Following claims that Herschel 'Dr Disrespect' Beahm IV was banned from Twitch for sending inappropriate messages to minors - allegations he later confirmed to be true - his former development studio, Midnight Society (currently creating the NFT-driven FPS, Deadrop) has finally released a statement. Speaking to Bloomberg, co-founder and creative director Quinn DelHoyo states that Beahm's "actions don't align with our principles," resulting in the streamer being dropped by the company.
Throughout June 2024, rumor swirled that Beahm had inappropriately messaged minors using Twitch's now defunct whisper function. Beahm subsequently released a statement, which was edited several times post-publication, confirming that the streaming platform did, indeed, ban him for inappropriate messages.
Several affiliates cut ties as a result, including hardware partner Turtle Beach. His content has also been removed from free-to-play FPS game Rogue Company.
Speaking to Bloomberg, DelHoyo and co-founder studio head Robert Bowling state that Beahm confirmed the allegations to be true in front of Midnight Society's board of directors, resulting in his immediate dismissal from the company.
Bowling recalls that there were initial feelings of "shock and disappointment. My emotions shifted very quickly to, 'How can I make sure all the incredible work that's been done on Deadrop is not lost?'"
Despite this, DelHoyo notes that Midnight Society's management "knew it was the right decision after talking everything over with all four of us. We made agreements on what our principles were and are as a studio, and his actions don't align with our principles."
Interestingly, however, Bowling is still adamant that working with influencers is the correct call, stating that Beahm's main role within the company was to "bring eyeballs and community to [Deadrop]. Having some initial marketing in the beginning we wouldn't have otherwise definitely helped."
Deadrop, a free-to-play shooter which appears to integrate NFTs into its gameplay, is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2024, with Bloomberg noting that the project is "on schedule." Whether or not that will change following the controversy surrounding Beahm remains unknown.
Bowling stands firm, however, noting that Midnight Society is "guaranteed to make a game you will like. Our job is to make sure that translates to a larger audience."
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