The Day Before is among the strangest titles to ’emerge’ in recent years. I’m using the word ’emerge’ quite loosely there because, at the moment, nobody knows if this game is even real. Following countless postponements, a lack of communications, and an ongoing legal battle to claim the name ‘The Day Before’, the game’s developer, FNTASTIC, is hanging on by the skin of its teeth.
Recently, one eagle-eyed YouTube named LtBuzzLitebeer published an exposé on the current circumstances surrounding the beleaguered project. It was a telling ten-minute tale that revealed how troubling the past, present, and future of The Day Before all are – and have been… And will be?
So, what is going on with The Day Before?
Is The Day Before Even Real?
For the longest time, people have believed that The Day Before is nothing more than vaporware – a construct that is never realised but marketed, invested in, and promoted. It’ll never be released as a finished game, and it’ll remain in development forever – or at least, until such a date when it simply disappears from existence.
In February 2022, FNTASTIC delivered a bizarre ten-minute-long gameplay trailer that fans were waiting on for years. It was a strange segment that showed a half-finished game, and after it dropped, things went south – fast.
Weeks after that trailer was released, a legal claim surfaced, with the CEO of a Korean firm claiming that he’d registered the name ‘The Day Before’ for a calendar app, and he’d had that trademark listed since 2015. Following that fateful news, FNTASTIC started receiving DMCA strikes against its content on YouTube, and Steam removed every trace of the game from the platform.
Now, in a YouTube video published by LtBuzzLitebeer, several key details have been revealed. Most importantly, it seems like FNTASTIC is unwilling to let this project die, and has filed a ‘Petition for Cancellation’, which requests that the trademark owner – Lee Sun-Jae – surrenders the name to FNTASTIC for use in their game.
This was reportedly filed on April 12th, and you can see LtBuzzLitebeer’s breakdown here:
What Happens Now With The Day Before?
The Day Before has been postponed several times, and following the most recent delay, it has been pushed back to November 2023. However, in the video posted above, some critical information is revealed that suggests that it may be a long, long time before The Day Before surfaces – if it ever does.
There’s a document that was obtained that outlined the schedule for the ‘Conference, Discovery, Disclosure, and Trial’ for the Petition of Cancellation. It kicks off on the 22nd of May, and the final stages of the legal proceedings aren’t due to land until the 23rd of October 2024, almost a full year after The Day Before is (currently) set to launch.
Of course, as LtBuzzLitebeer says (before stressing that he isn’t a lawyer), there are certain things that could happen in the interim.
- Lee Sun-Jae could avoid the legal proceedings entirely and simply throw in the towel, handing over the name.
- Lee Sun-Jae could win the case, retaining the name and leaving FNTASTIC out in the cold.
- FNTASTIC could simply change the name of the project. How about Two Days Before? Or what about The Day After?
- FNTASTIC could simply disappear and strip all references to the game clean from the internet – not that that’s possible, of course. If it’s on the internet, it’s forever.
There are high expectations that this game won’t ever be released, and if it does, there are questions circulating about just how good it’ll even be.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the major Diablo 4 updates that are on the horizon.
