The Internet Reacts To Dr Disrespect's Indefinite Streaming Break
Guy "Dr Disrespect" Beahm has long been one of the most prominent streamers in the industry, but it seems like we might be seeing less of him for a while. In his June 24 stream, Dr Disrespect told his fans that he plans to step away and take an indefinite break from his channel. "I don't know, I just feel burned out," he said, adding, "Maybe it's time to start something new, something different, you know."
Dr Disrespect's surprising announcement came just days after he fired back at disturbing allegations surrounding why he was suddenly banned from Twitch back in 2020. Neither Dr Disrespect nor Twitch ever spoke publicly about the reason behind the ban, and it's been one of the biggest mysteries in streaming for years. But on Friday, June 21, former Twitch employee Cody Conners claimed that the streamer was banned after having inappropriate communications with a minor.
Conners' post didn't clarify who he was referring to, but it didn't take long for people to make the jump to Dr Disrespect. The Doc himself responded less than two hours later by saying that "no wrongdoing was acknowledged and [Twitch] paid out the whole contract." Between Dr Disrespect's response on Friday and his stream on Monday, a former Twitch employee spoke with The Verge and corroborated Conners' allegation. Needless to say, all eyes were on Beahm's Monday afternoon stream.
Dr Disrespect weighs in
Before June 21, most people thought that Dr Disrespect's Twitch ban was old news. The streamer himself had previously said that his feud with Twitch was over and that he would no longer be pursuing legal action against the platform regarding his ban. When Dr Disrespect got back on camera today, he had a surprising approach to things.
"For those who are looking at me to expand on this weekend, not gonna," Dr Disrespect said early into his stream. "I already said what I needed to say. I don't give a f*** about this guy. That's it. I do appreciate the donations. I do appreciate the messages. But I like to put it in fifth gear right off the rip." He went on to play "Elden Ring" for several hours before talking about burnout and his plans to step away not just from streaming, but also from his video game development studio Midnight Society. Shortly after the stream ended, Midnight Society made its own announcement about severing ties with Dr Disrespect.
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
The company stated that it became aware of the allegations at the same time as the rest of the internet did. Following that, the company wrote, "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."
The internet still has questions about Dr Disrespect
The internet's reactions to all this news have ranged from disgust over the allegations to demands for more proof. In the comments on Dr Disrespect's June 24 stream, fans primarily focused on how weird it was to see the streamer step away after years of near-constant streaming. "Going to miss you big time. Take it easy Doc," wrote one viewer. Another shared a similar sentiment, writing, "Doc will return. But he's taking a much deserved break." Others felt that burnout seemed to be a convenient excuse for stepping away at this point.
In response to the Midnight Society's announcement that it would no longer be working with Dr Disrespect, reactions were all over the board. Some were simply blown away by how quickly the studio seemed to have made its decision, and more than a few diehard Dr Disrespect fans argued that this could have a huge impact on the company's success. Still, not everyone was sad to see the Doc go. More than a few responses on Twitter came from people who believe the allegations and think Beahm's break is a long time coming.
This has been a rollercoaster for Dr Disrespect's fans and detractors alike. The internet has speculated about the Doc's Twitch ban for four years. Now that the pot has been stirred, shaken, and poured all over the floor, it's likely that people are going to continuing digging into this issue until solid answers are finally made public.