Game studio Midnight Society has recently laid off part of its development team amid controversy involving co-founder and YouTube star Dr Disrespect.
Founded in 2021, Midnight Society gained rapid fame largely due to Dr Disrespect’s prominent role during its launch.
However, in June 2024, the studio severed ties with Dr Disrespect following his admission of inappropriately messaging a minor in a post on X. This revelation led many players to abandon the studio’s game, DEADROP, labeling it as “dead in the water.”
On September 6, 2024, studio head Robert Bowling announced the layoff of “a number” of developers, raising concerns about the studio’s future and the status of its upcoming title.
“Hey Everyone – There is no denying that today is an extremely difficult day for everyone. My focus remains the same as it has always been, to support the developers of this game in their efforts to ship DEADROP,” he stated.
“However, today, we are going to lose a number of those team members. Despite those affected no longer holding the Midnight Society role here, they remain a cherished and valued member of the community and legacy of this game, and my entire being is dedicated to seeing them join us again in the future.”
UPDATE:Unfortunate news today from FourZeroTwo, following Dr Disrespect’s livestream. More layoffs are happening at Midnight Society. No further details yet. We here at Variant Intel wish those affected only the best 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/568lBn6UdJ
— Variant Intel (@VariantIntel) September 6, 2024
Bowling later reiterated on September 9 the studio’s commitment to meet DEADROP’s anticipated 2025 release window.
“These measures, while difficult, are designed to strengthen our foundation and renew focus on our core mission. Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to launching DEADROP in 2025. We’ll be sharing our revised plans and milestones in the near future, and we thank you for your continued faith in our vision,” he explained.
On Friday, roughly 50% of the development team at Midnight Society were laid off. This was unexpected and crushing to see for those of us in the community. Obviously, the studio has been through a lot due to the recent drama surrounding Doc. Today, Rob Bowling gave us an update… pic.twitter.com/eF2boJyKwn
— JOK5RR (@JOK5RR) September 10, 2024
The follow-up message was shared by DEADROP-focused content creator Jok5rr, who mentioned that “roughly 50%” of the development team was laid off, although Bowling did not confirm this specific figure.
Many users expressed shock over the decision, leaving them anxious about the future of the extraction shooter.
This news follows Dr Disrespect’s recent return to streaming on YouTube, where his broadcast quickly became his highest-viewed event on the platform.
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