Former Dr Disrespect Game Studio Closes After 3 Years

Dr Disrespect’s former game studio, Midnight Society, has announced it is shutting down without releasing a game. The gaming industry is one of the most competitive industries out there thanks to all of the indie devs, major studios, and everything in between. There are more people playing video games now than ever before and there’s constant demand for something innovative. A few years ago, controversial YouTuber and streamer Dr Disrespect launched a new video game studio called Midnight Society. He recruited veteran talent from Infinity Ward, 343 Industries, and other major FPS teams to help him build something brand new.

Eventually, they announced their first game would be called Deadrop and would tie-in with NFTs in some capacity. What made it really unique was that Midnight Society would build the game with its players, allowing them to regularly test the game and provide meaningful feedback. While it’s not uncommon for games to have beta tests, things are largely pretty content locked by the time players get their hands on it, but that wasn’t the case for Deadrop. However, Midnight Society was faced with a tough decision in the summer of 2024.

Dr Disrespect was accused of inappropriately messaging a minor on Twitch and it was allegedly the reason he was banned from the platform. The allegations came from a former Twitch employee and was corroborated by reputable reporters. Midnight Society spoke with Dr Disrespect, conducted its own investigation, and opted to have him leave the studio. This was a devastating blow as many fans of Deadrop were also Dr Disrespect fans and without him, a lot of their interest dwindled. It seems like his departure really hurt the studio as Midnight Society is officially closing its doors.

Midnight Society took to Twitter to announce it was shutting down, meaning Deadrop will never fully release. Over 55 developers worked at the studio and are now seeking employment at other game studios. The developer’s message notes that is interested in connecting with other developers in hopes of finding a place for its staff.

“Today we are announcing Midnight Society will be closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of over 55 developers contributing to our new IP Deadrop,” the studio said in a message. “We are actively seeking other game studios that would be interested in offering employment opportunities to our talented team members. If you know anyone who’s hiring please forward this message to them or DM us for direct intros. We express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of our community members and [are] deeply sorry we were unable to reach our ultimate goal.”

It’s an unfortunate fate for Midnight Society, especially since so many talented folks worked there. Whether or not things would’ve been different had Dr Disrespect stayed at the studio is unknown. It’s possible the game would’ve hit other obstacles or the game itself may have released in a rocky state. Nevertheless, it’s a tough blow for those looking for something fresh in the FPS genre.