The Day Before studio Fntastic is already closing up shop, less than one week after the game’s disastrous debut.
Fntastic’s original announcement of The Day Before in early 2021 garnered lots of internet buzz. To many, it looked like the perfect cross between The Division and The Last of Us. As a result, it went on to become the most wish-listed title on Steam.
Such anticipation proved fleeting, however. Trailers without real gameplay left many wondering if the survival game actually existed, for example.
The curious among us got their answer just a few days ago when the experience finally hit Steam Early Access boasting a $40 price tag. Bugs and other issues have kept some players from getting very far in The Day Before. And the “mostly negative” user reviews paint quite the picture for those who’ve yet to dive in.
The Day Before’s Fntastic announces studio closure
On its official Twitter/X page, Fntastic shared that The Day Before’s early financial failures are forcing the team to close up shop. The statement reads in part, “Unfortunately, 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.”
The message goes on to note that developers spent five years and lots of energy on getting the game up and running. It later adds that the team didn’t take any money from customers via pre-orders or crowd-funding campaigns. The Day Before’s failure to turn an immediate profit, then, means that future content updates will never see the light of day.
“We apologize if we didn’t meet your expectations… unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities.” The full statement features in the tweet below:
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Official statement. #fntastic #thedaybefore #propnight pic.twitter.com/AKcRHeIaIW
— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) December 11, 2023
To call this surprising news would be an understatement. Previous claims that the game was meant as a scam have already resurfaced, as evidenced in the tweet’s replies.
YouTuber Bigfry wrote, “This was an absolute scam from day one. This game should be de-listed from Steam and you should never be involved in the industry in ANY capacity ever again.”
Popular account Okami13_ joined the chorus as well, saying the developers should refund players for promising a games-as-a-service experience and not holding up their end. “Refund everyone who bought it too. You sold a long-term GAAS and you’re shutting it down after less than a week.”
Suffice it to say, this story with the Day Before and its studio will likely become even more interesting as time goes on and more information surfaces.
Update (December 11 at 4:20 PM CT): As of writing, Steam users can no longer purchase The Day Before on the storefront. Wario64 called attention to this change mere hours after the studio closure announcement.