Hi-Rez Studios has removed all content from Rogue Company’s Dr Disrespect after the streamer was accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a minor.
Guy Beahm, better known as Dr Disrespect, was banned from Twitch without explanation in 2020. Last month, after several reports, Beahm admitted that in 2017 he exchanged messages with a minor via Twitch’s now-defunct Whispers feature that “at times verged too much on inappropriate.” Subsequent reports alleged that the minor had let Beahm know they were underage, and Beahm continued to send them “sexually explicit” messages despite this.
Twitch and Beahm did not respond to IGN’s request for comment.
Partners and sponsors including Turtle Beach, 2K, and the San Francisco 49ers subsequently cut ties with the streamer. Midnight Society, the game studio Beahm co-founded, also ended its relationship with him, and monetization of his YouTube channel was suspended. Now, another video game company Beahm was affiliated with has taken steps to distance itself from the streamer.
Beahm had partnered with Rogue Company publisher Hi-Rez Studios, also behind Smite and Paladins, to design his own level and even a $20 character skin that was sold in the free-to-play third-person tactical action shooter. That premium content is no longer in the game.
A statement posted on the official Rogue Company X Twitter account announced the change: “Hey Rogue Company, we have disabled Dr Disrespect content that was previously available in-game. We will be issuing full Rogue Buck refunds to all impacted accounts this week.”
Interest in Rogue Company has waned significantly in recent years. After peaking at 12,189 concurrent players on Steam three years ago, Rogue Company now averages just a few hundred players on the platform, with 236 concurrent players at the time of this article. Indeed, Rogue Company hasn’t received a major update since 2023, suggesting a deprioritization from Hi-Rez Studios amid the impending launch of Smite 2.
It’s fair to say that the decision to offer Rogue Buck refunds instead of real-world refunds for the Dr Disrespect content has caused a backlash from paying customers who would rather get their money back than a virtual currency they consider virtually useless. Some have taken to Rogue Company’s Steam user reviews, which range from “mixed” to “mixed” for recent reviews, to complain about the situation.
“Where’s my $40? I don’t need Rogue Bucks when you haven’t updated the game in over a year,” someone said. “How about we pay with real money and then give you real money back?” another said.
Meanwhile, Beahm has not commented since his last stream, in which he played Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, almost two weeks ago.
Image courtesy of reddit/rescobar1997.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].