Studio Closure Following ‘The Day Before’ Launch
Shortly after the release of ‘The Day Before’ on Steam, the game’s developer, Fntastic, announced the closure of their studio. The game’s launch was marred by negative reception, leading to a financial failure that forced the studio to halt sales on Steam. Fntastic released a statement on Twitter, explaining that all income from the game was being directed to settle debts with their partners.
The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners.
— Fntastic @FntasticHQ.twitter.com (@FntasticHQ)
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Development and Financial Details
Fntastic invested heavily in the development of ‘The Day Before’, which was their first major foray into the gaming industry. The studio had high hopes for the game and planned to release new patches to enhance its potential. Despite the financial failure, Fntastic emphasized that they had not taken any public money during the game’s development. They assured that there were no crowdfunding or preorder campaigns prior to the game’s release.
- No public funding was used for development.
- No crowdfunding campaigns were initiated.
- No preorder campaigns were conducted.
Refund Policy and Community Reaction
In the wake of the game’s financial troubles, Fntastic announced that they had not received any income from Steam sales and would not in the future. The studio also stated that they were working with Valve to offer refunds to players, regardless of playtime. This announcement came amidst a turbulent community reaction, with the official Discord server being locked down due to the intense backlash and accusations from players who felt they had been scammed.
Fntastic received $0 and will receive nothing from The Day Before sales. We’re currently working with Steam to allow refunds for any player who chooses to request one, regardless of game time.
— Fntastic @FntasticHQ.twitter.com (@FntasticHQ)
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Image credit: Fntastic
Launch Issues and Public Response
The launch of ‘The Day Before’ was fraught with server issues and gameplay elements that caught players off guard. Contrary to expectations of a zombie-infested survival MMO, the game presented characteristics more akin to an extraction shooter, drawing comparisons to Escape From Tarkov but falling short in quality. This led to an overwhelmingly negative response on Steam, with the game’s rating plummeting and the official Discord server being temporarily locked down as moderators struggled to manage the community’s frustration. In the aftermath, all Discord channels except the general chatroom were deleted, and Fntastic’s YouTube content was also removed.
A last goodbye and thank you from myself and the rest of your moderation team and volunteers. We appreciated all the fun we’ve had over the time we spent here. We had our community ups and downs! The kind words today were appreciated from the mods. FN fumbled and tried to use us as a scapegoat. One day, someone will make the game we all desire.
— Levitate (Discord)
Refund Statistics and Publisher’s Statement
Following the troubled launch of ‘The Day Before’, a significant refund rate was reported, with claims that nearly half of the copies sold on Steam had been refunded. The game’s publisher, Mytona, addressed the situation by issuing an apology to players and promising to work on issuing refunds. Mytona’s statement also hinted at ongoing discussions regarding the future of the game, suggesting that this might not be the end for ‘The Day Before’.
As the investor of The Day Before we would like to provide some updates on the current situation around the game. We are sorry for the fact that the game didn’t meet the expectations of the majority of the players. Today we will work with Steam to open up refunds for any players who choose to make a refund.
— Mytona @mytona_official.twitter.com (@mytona_official)
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Image credit: Mytona
Current Status and Uncertain Future
Despite the studio’s closure and the game’s financial failure, Fntastic has confirmed that the servers for ‘The Day Before’ will continue to operate, allowing the game to remain playable for the time being. However, the future of the game remains uncertain. Efforts have been made to reach out to Fntastic for more information, but as of now, the fate of ‘The Day Before’ hangs in the balance.
