Midnight Society, a video game studio founded by prominent but controversial streamer and internet personality Herschel "Guy" Beahm (aka Dr. Disrespect), has announced it will be closing. The studio's closure comes just a few months after it cut ties with Beahm following allegations that he was inappropriately messaging a minor through Twitch.
Beahm has since returned to the public spotlight and has even begun streaming again However, the studio that he helped co-found has officially announced its closure.
"Today we are announcing Midnight Society will closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of over 55 developers contributed to our new IP DEADROP," the studio announced on social media. "We are actively seeking other game studios that would be interested in offering employment opportunities to our talented team members."
Founded three years ago, Midnight Society was a game studio "focused on community first, open and transparent development, and delivering the world's first Vertical Extraction Shooter," according to the company's website.
The studio's first game was supposed to be a free-to-play first-person Vertical Extraction Shooter titled DEADROP. Multiple snapshots of the game have been released over the years, giving early backers, known as Variants, access to play the game as early as possible in order to gain player feedback.
The game was set in a "dark and violent future where the 80s never ended."
Midnight Society was a relatively small studio but attracted developers who worked on some of the industry's largest franchises, including Call of Duty, Halo, and Fortnite. However, one of its most important aspects was giving the community access to the game from some of the earliest days of development.
Beahm has seemingly recovered from all of the drama and controversy surrounding these previous allegations. Although his partnerships with FanDuel, Turtle Beach, and other sponsors have ended, he recently agreed to a major partnership with Rumble, a competitor to YouTube. As of January 30th, Beahm's YouTube channel was reinstated for monetization with a statement reading: "Dr Disrespect was previously suspended from the YouTube Partner Program for violations of our Creator Responsibility policies. Creators who are suspended from this program can reapply for access, and after careful review of the channel's recent activity, we've reinstated it. If there are further violations, we'll take appropriate action."
Beahm has not commented on Midnight Society's closure on social media or offered any sort of official statement.