Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Midnight Society, the creator-led developer behind the web3 extraction shooter Deadrop, has announced the termination of its association with co-founder Guy “DrDisrespect” Beahm following an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct. This decision follows renewed scrutiny surrounding Beahm's 2020 suspension from Twitch.
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
What is Deadrop?
Deadrop, previously known as "Project Moon," is a game under development by Midnight Society. It is a Vertical Extraction Shooter (VES) blending arena shooter level design with Battle Royale scale and the strategic gameplay of an extraction shooter. Players vie for top drops or attempt to extract alive with their gear intact.
Vertical Extraction Shooter
Deadrop takes a unique approach within the Battle Royale genre, defining itself as a Vertical Extraction Shooter. This genre involves player versus player versus environment raids, akin to games like Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown. Players retain acquired loot after successful runs but lose all gear upon death. The term "vertical" denotes gameplay set in high-rise structures.
Recent Updates
Deadrop recently teased a new game mode, Midnight Ride, combining car racing elements with shooter mechanics for a distinctive, adrenaline-fueled experience. For their 2024 agenda, the Deadrop team is focusing on enhancing visuals, implementing a quests and contracts system, and achieving console certification to meet rigorous release standards.
Midnight Society Cuts DrDisrespect
Over the weekend, Cody Conners, a former Twitch strategic partnerships account director, alleged that DrDisrespect was banned for inappropriate messaging with a minor. The Verge corroborated these claims, adding weight to the allegations.
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Cody Conners Statement on X
In response, Midnight Society conducted its own investigation into Beahm’s behavior. Following this inquiry, the studio announced today its decision to sever ties with Beahm, distancing itself from the controversial figure.
DrDisrespect Sues Twitch
Prior to these developments, DrDisrespect had sued Twitch over his ban. In 2022, both parties settled without admitting wrongdoing, and Twitch compensated Beahm for the remainder of his exclusivity contract. Despite these legal resolutions, Beahm maintains his innocence, asserting on June 22 that he committed “nothing illegal, [and] no wrongdoing was found.”
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Midnight Society Statement on X
The future of Midnight Society, Deadrop, and its 55 employees is now uncertain. As a creator-led startup, the company's reputation was closely tied to Beahm's public persona. While distancing from DrDisrespect may aid the studio in reputation recovery, losing Beahm’s platform and community support poses significant challenges.
DrDisrespect has announced an indefinite streaming hiatus, leaving the gaming community and his followers speculating about his next steps.
Project Roadmap 2024
Since its 2021 inception and the launch of "Project Moon," Midnight Society has released seven major updates during the Foundation and Expansion phases. The current Refinement phase focuses on targeted public releases, design testing, and player feedback sessions, aiming for an early access launch across all approved platforms.
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Deadrop 2024 Roadmap
Optimization
Collaboration with Epic Games aims to maximize Unreal Engine 5 capabilities, ensuring smooth performance across various hardware configurations. The goal is to maintain solid framerates for 1070-equivalent graphics cards while providing enhanced performance for high-end systems.
Hideout
The Hideout, introduced in early snapshots, serves as the pre-game area for squad formation, showcasing stashes, and socializing. The revamped Hideout will return to support new game features like vehicles, vendors, and displays.
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Midnight Ride Screenshot
Future Planning
Efforts focus on enabling community-driven content creation, importation, and sales. Systems are being developed to seamlessly integrate third-party content in the future.
Visuals
Deadrop's visual elements are nearing finalization, encompassing environment, sector, character, and weapon refinements. Fewer releases with targeted testing will balance visual enhancements with game optimization.
Quests and Contracts
Integral to Deadrop’s design, quests and contracts enable player collaboration with in-game factions for rewards. These will be a major focus in upcoming testing phases.
Midnight Society Cuts Ties with DrDisrespect Following Misconduct Allegations
Midnight Ride Gameplay
Console
Securing console certification is a top priority, ensuring compliance with platform requirements for early releases and inclusive access across all player bases.
Final Thoughts
The team remains committed to advancing Deadrop towards public release, incorporating community feedback to refine gameplay and visuals. Specific updates will coincide with major milestones. Stay tuned on Discord for playtest announcements and further releases.
