Summary
Fntastic, the studio behind the infamousThe Day Before, is officially shutting down just four days after its debut release, angering a playerbase that was already feeling cheated by the company. It seems likeFntastic is trying to cover its tracksfollowing the historically disastrous launch ofThe Day Before, which is not helping its case against scam allegations.
In all likelihood,The Day Beforewill go down in gaming history as one of the most bizarre and memorable instances of misguided hype and poor community management. The game itself is, frankly, unremarkable, not living up to its sky-high expectations, but not being a “so bad it’s good” experience, with bugs and performance issues that are comparable to many AAA games at launch. However,The Day Beforehas drawn numerous accusations of false advertising, not only because it doesn’t live up to the lofty expectations set by its marketing, but also because it’s an extraction shooter, rather than theMMO that Fntastic sold it as. While Fntastic might have had an opportunity to scrape back a bit of its reputation, at least to keep accusations of fraud at bay, the decision to close down just four days afterThe Day Before’s release doesn’t help its case.
Fntastic battled scam accusations long beforeThe Day Before’s release and the studio’s subsequent closure, as observers were quick to point out suspicious details like the game’s frequent delays and the developer’s reluctance to show real gameplay in promotional content.
Fntastic’s Closure Fuels the Fire of The Day Before Scam Accusations
Rather than tweaking some ofThe Day Before’s more frustrating elements, expanding the game with fresh content and perhaps even making a mild comeback, Fntastic opted to shut down all operations, wipe its YouTube channel, and make a general retreat from the internet. This retreat started just a few days afterThe Day Before’s official launch, making for a situation that is almost comedic in some ways. Some gaming fans, however, aren’t laughing, as they feel defrauded, cheated, and lied to by a company that is now pulling back into the shadows.
Buggy, poorly optimized games are an unfortunate reality of the modern games industry, but developers that launch these rough games typically make an attempt to fix at least some of their issues post-launch. It seemed like this would be the case withThe Day Beforefollowing its 1.02 update, but Fntastic appears to have abandoned the game before repairs could be made in earnest. To many, this quick abandonment before any real attempt to remedyThe Day Before’s problems is all the evidence needed to confirm scam suspicions, although there are other, more granular details that are cited when critiquing Fntastic.
Scrutinizing Fntastic’s Mishandling of The Day Before
Fntastic’s closure announcementisn’t exactly a great example of deftly handled public relations. The statement, issued on Twitter, is terse, vague, and demonstrates a refusal to take accountability, with statements like “we apologize if we didn’t meet your expectations” in place of real apologies or explanations.
The statement can also be read as somewhat defensive, in the most direct sense of the word. Fntastic makes a point to explain what it plans to do with the money earned fromThe Day Before(use it to repay unspecified “partners”), while clarifying that it never took money from players via pre-orders or crowdfunding campaigns. Some may read these comments as attempts by the company to cover its tracks, rather than provide context or take responsibility.
The Day Before’s rapidly plummeting player count, alongside the nearly universal criticism of the game, could be causes for Fntastic’s closure, as could any other number of financial or practical factors, rather than the dominant “cut and run” narrative. However, these charitable interpretations are predicated on a degree of trust betweenThe Day Beforeplayers and Fntastic, which seems nonexistent at this point.
The Day Before
WHERE TO PLAY
The Day Before offers players a uniquely reimagined journey into post-apocalyptic open-world MMO survival set in the present day on the US East Coast following a deadly pandemic.SURVIVE AT ALL COSTSFight other players for survival. Survive against the deadly infected. Collect valuable loot.DISCOVER THE NEW POST-PANDEMIC WORLDExplore the beautiful and richly detailed New Fortune City. Enter tall skyscrapers, business centers, massive malls, grand stadiums, and more. Uncover distant surroundings of New Fortune City on stunningly detailed vehicles.REBUILD SOCIETYJoin the Woodberry survivor colony on its mission to rebuild society. Trade items in Woodberry and save your wealth in a personal storage room. Build your own home in the safe zone.
