Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, is shutting down. It announced the closure today with a statement that arrives just four days after the The Day Before launched into Early Access on December 7.
The studio says servers for The Day Before will remain operational, but it also says at this moment, the future of the game (and its 2021 release, Propnight) are unknown. Fntastic opened in 2015 – its first game was The Wild Eight, released in 2017.
Here is Fntastic's statement on its closing, in full:
"Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio. Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners. We invested all our efforts, resources, and man-hours into the development of The Day Before, which was our first huge game. We really wanted to release new patches to reveal the full potential of the game, but unfortunately, we don't have the funding to continue the work.
"It's important to note that we didn't take any money from the public during the development of The Day Before; there were no pre-orders or crowdfunding campaigns. We worked tirelessly for five years, pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into the game. At the moment, the future of The Day Before and Propnight is unknown, but the servers will remain operational. We apologize if we didn't meet your expectations. We did everything within our power, but unfortunately, we miscalculated our capabilities. Creating games is an incredibly challenging endeavor."
Official statement. #fntastic #thedaybefore #propnight pic.twitter.com/AKcRHeIaIW
— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) December 11, 2023
The statement also lists its schedule of releases over the years, as you can see above.
The Day Before launched into Early Access last week, on December 7. As reported byIGN, the game peaked at 38,104 concurrent users at launch on Steam but today, that number is down to 4,197 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. Oddly, 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."
Have you played any of The Day Before? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
Developer Dlala Studios and publisher Walt Disney Games released Disney Illusion Island, a 2D Metroidvania-esque platformer, exclusively on Switch earlier this year. It was nominated for Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2023 – check out all the winners here – and now, Dlala has revealed it is launching new content this week.
More specifically, the Keeper Up update will go live in Disney Illusion Island for free on Wednesday, December 13. It includes new time trial challenges, quality of life updates like an improved map, and more.
"In this fast-paced new experience, players must try and beat the clock and show off their parkour prowess, thanks to a set of new challenges arranged by the 'Mavens of Monoth,' a group of 'old Monoth' enthusiasts who want to see if anyone knows how to navigate these lands better (and faster) than them," a press release reads. "Upon entering a course, a timer will tick away as players scramble to grab collectibles through remixed areas of the world, making their way to the finish line in the best time possible."
Elsewhere in the Keeper Up update, Dlala studios says Disney Illusion Island will receive "a host of quality of life updates, including new accessibility features, new gallery unlocks, and an updated map."
Disney Illusion Island is available exclusively on Switch, and the new Keeper Update goes live this week on December 13.
For more about the game, readGame Informer'sDisney Illusion Island review and then check out this behind-the-scenes feature about the making of Disney Illusion Island. After that, read this feature about how the Disney Illusion Island team created one of the best musical scores of the year.
Are you jumping into the Keeper Up update for Disney Illusion Island? Let us know in the comments below!