Midnight Society Layoffs Follow Dr Disrespect Controversy

The video game studio founded by popular streamer Dr Disrespect, Midnight Society, has faced significant layoffs following a controversy involving the YouTube personality.

Dr Disrespect, whose real name is Herschel Beahm IV, was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a minor via Twitch Whispers, leading to his permanent ban from Twitch.

Dr Disrespect admitted to the incident, which resulted in several partnerships cutting ties with him, including Midnight Society, the studio he co-founded.

While the studio has parted ways with the streamer, they assured fans that they will continue developing their upcoming game, Deadrop.

On September 6, Robert Bowling, co-founder of Midnight Society, revealed that the studio had laid off several developers (via Game Rant).

Midnight Society was founded in 2021 as an AAA game development studio, and in early 2022, it announced its first game, Deadrop, a vertical first-person shooter that was originally slated for a 2024 release.

“There is no denying that today is an extremely difficult day for everyone,” Bowling said in a statement. “My focus remains the same as it has always been— supporting the developers of this game in their efforts to ship Deadrop.”

He went on to acknowledge the layoffs, saying, “Today, we are going to lose a number of those team members.

Despite those affected no longer holding a role at Midnight Society, they remain a cherished and valued part of our community and the legacy of this game. I am committed to seeing them rejoin us in the future.”

Another Blow to the Gaming Industry

While Dr Disrespect has made a comeback to streaming and received a surprisingly positive reception from viewers, the news of Midnight Society’s layoffs is unfortunate.

It is yet another round of job cuts in the gaming industry, with several developers losing their positions.

This shakeup has also delayed the release of Deadrop. In a follow-up statement shared by Bowling on September 9, he revealed that the game now has a revised release window of 2025.

“We’ll be sharing our revised plans and milestones soon, and we thank you for your continued faith in our vision,” the announcement read.

According to Game Rant, a Deadrop content creator named JOK5RR mentioned that 50% of Midnight Society’s development team was dismissed, though the studio has yet to confirm this figure.

Fans of the Deadrop will have to wait and see how these developments impact the game and the future of Midnight Society.