The launch of The Day Before, a title that became the most anticipated game on Steam, has culminated in controversy and accusations of fraud. Developed by the studio Fntastic, the game was presented as a promising project, with high expectations from players. However, by the end of 2023, the game was criticized for failing to meet promises and for alleged irregularities in its development, leading the community to label it a scam.
A complaint that doesn’t have much traction
In the midst of this situation, Fntastic has decided to take its defense to court, suing the Russian outlet Yakutia.info. The lawsuit focuses on two publications from the site that accused the studio of fraudulent practices and cited YouTubers claiming that The Day Before had copied mechanics from other games. Yakutia.info, hailing from Yakutia, the home region of Fntastic’s founders, argues that the use of the term scam was colloquial and unintentional, and has modified its content to replace scam with shame.
The context of this dispute is unusual, as Yakutia.info is a relatively small outlet and no legal action has been taken against more influential content creators who also criticized the game. This leads many to speculate whether the lawsuit is part of a larger effort to clean up the studio’s image. Additionally, Fntastic has called on players to collaborate for free on their upcoming title, asking them to contribute by creating maps, which raises questions about the current state of the game’s development.
The case of The Day Before adds to a list of situations where the promises of video game developers have triggered furious reactions in the community, and the question that remains is whether this collaborative approach will truly benefit the future of Fntastic.
