Deadrop snapshot test delayed to avoid “crunch” culture

Midnight Society came under fire a few months ago for its development plan, which many developers felt was too fast-paced to be viable. Now it seems that the critiques may have had some truth to them.

Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm’s gaming studio Midnight Society has announced that its second snapshot test for Deadrop is being delayed by two weeks. The update will now be revealed on September 20. The second snapshot test was originally set for September 9.

The first Deadrop snapshot test was back on July 29, giving players a very early look at the game. The early look allowed people to test out weapons on three shooting ranges. It also showed off player movement at that early stage.

While fans were eager to try out even more in-game experiences, it looks like they will have to wait a few weeks.

Why is the Deadrop snapshot test being delayed?

The second test will be introducing some “massive new gameplay systems” that are core to the Deadrop experience. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait two weeks to get their hands on this experience, much to the dismay of developers.

According to an update on Midnight Society’s Twitter, there was too much work remaining on the second snapshot to get it out the door at the highest possible quality by September 9 unless team members worked overtime.

“This is not the type of studio Midnight Society is,” the tweet read. “We will not ship a broken experience simply to hit a deadline and we won’t burn out our team in order to get it to the quality we demand.”

Developers apologized for the delay but sent a follow-up tweet that reiterated that they don’t believe in “the crunch.”

Fans responded with support for the studio, telling them to “take their time.” Others brought up separate game studios that have come under fire for overworking employees, applauding Midnight Society for not doing the same.

So far, it’s unclear what the second snapshot will be. Whatever it is, however, will give players their first hands-on look at the core gameplay mechanics of Deadrop.