The Day Before - Controversy and Delays Plague the Upcoming Zombie Survival Game

The Curious Case of The Day Before

The upcoming open world zombie survival game The Day Before had a lot of hype and anticipation behind it ever since the first trailer dropped. With its gorgeous visuals and tense atmosphere, many gamers were looking forward to this multiplayer zombie game. However, the game has now been removed from Steam and there are questions around whether the game is even real. What happened with The Day Before?

The Hype and Anticipation

When the first trailer for The Day Before dropped in January 2021, it immediately grabbed attention. The trailer showed incredibly detailed and realistic visuals of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. It advertised itself as an MMO zombie survival game set in a deadly, life-like open world. Players would have to scavenge, survive and even fight against other players in this post-pandemic America. The graphics and premise looked very promising and soon generated a lot of buzz.

The developers Fntastic were a relatively unknown studio at this point. But the trailer made it seem like they were building something truly next-gen for the zombie survival genre. The trailer has now amassed over 3 million views on YouTube. With its visuals and features, The Day Before seemed to take inspiration from games like The Division and The Last of Us. But set it in a zombie-infested open world like no other. The hype train soon left the station.

A Sudden Removal from Steam

In November 2021, The Day Before was made available for pre-order on Steam. Pre-orders soon exploded, with over 100,000 copies sold in the first week according to the developers. Six months later in May 2022, the pre-orders had exceeded 150,000 copies. The Day Before quickly became one of the top selling games on Steam, with a release date set for June 2022.

However, just weeks before release in June, the game was suddenly removed from Steam. The developers tweeted that they were moving the game to their own website for pre-orders instead of Steam. They cited the need for more control over payments and security. The removal of such a highly anticipated game from Steam right before launch took everyone by surprise.

Is The Game Real?

Once the game was removed from Steam, speculation began around whether The Day Before was even a real game. Some skeptics questioned if the developers really had a full game behind that initial trailer. Accusations of the game being vaporware or just hyped up marketing began circulating online.

The developers have insisted that the game is real and development is ongoing. They have continued to post updates and new trailers after the Steam removal. But some fans are still dubious and want more transparency from the developers. The sudden Steam removal and lack of hands-on previews has fueled doubts if The Day Before will ever see the light of day.

Delayed Yet Again

To add to the controversy, just a month before its planned November 2022 launch, The Day Before was delayed again. This time for nearly a full year until March 1, 2023. The developers cited the need for improvements and the addition of new gameplay features as the reason for the long delay.

However, after already being delayed from mid-2022 to late 2022, many fans were frustrated yet again. The constant delays and lack of gameplay footage has led to a lack of trust between the developers and the community. While delays are common in game development, the ultra-secretive nature of The Day Before has bred skepticism.

A Risky Investment

For those who pre-ordered the game early, The Day Before seemed like a promising investment. The game was one of the top selling on Steam for months and had so much hype behind it. However, with the recent controversies, launches delays, and removal from Steam, some buyers now feel like they took a risky shot in the dark.

The developers still promise an expansive open world zombie game like no other. But the repeated delays and lack of transparency has made buyers unsure if the game can live up to the massive hype and expectations. Many are now requesting refunds on their pre-orders after losing trust.

Could It Be a Breakout Hit?

If The Day Before does end up releasing in 2023 and living up to its ambitions, it could still potentially end up a huge breakout hit. The premise and trailers portray an immersive world overrun with zombies that players could get lost in for hours. A game like this, if done well, could attract both zombie fans and survival game fans alike.

However, rebuilding trust with buyers may prove difficult after the constant delays and lack of gameplay footage. The Day Before will have to truly go above and beyond to prove it really is the groundbreaking open world survival game it claims to be. Only time will tell if The Day Before turns out to be a breakout hit or just an empty promise.

A Valuable Lesson

The curious case of The Day Before also serves as a valuable lesson around hype in the gaming industry. The initial trailer made bold claims and generated immediate buzz. But hype can be empty without the transparency and content to back it up. Over 100,000 buyers pre-ordered based on hype alone and are now understandably frustrated.

This shows why hands-on gameplay footage and transparency around delays is so important, especially from lesser known developers. Grandiose claims require evidence. The Day Before controversy illustrates why buyers should be cautious around pre-ordering games years in advance without more details. Hype can vanish as quickly as it emerged.

Hopefully The Day Before can still pull through next year and give players the immersive zombie survival experience it advertised. But buyers may think twice next time before pre-ordering based solely on trailers, hype and promises from developers alone.

FAQs

Why was The Day Before removed from Steam?

The developers removed The Day Before from Steam just weeks before its planned launch in June 2022. They cited the need for more control over payments and security as the reason for the removal.

Is The Day Before coming out in 2022?

No, after initially being slated for a June 2022 release, and then a November 2022 release, The Day Before has been delayed again until March 1, 2023.

What kind of game is The Day Before?

It is an open world zombie survival game with MMO elements set in a post-pandemic America. Players scavenge, survive, and fight zombies and other players.

What platforms will The Day Before be on?

The Day Before is planned for release on PC, as well as both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Is there gameplay footage of The Day Before?

Not much substantial gameplay has been shown yet besides some early trailers. The lack of hands-on previews has contributed to skepticism about the game.