Former DrDisrespect studio Midnight Society is shutting down just months after significant layoffs

Midnight Society, a studio co-founded by streamer Guy "Dr Disrespect" Beahm, Call of Duty and Halo veteran Robert Bowling, and Quinn Delhoyo, has announced the closure of its doors and cancellation of its debut game, Deadrop, just months after major layoffs.

The details:

• The developer announced the closure via a statement posted to its social media accounts, confirming that it is now in the process of finding its 55 employees new positions elsewhere. "Today, we are announcing Midnight Society will be closing its doors after three incredible years, with an amazing team of 55 developers contributing to our new IP Deadrop,” the statement reads. “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.”

• Deadrop was intended to be a free-to-play extraction shooter, with NFT holders gaining exclusive in-game content and access to closed tests known as "Snapshots." The game featured a unique focus on vertical gameplay, an 80s-inspired setting, and had players battling against each other inside a skyscraper.

• Back in June of last year, the studio severed ties with DrDisrespect after it was discovered that he had "inappropriate" conversations with a minor. However, just a few months later, it announced that it would be making significant layoffs, although it stated that it still planned to release Deadrop in 2025.

• Midnight Society's closure comes at the same time as Google's decision to reinstate monetization on DrDisrepect's YouTube channel after the streamer was suspended from its Partner Program. Despite admitting that he had messaged a minor last year, Beahm edited the original post and continued to deny any wrongdoing, accusing others of "lying" to harm his reputation. "What a fucking weird world, huh?" Beahm said in a recent stream (via Kotaku). "On the day that Midnight Society closes, we get monetization. What a fucking trip."

More gaming news:

• Nintendo has announced that foreign credit cards and PayPal accounts will no longer be accepted on the Japanese eShop as it cracks down on "fraudulent use.”

• Sony is dropping the PSN account requirement for some of its PC titles, with those who choose to log in receiving various in-game rewards.