The Day Before, Fntastic’s zombie survival MMORPG, was pulled from Steam due to trademark issues surrounding its title. Now, after several months away from the platform, it appears that the developer is prepared to rename the game and has filed a trademark application for a new title.
Even if you’re not a horror fan, chances are you’ve heard of The Day Before. This online zombie game, currently in development for PC, has proven a little controversial. Its marketing, for starters, has raised a few eyebrows, though recent issues have revolved around its name.
The Day Before has been in development since 2019, but the catch is that there’s already a calendar app named TheDayBefore, which has been around since 2010.
So developer Fntastic had been working on a game without having the rights to the title, and when the owner of the trademark became aware of this, they took action, which led to the game being pulled from Steam.
Now, as spotted by WellPlayed, Fntastic, which has partnered with publisher Mytona to become Mytona Fntastic, has filed a trademark for a new name. The name in question? ‘Dayworld.’
It doesn’t sound nearly as dramatic as The Day Before, but a new is another step on the game’s path to a Steam return. Still, Dayworld sounds pretty safe. There shouldn’t be any issues there, right?
Not quite. There is, in fact, a trilogy of dystopian novels by the late Philip José Farmer called… wait for it. Dayworld. Mytona Fntastic’s trademark application hasn’t been examined as yet, so it’s hard to say if any unpleasant surprises lie in wait there.
Trademark and marketing issues aside, Fntastic has also been criticized for advertising for unpaid volunteers. Given that the game has been delayed several times, there’s a lot of pressure on the team to deliver.
The Day Before release date, or whatever it ends up being called, is still seemingly scheduled for November 10. But given the trademark issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was pushed back a little further.
If zombies are your thing, take a look at our list of the best zombie games on PC. And if you’d like to play a zombie MMORPG that’s out now, here are the best DayZ servers to join.