Fntastic denies ‘scam’ claims, says eve of delay was planned after MMO was removed from Steam

One of Steam’s most beloved open-world survival MMOs, The Day Before, was pulled from Valve’s storefront earlier this week. The game’s disappearance from the store has been attributed to a trademark dispute, which developer Fntastic says caused Steam to block its game page, leading to another delay in the release. Now, amid internet chatter wondering if the game even exists, the developer has come out and claimed that they plan to delay the game before the trademark dispute even surfaces. In a statement to IGN, Fntastic also shut down speculation that the game was a “scam.”

“We planned to move the game’s release forward and plan to announce it with [publisher] Mytona in a 10-minute gameplay video,” the developer told IGN. “And then you all know what happened. So to be sure, to make sure there are no more transfers, we, together with the publisher, chose November 10th. It’s a safe date, given the trademark dispute. The now twice-delayed game will use the extra time to ensure a polished and “content-filled” experience on launch day. As for the gameplay video, Fntastic intends to consult its lawyers before publishing it.

Despite the allegations thrown at them, the developers of The Day Before seem optimistic about the end result – even dismissing claims that they’re running a scam of some kind. “We didn’t take a penny from people: no crowdfunding, no pre-orders, no donations. The game is fully funded by Mytona, one of the largest mobile publishers in the world, who verified the game’s construction at every stage of our contract,” their statement reads.

The Day Before was pulled from Steam earlier this week and it was revealed that the studio never bothered to claim a trademark for its name, before announcing the title in January 2021. According to Fntastic, this has allowed an individual to file an application before them. , and register the trademark for the name “The Day Before” in the United States. In order to fix this issue, the developer has now decided to postpone the launch of the game to November 10.

“We were previously unaware of any complaints,” read an open letter from developer Fntastic and publisher Mytona after the game disappeared from Steam. “We only learned of this on January 19, 2023, when we received a complaint from him and a request to contact him.” The studio planned to release an “extensive gameplay video” later this month – just two months before launch – but also decided against it. Naturally, this puzzling situation raised suspicion on the internet, with the vocal majority suggesting that the game might not be in development at all. Even The Day Before’s Discord community moderators doubt whether the game is real or not. To their credit, very little is known about The Day Before beyond its flashy trailer, followed by an orchestrated gameplay sequence, promising a supreme zombie-slaying affair.

While The Day Before was originally slated for release in 2022, it was later delayed to March 1 of this year, due to a change in development engine. According to a statement to IGN last year, Fntastic claimed it was switching to Epic Games’ new Unreal Engine 5 technology, which would only “make The Day Before gameplay even more fantastic.” This new delay and new accusations prompted the opening of Fntastic, insisting that plans to move the release date further were underway before the branding problem escalated, pushing back the launch date. eight months.

Set in a desolate, post-pandemic United States, The Day Before allows players to survive hordes of flesh-eating zombies by scavenging resources, crafting gear, and driving vehicles. Think of it as The Division meets The Last of Us – at least based on how little we know about the game. survivors in the strange night.

The Day Before is now set to release on November 10 on PC.