The Real Reason Dr Disrespect May Stop Streaming For Two Years

Dr Disrespect has stepped away from the limelight before, to take a quick break, deal with family tragedy, or figure out what to do after being banned by Twitch. But now, the Doc is thinking about taking a break for a completely different reason: to focus on another project.

After years of streaming, Dr Disrespect has built a following that will go with him anywhere, including to his new game development studio, Midnight Society. Over the last year, the Two-Time decided to follow his dreams and create his own game studio, as well as his own game, which he's calling "Project Moon" for the time being. However, the Doc isn't just assembling his own development team. Instead, he's attempting to reimagine what game development looks like by creating a complex system of playtesters – and charging people for entry. By applying for a Founders' Pass, and paying the requisite amount of money to participate, gamers can get in on "Project Moon" on the ground floor, so to speak, influencing the shape the game takes as it moves farther in development. Each Founder is specifically selected from a list of applicants, making it an exclusive group, and the Doc has emphasized that he wants to be selective in who he chooses to join the team. 

If all that sounds like a massive undertaking, it likely is, which is why Dr Disrespect recently mentioned that he may take a break. Unfortunately for gamers, that break could be for a long, long time. Here's what Dr Disrespect said about his thoughts on a break, as well as the state of the video game industry in general.

Many hours into a recent stream, after playing solo for a while, the Doc invited TimtTeTatman to come on and chat before a game of "Warzone." He explained to his friend that he had a hard time figuring out what he wanted to play before signing in that day. "That's where the gaming industry is for me, man. Before I start the stream, I'm like damn, what am I playing today?" Doc sighed. "I'm kind of in one of those spells." Doc said that he'd struggled to get excited about games recently, and that nothing was piquing his interest except his own game, "Project Moon." TimTheTatman seemed shocked by this, but then Doc dropped the true bombshell.

"I'm actually really considering taking a year or two off – no joke – and make this game and then come back," Doc admitted. The Two Time said that finishing "Project Moon" would likely take two full years, since it's a large scale game with lots of moving parts. "Really?" Tim asked his friend, incredulously.

Instead of weighing judgment on whether the Doc should or shouldn't take a lengthy break, TimTheTatman turned to another potential problem: gaming media. He mused that the Doc's potential break would make headlines, but Dr Disrespect said that no one would bat an eye at him stepping aside. Instead, he felt they'd be much more concerned with other aspects of "Project Moon:" NFTs and development timelines.

"Those aren't the articles," the Doc said. "The articles are 'Doc Scamming People with Their NFTs.'" Dr Disrespect went on to say that games journalists don't understand his approach to game development, especially considering that his game is self-financed and seeks to solicit feedback from a select group of playtesters. The Doc's game already caused an uproar because of its use of NFTs, but a more recent announcement stirred up fans even further. A roadmap for "Project Moon" claims that devs will release Snapshot updates every six weeks for players to test, changing mechanics, graphics, and features with each new update. Many gamers were surprised by the speed of the updates, and expressed concern that the plan was untenable.

Paul Tassi, a games journalist from Forbes, tweeted about the project, polling readers if the timeline seemed doable. Dr Disrespect himself responded, sarcastically saying that he forgot to run his plan by the game development community. Some — like "Destiny 2" director Joe Blackburn — said that the timeline seemed too quick, but the methods seemed noble, but others weren't so sure the model would work. Others simply said that the entire production was nothing more than an NFT scam.

It's unclear what exactly "Project Moon" might look like when it's complete, or if the Doc will actually take a two year break to dedicate his attention to it. However, it's obvious that Dr Disrespect wants to do something different in the gaming industry, constructing an experience like no one's ever seen before — and he wants to do it on his own terms.