The Day Before, once heralded as Steam’s most wish-listed open-world survival MMO, has been removed from Valve’s platform. The game entered early access last week and quickly faced a torrent of negative feedback, with many players asserting that it functioned more like an extraction shooter akin to Escape from Tarkov, rather than the massively multiplayer online experience it was marketed as. Complaints about misleading gameplay claims were compounded by a series of serious glitches that caused characters to become stuck in the environment, an empty and incomplete game world, and various online connectivity issues. Just five days post-launch, the game was pulled from sale on Steam, prompting studio Fntastic to announce its closure and initiate refunds for customers.
In a blog post outlining the situation, the studio stated, “Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio. The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue.” Initially, the developer offered assurances that all revenue would be directed toward settling debts. However, with no prospects for additional funding on the horizon, there are no plans to revise the game into the envisioned product. Although it was never crowdfunded, the studio has faced allegations regarding the use of unauthorized or repurposed assets, misleading promotional materials, and a questionable $40 price tag that some deemed indicative of a potential scam. The game launched with 38,000 concurrent players, but the numbers have dwindled sharply, with only 749 players remaining at the time of reporting—a likely remnant of those seeking to document the unfolding debacle before servers go offline.
Fntastic remains uncertain about its future endeavors but has assured players that the servers for The Day Before, along with their earlier multiplayer title Propnight, will continue to operate. In light of the growing discontent, frustrated players have sought refunds, and publisher Mytona has indicated a willingness to process these requests—even for players who have spent over two hours in the game. Refunds can be obtained through Steam’s Help section, which leads to a questionnaire for submission. To address claims of wrongdoing, Fntastic insists it will not benefit from the game’s sales and conceded it significantly overestimated its expertise in game development. Compounding the controversy, the studio’s response to criticism on Twitter, where they remarked, “This was our first big experience. Shit happens,” has sparked further backlash.
In an apparent attempt to distance itself from the fallout, the CEO of Fntastic has deleted his Twitter account, and the studio’s YouTube channel has been taken down. This has led to speculation that the company is trying to erase any trace of its existence. Currently, The Day Before holds an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating on Steam, accumulating 18,000 negative reviews, and at one point was ranked among the 10 worst-reviewed games on the platform. The game’s removal means it is no longer included in those rankings.
The journey to launch was fraught with challenges, including multiple delays, a trademark dispute, and accusations of exploiting unpaid labor. Fntastic has consistently dismissed these claims, categorizing the assistance received as mere ‘volunteer’ contributions.
