Post-apocalyptic survival game The Previous day has been taken off Steam – an issue which developer Fntastic initially known as a ‘bug’ caused by ‘minor technical difficulty’, then later claimed was a copyright complication. The confusion over this error and conflicting explanations is responsible for major panic amongst those who were previously thinking about the sport – who now believe the game may be a scam.
‘We're currently experiencing a minor technical difficulty with this game’s visibility on the Steam store page,’ an early message from developers read, per GamesRadar. ‘This can be a known bug that has affected multiple titles in the past. Please note that Steam regularly conducts maintenance on Tuesdays which issue will probably be resolved in that time.’
A subsequent post from Fntastic on Twitter outlined another scenario.
‘Before the release, Steam blocked our game page at the request of a private individual, due to the name The Day Before,’ Fntastic said. ‘As you know, our game was announced in January 2023. At the time of the announcement, The Day Before game trademark was available. After the announcement from the game, all these individual completed an application before us to register the sport trademark The Day Before in the United States.’
As a result, Fntastic will quickly delay the game to 10 November 2023 – many months after it had been planned to launch. If the copyright be the only issue, it’s unclear why a reputation change would warrant such a delay.
This isn’t the only real roadblock that’s forced many to question the status of Fntastic and it is game. In mid-2023, it had been revealed that The Previous day was seemingly being made by a group of unpaid ‘volunteers’, with some only rewarded free game codes or participation certificates.
The furore around the game – its delisting, revelations around ‘volunteer’ employees, and the major delay – have now forced Fntastic to speak out again, so that they can reassure fans the game isn't a scam, and can release in November 2023.
‘We planned to maneuver the game’s release before and intend to announce it with [publisher] Mytona inside a 10-minute gameplay video,’ Fntastic recently told IGN. ‘And then you all know what went down. To be safe and sound, to ensure there are no more transfers, we, combined with the publisher, chose November 10. That's a safe date, given the trademark dispute.’
‘We're very confident that this issue will be resolved since we've strong legal partners. The additional time allows us to higher prepare for the release and make the overall improvements for the game. It will become even more polished, optimised, and content-filled.’
‘For all of us and millions of people, The Day Before is really a childhood dream come true. It's a game with zombies and other people in a huge post-apocalyptic skyscraper city. Problems in later life that some players, not seeing the entire picture, may have doubts about the game. Our whole focus has always been around the product itself … We simply have confidence in the final product. No matter what anyone says, you will see for yourself on November 10 this year.’
The Previous day is currently targeting a PC release on 10 November 2023.
