The Day Before is scheduled to be released on March 1, 2023 after a postponement.
Update from June 30, 2022: Opposite to Eurogamer Fntastic has once again joined the unpaid volunteers
, collaborators on The Day Before. The studio would like to deepen how exactly the employed developers are divided:
The word volunteer can be derived from the Latin term volunteers
trace back what willing
or according to your own will
means. Anyone who is open to life can become a volunteer at Fntastic – there are two different types of volunteers. Today we employ over 100 full-time volunteers (employees) [Anmerkung der Redaktion: also bezahlte Arbeiter] from Singapore, Russia, Netherlands, Thailand, Ukraine, Finland Kazakhstan and Belarus working as developers, artists, in HR and so on. We also employ 40 external volunteers (supporters) [Anmerkung der Redaktion: also unbezahlte Arbeiter] in the US and worldwide who test and provide feedback on our product in its very early stages of development.
Fntastic versus Eurogamer
Fntastic also revisits the work unpaid volunteers do at the studio. Much of this – like localizing video games or testing early game builds – is usually done by paid workers in the gaming industry. Fntastic takes a different approach for this:
Additionally, external volunteers (backers) help localize our products into different languages. Last year we got a well known studio to localize Propnight [Anmerkung der Redaktion: ein Ende 2021 veröffentlichtes Spiel von Fntastic] instructed. As it turned out, the result of their work wasn’t exactly perfect. Most of it had to be reworked with the help of our enthusiastic volunteers (backers). Together with these supporters we were able to find bugs in Propnight, fight cheaters and even organize our community on Discord.
Fntastic versus Eurogamer
Last but not least, Fntastic emphasizes that some of the volunteers should be taken on as permanent employees and ultimately paid for. What exactly the criteria are for how many this actually affects and how long a developer has to participate without pay is not clear from the statement:
Here’s a good example: Recently, one of our first volunteers from the Netherlands became a full-time volunteer (employee). More will be recruited in the future.
Fntastic versus Eurogamer
Original message: The Day Before holds its own as the #1 most anticipated game on Steam. Of course, the question arises as to whether the shooter/survival MMO can meet the high expectations of its fans. At least that is certain not every developer who contributes to Studio Fntastic gets paid. Among the so-called volunteers
behind The Day Before some people are given participation certificates and free codes.
By the way, the mixture of The Last of Us, The Division and DayZ was originally supposed to be released at the end of June 2022. In May, however, the game was postponed to next year. The reason for this is the change from Unreal Engine 4 to 5. You can find out why not only this contributes to the skepticism of many game fans towards The Day Before in our dedicated article on the subject:
more on the subject
What is behind the The Day Before debate?
Not every developer gets paid
An update of the official website of the developer Fntastic is currently causing raised eyebrows in the gaming landscape. As noted by WellPlayed, the developer’s studio culture is rooted in the idea of voluntary
. Specifically, it states that every member of Fntastic a volunteer
is.
A distinction is made between two different types of volunteers: Full-time volunteers and part-time volunteers – or even paid and unpaid employees. Because only permanent volunteers receive a salary from Fntastic, while the rest cool rewards, certificates of participation and free codes
is remunerated.
Regardless of this, according to the official job posting, interested developers should unique skills
bring to improve projects
or to create new special functions
. According to Fntastic, the unpaid work would not involve writing code or developing it yourself only
relate to aspects such as localization and moderation. In other words, elements that are an integral part of the development process in AAA productions.
Opposite to Eurogamer Fntastic clarified that all employees of the development studio are to be understood as volunteers. Based on this understanding, they want to ensure that every employee participates with dedication and enthusiasm. In this way you want to attract new developers who proactively and with open hearts
approach Fntastic.
link to Twitter content
At least as of this writing, there are no available full-time volunteer positions at The Day Before. A nearly 30-second video on the official website tries to explain why developers should still consider working for Fntastic without payment. Here are two alleged developers of the studio:
Whatever you do with your life, it happens voluntarily or involuntarily. If you do something voluntarily, will [das Leben] to the sky [auf Erden]. If you do something involuntarily, it becomes hell. The culture at Fntastic is based on the idea of volunteering. Being a volunteer means working towards a common goal with free will.
The idea behind the voluntariness is based on our own experiences and demands. In other words, it’s about becoming a person who Yes
says to life. Volunteering means bringing some joy with you in everything you do.
link to YouTube content
It is not known what the current development status looks like after the last postponement of The Day Before and the associated switch to Unreal Engine 5.
What you should know about The Day Before
The Day Before is scheduled for release on March 1, 2023 and promises to be a cross between The Division, DayZ and The Last of Us. The gameplay shown so far impresses with immersive game mechanics, a varied open world and beautiful graphics. No wonder The Day Before is on #1 Most Wanted Game on Steam located.
However, caution is also called for. Because it is questionable whether The Day Before will really be what trailers released so far have hoped for. We have summarized for you in the following video why we recommend a healthy pinch of skepticism:
11:34
The Day Before – The MMO sounds too good to be true
What are your hopes and expectations for The Day Before? Are you looking forward to the survival shooter MMO mix or are you skeptical? Let us know in the comments!
