Header Image Credit: SepticFalcon
As I’m sure your aware by now , In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Fntastic, the developer behind “The Day Before,” has become embroiled in controversy within the gaming community over the past few days since launch. The game, which launched earlier this week, garnered an eager following but quickly faced disappointment, resulting in an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating on Steam. What seemed like the end came swiftly when Fntastic announced the closure of its operations ( Read our article about the closure here).
However, a twist in the tale emerged as the store page of another Fntastic title, “The Wild Eight,” underwent a backend update. SteamDB noted a change in the developer’s name from Fntastic to “Eight Points.” This unexpected alteration has sparked speculation about the studio merely changing its alias despite the official announcement of shutting down.
The Wild Eight, a survival game released in 2017, had previously faced complaints on the Steam forums accusing developers of abandoning the game after receiving payments—a sentiment eerily echoed by disgruntled players of The Day Before.
Fntastic’s developer page now displays only Radiant One, Propnight, Dea Dozen and The Day Before, with The Wild Eight conspicuously absent. On the Eight Points developer page, The Wild Eight stands as its sole listed game, adding to the confusion surrounding the sudden changes.
What adds a layer of mystery to this situation is the revelation that Eight Points is not a new entity. In 2017, the studio announced a rebranding in conjunction with The Wild Eight’s launch, changing its name from Eight Points to Fntastic. The announcement at the time highlighted the team’s growth and the evolution of their creative process.
Yesterday, Fntastic dropped a bombshell on its community, announcing the closure of the studio due to financial failure, citing a lack of funds to sustain operations and commitments to partners. The abrupt closure raises questions about the sudden return to the name Eight Points, which had been dormant for six years.
Furthermore, Fntastic’s social media presence has taken a hit. YouTube videos have been wiped, Instagram and Facebook accounts no longer exist, and the TikTok library has been cleared. The only active platform is Twitter, leaving the gaming community puzzled and intrigued by the unfolding saga.
Now Fntastic is claiming Rumors suggesting they have changed there name are not true, and they have not been affiliated with The Wild Eight for many years, and quoting an article from Gamerant that doesn’t prove much.
According to Eurogamer , who reached out to publisher HypeTrain Digital to clarify the emerging situation:
” The Wild Eight was developed by Fntastic initially, the studio discontinued its work after launching the title for early access on Steam. HypeTrain Digital continued development of The Wild Eight independently, before severing all business ties with Fntastic in 2017. The problematic association with The Day Before caused HypeTrain Digital to change the developer listed on Steam to Eight Points, as the game received a flood of negative reviews from disgruntled The Day Before players.”
Although Stranger still is that Eight Points is not a new company. Back in 2017, the studio announced that to celebrate The Wild Eight’s launch, it was rebranding.
“Developers of The Wild Eight are proud to present their new name – Fntastic! During the whole development process the team has grown up – both in experience and amount of people (and previous name Eight Points was mainly about the first eight developers who started it all) […] Our new name Fntastic stands for breaking the boundaries and art of imagination. They are our main tools in making The Wild Eight you’ll enjoy.”
As for why the developer changed its name back to a handle it hasn’t used in six years, it’s unclear.As the gaming community awaits further clarification, the mysterious rebranding and closure of Fntastic have left players and industry observers questioning the true reasons behind the sudden turn of events.
