NFT game development studio Midnight Society just laid off half of its dev team following the controversy surrounding Twitch streamer Dr. Disrespect.
The company is responsible for Deadrop and word of the layoffs first appeared on social media platforms over the weekend. Senior environment artist Tyler Moore said that he was "one of many" employees who were affected.
Midnight Society's Layoffs
The studio later confirmed the layoffs, saying that it underwent a "significant workforce reduction." Midnight Society also attributed the layoffs to "multiple unexpected challenges" that it faced in the last few months.
The company added that the job cuts were made in order to strengthen its foundation and renew its focus on its core mission.
The studio was founded in 2021 by studio head Robert Bowling, creative director Quinn DelHoyo, and Herschel "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm, according to GameDeveloper.
Much of the studio's game, Deadrop, was built around Beahm's online persona as well as his affection for the extraction shooter genre.
But last summer, the streamer was removed from Midnight Society after studio leadership learned he allegedly messaged a minor inappropriately.
Dr. Disrespect initially denied the allegations made against him but later admitted to the act but noted that he did not do anything illegal. The situation was what led to his ban from Twitch in 2020.
A studio representative for Midnight Society said that the layoffs were very unfortunate. They noted that the decision was made to adapt to changes in the industry and secure the company's future, said PCGamer.
They added that the studio's commitment to providing players with innovative gaming experience led them to make the difficult decision.
The representative said that Midnight Society would not be here if it were not for the contributions of those who were affected by the layoffs.
Dr. Disrespect's Controversy
Midnight Society did not explicitly say just how many of its workers were removed from their work. However, Deadrop content creator Jok5rr claimed in an X post that the figure was "roughly 50%."
The studio surged in popularity around three years ago when Dr. Disrespect was revealed as a founding member. The content creator then helped build Midnight Society's brand and pulled players into Deadrop.
However, many people doubted the legitimacy of the game because it leaned more on NFTs as a foundation.
The game is still expected to release in 2025 as revealed by Midnight Society. The team is supposedly working to compile revised plans and a fresh roadmap, according to Insider Gaming.
