Midnight Society: A New AAA Game Studio By Dr. Disrespect. Guy Beahm, better known as Dr. Disrespect, has created an entire game studio called Midnight Society with former Call of Duty creative strategist Robert Bowling and Halo 5 multiplayer designer Quinn Delhoyo, to create “the best, most community-focused online PVP multiplayer experience the world has ever seen.”
AAA Gaming Studio by Guy Beahm
Things appear to be in the early stages, and no specifics about what the studio is working on have been released. But, as you’d expect from a project led by Dr. Disrespect, there’s plenty of hyperbole: Midnight Society is a “killer team of veteran AAA talent that lives, breathes, and sleeps in the realm of PVP multiplayer,” “turning tables upside down” in the game industry with a “new kind of game studio and publishing model that has been in the works for over a decade.”
While the studio does have an identity and some major new talent, Dr. Disrespect has been hinting at the project for a while. Dr. Disrespect shared some concept art during a stream in August, which can now be found on the Midnight Society website. A glowing orange factory surrounded by molten magma is depicted in the concept art. It all looks like something out of Terminator 2.
“As a long-time player, streamer, and former game developer, I’ve often fantasized about creating awesome titles that entire communities can rally behind from the start,” Beahm said. “My vision is to create games that defy the one-and-done publishing model and to reward all fans and influencers who help them succeed.”
For the time being, the studio’s main focus is on hiring: The careers page lists positions for a community manager, designers, engineers, artists, and others, all of which are remote-friendly. And it’s aiming for the stars.
Introducing my new AAA Game Studio, Midnight Society.
Give us a follow @12am
It’s time. https://t.co/vKIOzpVjK9
— Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) December 14, 2021
Midnight Society bills itself as a “AAA game studio,” and many of the job openings demand at least five years of big-budget game development experience. If you’re not quite there yet in your professional development but still want to keep up with Dr. Disrespect’s new studio, you can do so via Twitter or Discord.
Midnight Society will depend largely on early access to filter out the buzz, with a special emphasis on high-profile influencers: According to the studio’s announcement, one of its priorities is “involving communities and influencers much earlier in the development process” than is customary.
While Beahm’s participation may appear to be the game development equivalent of stunt casting, keep in mind that before becoming famous as the mustache that roars, he was a community manager and designer at Sledgehammer Games, with credits on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Advanced Warfare.
Dr. Disrespect has been critical of many developers and their decisions in the past, and this could be his chance to prove himself.
It will be intriguing to see how the new venture turns out! The studio boasts some serious talent, and Midnight Society’s mission statement suggests that there will be a lot of community involvement. It remains to be seen whether this translates into a high-quality product, but the venture should yield something exciting.