Does the post-apocalypse shooter ‘The Day Before’ really exist?

Why do most people question whether it’s real?

A massive, online multiplayer experience in a zombie universe does sound appealing. It’s easy to see why so many were initially invested in the idea even without any evidence of substantial development time.

Red flags begin to pop up immediately with minimal research into The Day Before, however, and they are frequent. Take this video on Fntastic’s own YouTube channel, which attempts to show employees ‘working’ on the game remotely.

Given the title’s huge ambitions, the absence of a substantial office or sizeable computer space is concerning. The video has six times the amount of dislikes as likes and most comments allude to The Day Before being a ‘scam’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fERzneFCnmw&ab_channel=Fntastic

As mentioned before, the gameplay shown in the two reveal videos lacks many basic features expected of nearly all survival games. There are no health bars, no inventory system beyond a workbench, no quests, goals, objectives, or character dialogue. Nobody speaks.

If this is a massive online multiplayer game, where are the other players?

The problems with content only deepen beyond this. Reddit users have highlighted that the most recent trailer seems to be a direct shot-for-shot copy of Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s zombie reveal. This carbon copying extends to the game’s promotional screenshots and artwork too, all of which seem to be direct rip-offs of other well-known titles.

BRUHHHHHHH pic.twitter.com/kzwfl0J6AJ

— Chroma (@Chromastone10) February 4, 2023

Here’s a recent video of an employee apparently making progress on the game. The screen has flashes of rapid ‘code’ and the typing is so manic it looks like a parody from The Matrix. Again, the comments mostly call for Fntastic to own up and admit they’re making a ‘fake game.’

Elsewhere, assets used in both gameplay reveals have been found within Epic Games’ storefront. This means that many of the open world elements will be pre-made objects and not built from the ground up.

While this is fine for many indie titles and single-developer games created on a tight budget, it isn’t what you’d expect from a vast online multiplayer game that was, until recently, sat atop the Steam charts. It also means it’s far more plausible that the gameplay trailers were simply cooked up with pre-built objects days or weeks beforehand.

If all that wasn’t enough, lead moderators from the game’s Discord have admitted that they struggle to believe the game is real. They have not seen any gameplay and have no further insight over regular onlookers.

The Day Before’s lead discord mod, who earlier announced the upcoming gameplay reveal, has said they now wonder if the game is real. They also confirm that the mod team have not seen any gameplay. https://t.co/tCWanVz0SP pic.twitter.com/y0QurxzdKX

— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) January 25, 2023

As of today, Fntastic has released a statement implying that conversation around the game’s existence is ‘harmful’ and an example of ‘misinformation.’ While this is a valid developer response, it does not explain the obvious copying of other games, nor does it offer much-needed information as to the specifics of the title itself.

#thedaybefore #indiedev #gamedev pic.twitter.com/p9hOjONVIa

— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) February 8, 2023

What other examples of hype over product substance exist in recent memory?

Of course, it is entirely plausible that the game is real. The evidence suggests otherwise, but it could simply be a case of poor communication and misleading advertising. Fntastic by its own admission has said it has ‘no marketing department.’

The Day Before’s development cycle has brought up a wider question of authenticity within our overloaded internet age, regardless of whether or not an actual product is in the pipeline.

With so many products, services, and brands trying desperately to capture our attention amidst a sea of constant content, actual finished goods become a lesser priority to flashy social media campaigns. We live in an era where user engagement is the currency that companies crave. Any press is good press, after all.

This extends outside of just video games. Scams that have been built on image and hot air alone are everywhere.

Logan Paul sold the idea of a crypto animal game for millions before any such platform existed, hooking in hundreds of public investors without anything to show for it. Fyre Festival duped thousands into purchasing expensive tickets and flights before any such event existed or was properly planned.

NFTs follow a similar line of thought. If the buzz and social media metrics around an idea are popular, the actual thing itself is an afterthought. Remember that Squid Game currency scam?

Digital-only products mean we no longer require in-person showings or demonstrations to generate consumer interest. Simply setting up a YouTube channel, a company logo, and a few snippets of prebuilt proof of concept is enough for consumers to throw money at your vision.

For now, it seems The Day Before is another such scheme, where media attention and promises have overtaken the plausibility of the game itself. Such is the internet age.