The beta for highly anticipated and controversial post-apocalyptic open world MMO The Day Before will only be available to those who "volunteer" for developer Fntastic.
The Day Before received a new trailer yesterday, November 1, alongside an information drop confirming a third delay to December 7, word it would only launch in PC Early Access and not on console on that date, and a celebration from Fntastic over winning its trademark dispute over the game's name.
The developer failed to mention the beta it announced in April, however, and when asked about it by IGN, confirmed that only Fntastic "volunteers" would be granted access.
"Volunteers" are what Fntastic calls its staff, broken into two categories: employee-volunteers (actual employees) and external volunteers. The latter are essentially unpaid workers helping develop The Day Before, a practice that was criticised by onlookers but defended by Fntastic in June 2022.
Per Fntastic's website: "External volunteering is an opportunity for those who are willing to offer their skills and talents to improve the Fntastic community. External volunteering includes various activities, from translation to community moderation."
Fntastic announced the beta in April, but didn't mention that it would only be available to its "volunteers" and not general fans of the game. "As we get closer to the release date, we will be conducting a beta test for the game," it said. "This will give players the opportunity to try out the game before it is released and provide valuable feedback that we can use to improve the final product.
"We will provide more details on the beta test as we approach the release date, so be sure to stay tuned for updates. We look forward to sharing game with you and you will enjoy playing it as much as we have enjoyed creating it."
Fntastic hadn't said anything about the beta officially since — outside of confirming to IGN that only "volunteers" would be able to access it — despite the game previously being intended to launch on November 10 and now December 7, and after it promised to improve communication.
The Day Before has otherwise been wrought with controversy over its development period, with once-fans even calling the game a scam amid its multiple delays, copycat accusations, miscommunication, and more. You can read about the entire strange saga of The Day Before here.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
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