The recent controversy swirling around Dr Disrespect, known off-screen as Herschel “Guy” Beahm, threatens to leave a lasting mark on his career, with doubts looming over his return from hiatus.
One of the most significant setbacks for Dr Disrespect occurred on June 24th, when Midnight Society, the gaming studio he co-founded in 2021 alongside industry veterans Robert Bowling, Quinn DelHoyo, and Sumit Gupta, publicly announced their decision to sever ties with him. This decision stemmed from revelations emerging about the circumstances surrounding his abrupt departure from Twitch back in 2020.
Why did Midnight Society cut ties with Dr Disrespect?
Initially, Midnight Society stated that Beahm was presumed innocent, but subsequent discussions with involved parties led to their decision to dissociate from him in order to uphold their principles and standards.
On Friday evening we became aware of an allegation against one of our co-founder’s Guy Beahm aka Dr Disrespect.
We assumed his innocence and began speaking with parties involved. And in order to maintain our principles and standards as a studio and individuals, we needed to act.…
— Midnight Society (@12am) June 24, 2024
Midnight Society, despite its recent inception, was already making waves in the gaming world with its debut project, Deadrop, currently in pre-alpha development. Beahm’s association with the studio brought significant attention, leveraging his massive following of approximately 4 million followers. Despite this visibility, Beahm rarely mentioned Deadrop or the studio during his streams.
The allegations leveled against Beahm by two former Twitch employees, involving accusations of inappropriate communications with a minor via Twitch Whispers and plans to meet during TwitchCon, were pivotal in Midnight Society’s decision to sever ties. This development has led to a polarizing reaction from fans, some of whom have distanced themselves from Deadrop and voiced skepticism about the allegations, even accusing the studio of not disclosing all pertinent information.
The backlash has been palpable on social media platforms like Instagram, where fans have expressed their disappointment and some have called for a boycott of Midnight Society’s projects.
For Midnight Society, navigating these turbulent waters is critical, especially considering the livelihoods of its 55 developers and their families. The studio’s reputation and financial stability are at stake, emphasizing the gravity of their decision to part ways with Beahm.
Amidst these developments, questions linger about whether Midnight Society possesses additional information that has yet to be disclosed to the public. Their statement suggests nuances and details behind their decision-making process that may shed further light on the situation, but as of now, these remain speculative.
As the saga continues to unfold, both Dr Disrespect and Midnight Society face uncertain futures, with potential implications reaching far beyond the realms of streaming and gaming into broader questions of ethics and responsibility within the industry.
