Dr Disrespect studio Midnight Society confirms “significant” layoffs due to “multiple unexpected challenges”

Midnight Society, the developer behind “vertical extraction shooter” Deadrop, has announced “significant” layoffs following studio co-founder Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm’s admission of “inappropriate” behaviour with a “minor” earlier this year.

Midnight Society employees began reporting job cuts on social media over the weekend, and now, in a statement shared with PC Gamer, the developer has confirmed “significant” layoffs. “Unfortunately, Midnight Society has faced multiple unexpected challenges in recent months,” the studio said. “To adapt to these changes and secure the future of Midnight Society, Deadrop, and our commitment to providing innovative gaming experiences, we’ve made the tough decision to streamline our operations, which includes a significant workforce reduction.”

“We wouldn’t be here without the contributions of those who are affected,” it continued,” and we thank them for all their incredible work, support them, and wish them the best.” The studio added, “Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to launching Deadrop in 2025.”

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All this follows Midnight Society co-founder Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm’s admission in June he was permanently banned from Twitch in 2020 after exchanging “messages with an individual minor back in 2017” that “leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate”. Midnight Society had earlier announced it was “terminating [its] relationship with Guy Beahm immediately” when allegations of the streamer’s behaviour first surfaced.

Last week, however, Beahm returned to YouTube after a two-month hiatus – ahead of a 25th September “opportunity” to reapply for YouTube partnership and re-monetise his previously de-monetised channel – accusing critics of a “planned and coordinated attack”, and asking, “Did any of you consider [the minor] may have been over the legal age of consent?”.

As part of a lengthy diatribe that followed, Beahm alluded to (but did not elaborate on) layoffs at Midnight Society, shifting the blame onto Twitch‘s former account director of strategic partnerships Cody Conners – the man who initially alleged an unnamed streamer had been banned from Twitch after getting “caught sexting a minor”, a claim later linked to Beahm.

“And Cody Conners, I just have to say it again, why would you do this?”, Beahm asked as part of a prepared statement shared during Friday’s combative stream. “Like I said, this was handled professionally years ago, no fucking wrongdoing. But because of you, Cody, we just lost… unfortunately we have to layoff people from Midnight Society, because of you Cody. Through all of this, we are where we are – and like a fucking man, I’ll accept it, but I don’t accept sitting quietly by and let these idiots attack me with false accusations.”