led the funding round.

The studio plans to leverage the Series D capital to introduce three major products: MindsEye (an action-adventure video game series), Everywhere (an open-world immersive gaming platform), and the Arcadia suite of user-generated content (UGC) creation tools.

Here's everything GTA fans need to know about Build a Rocket Boy, their projects, and what Leslie Benzies has said about the matter.

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Former GTA producer raises $110 million in fundraising for new game studio

Build a Rocket Boy has been teasing their upcoming products, which include a fully immersive open-world game called Everywhere. Described as "community-driven gaming," it allows gamers to create their own worlds in a way that may be compared to Roblox or Minecraft.

Next up is MindsEye, billed as a "highly anticipated AAA, story-driven action adventure" that takes place in a futuristic setting rife with "corporate and government conspiracies." Thanks to the newly acquired capital, the company will be able to launch these titles, along with the "game-changing UGC design tools in ARCADIA."

Galaxy Interactive, NetEase Games, Endeavor, Alignment Growth, Woodline Partners LP, GTAM Partners, and other notable investors provided substantial support for the fundraising round as well. Julia Wittlin, a partner at RedBird, is also scheduled to join Build A Rocket Boy's board of directors.

In response to the successful fundraising, Build A Rocket Boy's founder and chairman, Leslie Benzies, who is also a former GTA producer, stated:

"I started Build A Rocket Boy so that I could continue to share the stories I love with players and give them a place to create and share. We believe in a future where game creation is put in the hands of the players, and we will empower them with the tools to help shape this vision with us."

Leslie Benzies was the former President of Rockstar North, where he oversaw the production of the company's widely popular Grand Theft Auto series from GTA 3 in 2001 and every succeeding release up to Grand Theft Auto Online. He left the company in 2016 after a 17-month hiatus and took legal action against Rockstar, with both parties reaching a settlement in 2019.

Build a Rocket Boy hasn't revealed when they'll release Everywhere or MindsEye, but you can find more details on the studio's official website. Although Everywhere has been compared to Grand Theft Auto, it could turn out to be significantly different.