The Day Before Studio Fntastic Announces Closure Just Days After Early Access Launch [IGN]

In a bizarre update to the long The Day Before saga, studio Fntastic has announced its closure just days after the game’s launch in early access last week.

“Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio,” the company said in a statement on its X/Twitter account. “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.”

Fntastic adds that the future of The Day Before and Propnight is “unknown, but the servers will remain operational.” It has since been delisted from Steam.

See the full statement below.

Official statement. #fntastic #thedaybefore #propnight pic.twitter.com/AKcRHeIaIW

— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) December 11, 2023

The statement also makes a point to note that “we didn’t take any money from the public during the development of The Day Before; there were no pre-orders or crowdfunding campaigns. We worked tirelessly for five years, pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into the game.”

Publisher Mytona wrote in its own statement, “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. We’re in contact with Fntastic regarding the future of the game.”

pic.twitter.com/0aRSiBgYx4

— Mytona (@mytona_official) December 11, 2023

Still, the closure comes after fans still did spend money on it, with it costing $39 in early access. Some players were already asking for refunds, however, even before today’s closure news. The long-controversial game’s early access launch was a rocky one to say the least, with the Steam page being flooded with negative reviews.

Not only was The Day Before plagued by bugs and server issues, but there were also complaints that it wasn’t even what was initially advertised. While labeled as an open-world MMO, many were quick to point out that it’s actually an extraction shooter. The backlash was so bad that its player count dropped almost 90% in four days, and it soon entered Steam’s 10 worst-reviews games of all time.

That troubled launch followed an already-controversial development period. Fntastic first revealed The Day Before back in 2021 with a five-minute trailer, stoking excitement for what seemed to be a vast zombie apocalypse MMO. The cracks, though, quickly began to show, particularly surrounding the studio’s use of unpaid workers. The team defended the practice back in 2022, saying the “company’s values are built upon the idea of volunteering which means that every person who works or volunteers here is doing that willingly.”

It, too, faced multiple delays, copycat allegations, and even a trademark dispute. By 2023, much of the community had turned on The Day Before, with many even accusing it of being a scam.

Following the news of its closure, many fans are renewing their calls for refunds from Steam. IGN has reached out to Fntastic for additional comment.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.