The tumultuous downfall of The Day Before has come to a head, as its servers have been officially shut down on January 22, just 45 days after the game’s launch in Early Access. This catastrophic turn of events comes after a string of controversies and suspicions surrounding the game, including accusations of plagiarism and a trademark dispute. The closure of publisher Mytona and the game’s development studio Fntastic has solidified The Day Before as one of the most notorious failures in the history of video game releases.
The Day Before was once the most wished-for game on Steam before a series of unsettling developments caused concern among fans. Not only was the game accused of copying elements from other popular games like The Division, The Last of Us, and Grand Theft Auto 5, but its actual launch in Early Access was met with widespread disappointment from players, prompting a dramatic drop in player count and a spot in Steam’s 10 worst-reviewed games list. The legacy of The Day Before as a high-profile “scam” video game has cast a shadow of mistrust over the gaming community, causing other developers to vehemently deny any similarity to the ill-fated project.
In a rare 1/10 review from IGN, The Day Before was described as one of the worst games ever played, perpetuating the game’s legacy as a cautionary tale for the video game industry. The swift demise of The Day Before serves as a sobering reminder of the potentially devastating consequences of a failed game launch in an industry that demands innovation and quality.