The Day Before: How a Promising Game Turned into a Disaster

The Day Before was supposed to be a groundbreaking open-world MMO survival game set in a post-pandemic America. It was developed by Fntastic, a small indie studio based in Russia, and published by Mytona. It was announced in January 2021 and quickly became one of the most wishlisted games on Steam, generating a lot of hype and expectations. However, the game’s development and launch were plagued by controversies, delays, and disappointments, leading to its ultimate failure and the closure of Fntastic. Here is the story of how a promising game turned into a disaster.

The Hype and the Controversies

The Day Before caught the attention of many gamers with its impressive trailers, which showcased stunning graphics, realistic weapons, dynamic environments, and intense combat. The game promised to offer a unique and immersive experience of surviving in a deadly world overrun by zombies and hostile players. The game also claimed to feature innovative mechanics, such as tracking health, hunger, and thirst meters, decorating a personal ranch, driving and modifying cool vehicles, and completing quests and objectives.

However, the game also raised some red flags and suspicions among the gaming community. Some of the game’s features and mechanics seemed too ambitious and unrealistic for a small indie studio to deliver. Some of the game’s trailers and gameplay videos were accused of copying or plagiarizing other popular games, such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Cyberpunk 2077, and Call of Duty¹². Some of the game’s developers were also involved in previous projects that were either canceled or poorly received, such as Radiant One and The Wild Eight³. Some of the game’s marketing and communication strategies were also questionable and misleading, such as using volunteers to work on the game, delaying the game multiple times, switching from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, and announcing a beta that was only available to those who volunteered for Fntastic³⁴.

The Launch and the Failure

The Day Before finally launched on Steam Early Access on December 7, 2023, after several delays and setbacks. However, the launch was not a success, but a disaster. The game was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and players, who criticized the game for being buggy, unfinished, unoptimized, and unplayable. The game also suffered from various technical issues, such as crashes, freezes, glitches, and server problems. The game also failed to deliver on its promises and expectations, as many of the game’s features and mechanics were either missing, broken, or underwhelming. The game also lacked content, variety, and polish, as many of the game’s environments, weapons, vehicles, and zombies were either bland, repetitive, or generic⁵⁶⁷.

The game’s failure also had a devastating impact on Fntastic, the developer behind the game. Fntastic announced on December 11, 2023, just four days after the game’s launch, that it was shutting down with immediate effect. The studio cited the game’s financial failure as the reason for the closure, as the game’s sales and revenue were not enough to cover the development costs and expenses. The studio also apologized to the fans and the gaming community for the game’s poor quality and performance, and thanked them for their support and feedback. The studio also stated that it would try to fix some of the game’s issues and bugs before leaving the game for good⁵⁶⁷.

The Conclusion

The Day Before was a game that had a lot of potential and promise, but also a lot of problems and controversies. The game’s development and launch were a series of unfortunate events that led to its downfall and demise. The game’s failure and the closure of Fntastic were a sad and tragic outcome for a game that could have been great. The game’s story is a cautionary tale for both developers and gamers, as it shows the risks and challenges of making and playing ambitious and hyped games. The game’s story is also a reminder of the importance of communication, transparency, and quality in the gaming industry. The Day Before was a game that many people wanted to play, but few people enjoyed playing. The Day Before was a game that was here today, gone tomorrow.