Four days after its release, The Day Before studio, FNTASTIC, announced it was shutting down the development team and pulled the game from purchase on Steam. The result is no further updates, no additional support, though the game servers will continue to run for a time. If a player spent more than two hours in the game and already tried an automatic refund request without success, this guide is aimed at helping them navigate the process.
FNTASTIC made the decision to close the studio shortly after The Day Before debuted. Even if a player crossed the two-hour mark, refunds remain possible. The steps below explain how to proceed and secure a refund based on practical experience.
How to obtain a refund for The Day Before
The Day Before impressed at first glance, but many players found the final product lacking. It failed to match trailers and previews, and even during early access the title showed performance issues: poor optimization, lag, crashes, bugs, subpar network code, and graphics that felt incongruent with expectations, even on mobile devices.
Initially, players who did not reach the 120-minute threshold could request a refund through Steam, which is a common rule on the platform. Yet server queues, frequent crashes, and other problems caused many gamers to spend longer in the game to determine what they had actually bought.
Automatic refund requests without explanations often ended in a denial, since Steam tends to follow its published policy. However, recent developments opened up new avenues to pursue a refund. The following outline explains how this was achieved based on observed experiences.
- Open the Steam client and locate The Day Before page in the library.
- Click the Support option on the right side of the screen. If it isn’t visible, click the three dots to reveal more options.
- Select The product did not meet expectations and then I would like to request a refund.
- Under Select reason for return, choose The game does not match the trailers and screenshots.
Requests should be submitted thoughtfully. As mentioned earlier, submitting an empty request after 120 minutes of play typically results in denial. Support should be provided with the following items:
- Examples showing why the game does not align with the trailers and screenshots.
- A link to a credible source that discusses why The Day Before has been criticized (for instance, a respected industry publication’s coverage).
- A link to an official statement from FNTASTIC about the studio’s closure and the resulting lack of updates or enhancements.
- Details explaining why more time in the game was spent than anticipated for a refund, with concrete descriptions.
- A courteous, respectful tone in the request.
You can submit the refund request in any language, but English responses tend to be processed faster. After submitting, allow a few hours for support to review the case and respond by email. Like other refunds, the money may be held for a period during processing.
The Day Before did not live up to the global anticipation, with over 200,000 copies sold in the first days and a substantial portion not being returned. This guide aims to help players navigate the refund process effectively.
Other guides
- How to Optimize The Day Before – reducing drawdowns, removing freezes, and increasing FPS
- How to enable the Russian language and voice acting in The Day Before
Source: VG Times