The Fntastic studio, which acquired a terrible reputation after the failure of The Day Beforeattempts a comeback. The team apologizes, promises to do better and launches a new project, with much more modest outlines: Escape Factory. But the game is based on crowdfunding, and mistrust resurfaced immediately.
It’s a return that no one expected. After the scandal caused by video games The Day Beforewhich was ultimately considered a scam in disguise, the Fntastic studio is trying to bounce back. On X (formerly Twitter), an account was activated on September 26 and several messages were published on the theme of rehabilitation.
« Everyone deserves a second chance,” writes Fntastic. “ We sincerely apologize to everyone for The Day Before and take full responsibility for what happened “. The message is accompanied by a link to a website that outlines an action plan to regain public trust.
The comeback that Fntastic is trying to make will undoubtedly be very difficult. The public’s distrust is immense, as evidenced by the appearance on X of a community note under one of the studio’s messages concerning the establishment of crowdfunding via Kickstarter. There we read a warning about a “ potential scam ».
« Before you consider giving money to Fntastic, remember that they lied about the state of The Day Before to investors, volunteers, and the gaming community », develops the warning. Furthermore, on X the reception is frosty. Each tweet from the studio sparked a cascade of very negative reactions.
The Day Beforeresounding failure of video games in 2023
This widespread suspicion is at the height of the matter The Day Beforewhich broke out in 2023. It was a multiplayer game that was meant to borrow from the realm of massively multiplayer games (MMOs) and the theme of survival horror, with third-person shooter mechanics. Visually, the title seemed very enticing.
But enthusiasm gradually gave way to doubt, then rejection. It was never really about an MMO. At best, it was a banal shooter. To make matters worse, the title was technically far from the standards, not to say unfinished, the gameplay was poor. If it was a real project, it was an industrial failure.
Ultimately, the game was removed from Steam a few days after its release, after a community backlash of rare violence (a disappearance which however gave rise to peripheral scams, unrelated to the studio). The servers were disconnected at the beginning of 2024. The story, in short, had to end there.
Fntastic has a new game: Escape Factory
Fntastic’s attempt at a comeback is with a new video game, called Escape Factory. Its scale appears significantly more modest than The Day Before. Title Escape Factoryit is a “ Cooperative multiplayer physics-based escape game, set in dangerous factories, for 4-8 players ».
The title opts for an isometric view display and an artistic direction close to that of cartoons, which allows you to opt for simpler modeling and environments, far from the realism of The Day Before. There is already a presentation trailer and the game is listed on Steam, accessible for free in the form of a demo.
The mechanics, graphics, animation and atmosphere can give the impression that Escape Factory is inspired by certain approaches already seen in Fall Guys (with a top view) and titles like Chained Togetherfor the essential cooperation. Nothing says they copied; However, this gives an idea of the type of game.
On Kickstarter, the counter indicates having raised a little over $11,400 from around thirty contributors. The project will be offered for one month through crowdfunding. As in this type of case, depending on the amount invested, rewards are attached according to the levels. It starts at $3, going up to $12,000.
The studio attempts the redemption arc
Fntastic, which after the failure of The Day Beforehad charged some of the bloggers who were, according to the studio, responsible for the fiasco, now has a month to convince. On Twitter, the company is in any case making a clear public relations effort, responding to several messages, in particular on the affair The Day Before.
They say why they kept the name of the studio (“ we don’t hide. We are willing to admit our mistakes and improve ), they explain why they are not trying to recast The Day Before (they do not have the rights) or that they reject the term scam, since the reimbursements have taken place.
As an additional sign which is supposed to demonstrate the revival of Fntastic, the studio specifies that the model chosen for this Kickstarter campaign is all or nothing: “ Contributions will be refunded if we miss the target. We appreciate your support, and all funds will go to development, not profit. »
« It will be difficult to regain people’s trust, but we are motivated to create more games if our Kickstarter is successful », continues the studio. Moreover, a second title, mysterious, is already listed as a possible new project, if the first manages to hatch. A game that is promised to be “innovative”.
Fntastic l’assure : « we will fix our past mistakes and prepare to come back better “. In any case, it’s a daring bet to attempt a redemption arc. For the studio, in reality, it’s double or nothing. Another failure with Escape Factory would irrevocably doom the team. Especially if accusations similar to The Day Before appear.
