Studio's Closure Looms Following Catastrophic Launch
The Day Before faces financial failure as studio Fntastic announces its abrupt closure following a calamitous launch, leaving fans and investors disappointed
Just days following the chaotic early access launch of The Days Before, Fntastic, the studio responsible for the game, has revealed that they are shutting down.
Via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Fntastic broke the news, declaring that The Day Before, once a highly anticipated game on Steam, "has experienced financial failure, and we do not have the resources to keep going." The Day Before briefly claimed the top spots on Steam's best-sellers and most-played games list but quickly lost its momentum as negative user reviews flooded in.
"After dedicating all our efforts, resources, and manpower to The Day Before, our first major game, we had hoped to continue improving it with new patches to unlock its full potential. Unfortunately, we are unable to secure the necessary funding to carry on with this work."
The launch of The Day Before was met with widespread criticism due to game-crashing bugs and server issues. Fntastic has also faced allegations of misleading players about the nature of the game, with many expressing disappointment that it turned out to be an extraction shooter rather than the promised open-world survival MMO. These accusations, combined with the game's technical problems, have resulted in a "Mostly Negative" user review score on Steam, with only 20% of the more than 18,000 user reviews being positive.
Fntastic released a hotfix update for The Day Before on December 8, addressing performance issues and critical bugs. It is uncertain if there will be any future updates for the game, and the fate of Fntastic's previous game, Propnight, is also unknown. However, the game servers will continue to operate for the time being, according to Fntastic's statement.
Fntastic's statement in a Steam early access Q&A indicated that The Day Before was expected to stay in early access for "six to eight months," with a goal of adding more content and eventually raising the game's price. Currently, The Day Before is available for purchase on Steam for $40, and there have been no official announcements about the game's future on its Steam page.
Meanwhile, on X, users are accusing Fntastic of cheating players and requesting refunds.
"Synth Potato accuses Fntastic of deceiving customers by falsely advertising The Day Before for years and then releasing a game that does not live up to the promises. The company's decision to shut down is seen as an attempt to flee with the money made from the scam, rather than a lack of funds. Prior to the game's launch, Fntastic was criticized for using unpaid "volunteer" workers. The game's release was also plagued with delays, including a switch to Unreal Engine 5 and a trademark dispute with a calendar app of the same name."
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I am deeply disappointed and frustrated by the news of The Day Before's studio closure and financial failure. The game had so much potential, and it's disheartening to see it end this way. The allegations of misleading players and using unpaid "volunteer" workers are particularly concerning and raise serious questions about the ethics and transparency of the gaming industry. I hope that this serves as a wake-up call for developers and publishers to be more honest and accountable to their players.
The Day Before's failure also highlights the importance of thorough testing and quality control before releasing a game. The game was clearly not ready for launch, and the negative user reviews and backlash were inevitable. It's crucial for developers to listen to player feedback and address issues promptly to maintain trust and credibility. I hope that future game launches will be handled more responsibly and with the players' best interests in mind.
