Mortal Kombat 1's Quan Chi Fatalities Explained
Written by Tessandra Zoe SmithStardew Valley: How to Unlock and Use the Hopper
Written by Chris Drumm16 Unforgettable Pieces Of Lord Of The Rings Decor So You Can Create Your Own Middle-Earth
Written by Emily GilbertThe Best Cornerstones In Against The Storm
Written by Jonathan RodriguezFirewall Ultra VR Studio First Contact Entertainment Announces Closure
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
First Contact Entertainment, the team behind VR games like 2018's Firewall: Zero Hour and this year's Firewall Ultra on PSVR 2, has announced it is closing, as reported by Gematsu. After almost eight years as a studio, it will shut down at the end of the year. It cites a lack of VR support within the industry.
"After almost eight years of working with the most amazing team I've ever had the pleasure of being part of, I'm sad to announce that we will be closing our company First Contact Entertainment by the end of the year," a Facebook post from the company reads. "The lack of support for VR within the industry has eventually taken its toll. As a AAA VR game developer, we are just not able to justify the expenses needed going forward.
"We are a team of fearless innovators willing to push new technologies to its limits. I am extremely proud of the team and grateful to our investors, our partners and of course, our community of dedicated and passionate players. It's been a wild ride. Thank you."
For more, read Game Informer's PSVR 2 review.
The hearts of Game Informer staff are with everyone affected by this studio closure.
[Source: Gematsu]
The Day Before Servers Will Turn Off Next Month As Developer Fntastic Ceases Operations
Written by Wesley LeBlanc
Fntastic announced earlier this month that it would be closing down, just days after launching its controversial game, The Day Before. It said at the time that servers for The Day Before would remain in operation but that the game's future was unknown. Now, the studio has announced that it has officially ceased operations and The Day Before's servers will be turned off next month.
More specifically, the servers will be turned off on January 22, 2024. While the game has an emphasis on online play, it could still be played offline. However, on December 12, five days after the game launched on Steam, it was pulled from the storefront and The Day Before hasn't been available for purchase since. Plus, Fntastic says the game will be "retired."
— The Day Before (@playdaybefore) December 22, 2023
Here's Fntastic's full statement on the server closure:
"Dear community, we regret to inform you the development company Fntastic has officially ceased operations, and as a result, The Day Before will be retired and the servers will be turned off on [January 22, 2024]. As previously communicated, Mytona, as the investor, has been working in collaboration with Steam to facilitate refunds for all game purchases. For any players that have not already had their purchase refunded, Steam will now proactively refund all remaining players. "We extend our gratitude for the community's support throughout the project's life. Unfortunately, without a development team, we had no alternative choice but to officially close the project. We sincerely thank all our supporters throughout this journey and wish you all a happy holiday season."The Day Before launched into Early Access on December 7. The game peaked at 38,104 concurrent users at launch on Steam but today, that number is down to 55 players, according to SteamDB. In those four days, The Day Before also received enough negative reviews from players to place it into the 10 worst-reviewed games on Steam.
Over the years, The Day Before has been the subject of controversy, ranging from requests for volunteer work, various delays, broken promises, and more. Fntastic has scrubbed its entire YouTube channel, leaving the following note as its channel's description: "We're grateful to everyone who supported us during these difficult years. It's been a fantastic journey over the past eight years."
[Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Fntastic's statement said, "Steam will not proactively refund all remaining players." The statement says, "Steam will now proactively refund all remaining players" and the story has been updated to reflect that. Game Informer regrets this mistake.]
Have you played The Day Before? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments below!