Summary
Controversial development studio Fntastic, best known for the now-defunct survival gameThe Day Before, has announced it is canceling its Kickstarter project forEscape Factoryto begin work on a new prop hunt game known asITEMS. While the studio is best known for the massively controversial title,The Day Before, Fntastic had previously launchedPropnight, a popular multiplayer hide-and-seek game on Steam.
Unfortunately,The Day BeforeandPropnightwere both shut downon January 22 after the studio announced its closure. WhileThe Day Beforewas once a highly-anticipated release, its launch was quickly met with criticism and controversy as fans blasted the survival game as a “scam.” One of the many reasons the game was blasted with negative reviews was due to Fntastic advertising the game as an MMO, despite the fact that this was a game that resembled an extraction shooter. Along with its lack of promised features, server issues, and bugs,The Day Beforewent down in gaming history is a monumental failure.
After announcing its closure in 2023,Fntastic made a controversial return in September, pledging to regain the trust of the community while simultaneously opening a Kickstarter campaign for a new title known asEscape Factory. Now, less than a month later, Fntastic has announced it is canceling the campaign, returning the money to those who had pledged, and starting working on a new prop hunt game. In a new statement on Twitter, Fntastic said itsEscape Factoryproject “has not generated enough interest” but that it had “received many requests for a prop hunt game.”
Fntastic Is Working on a New Prop Hunt Game
Upon the studio’s return, it announced that it takes “full responsibility” for thecontroversy surroundingThe Day Beforeand promised to fix past mistakes. Fans were skeptical of the studio’s return, especially given that it was asking for donations to support its new project. However, the Kickstarter campaign was operating under the “all-or-nothing” funding model, which means all money donated to the project will now be refunded as the studio has shut down the campaign.
While Fntastic hasn’t outright canceledEscape Factory, the studio says it is postponing it “until a more appropriate time.” It went on to explain that work will now begin on a new action-horror prop hunt game known asITEMS, with a playable demo possibly on the way along with a new Kickstarter campaign. To support the development ofITEMS, Fntastic also said it has “decided to release mobile games in parallel to support the process” with all funds generated from the games going directly into the development of its new prop hunt game.
Fans ofPropnightwill likely be pleased by the news, but it’s important to be cautious as the studio has been involved in a plethora of controversies sinceThe Day Before. While the game is no longer in active development,Escape Factorywas even accused of being an asset flipshortly after its release, something that was also at the center ofThe Day Before’s controversy.
The Day Before
WHERE TO PLAY
The Day Before offers players a uniquely reimagined journey into post-apocalyptic open-world MMO survival set in the present day on the US East Coast following a deadly pandemic.SURVIVE AT ALL COSTSFight other players for survival. Survive against the deadly infected. Collect valuable loot.DISCOVER THE NEW POST-PANDEMIC WORLDExplore the beautiful and richly detailed New Fortune City. Enter tall skyscrapers, business centers, massive malls, grand stadiums, and more. Uncover distant surroundings of New Fortune City on stunningly detailed vehicles.REBUILD SOCIETYJoin the Woodberry survivor colony on its mission to rebuild society. Trade items in Woodberry and save your wealth in a personal storage room. Build your own home in the safe zone.
