Not every developer of The Day Before is getting paid. The current most-wanted game on Steam is looking for volunteers who won”t see a dime for their contribution
The Day Before is holding its own at number 1 of the most anticipated games on Steam. Of course, the question is whether the shooter/survival MMO can meet the high expectations of its fans. At least it is certain that not every developer working for the studio Fntastic is paid. Among the so-called volunteers behind The Day Before, many are put off with certificates of participation and free codes.
Incidentally, 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 until next year. The reason for this was the change from Unreal Engine 4 to 5. You can find out why this is not the only reason why many game fans are sceptical about The Day Before in our dedicated article on the topic:
Debate about The Day Before: What’s behind the most wanted game on Steam?
Not every developer gets paid
An update to the (official website of developer Fntastic) is currently raising eyebrows in the gaming landscape. As the site WellPlayed noted, the developer”s studio culture is based on the idea of voluntariness
Specifically, it means that every member of Fntastic is a volunteer
A distinction is made between two different types of volunteers: Full-time volunteers and part-time volunteers – or paid and unpaid employees. This is because only permanent volunteers receive a salary at Fntastic, while the rest are compensated with cool rewards, certificates of participation and free codes
Regardless, according to the official job posting, interested developers should bring unique skills
to enhance projects
or create new special features
According to Fntastic, the unpaid work would not relate to writing code or development itself, but only
to aspects such as localisation and moderation. In other words, elements that are definitely an integral part of the development process in AAA productions.
Fntastic made it clear to (Eurogamer) 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, they want to attract new developers who approach Fntastic proactively and with open hearts.
Fntastic, developers of Steam”s most wishlisted game The Day Before, has updated their website to say that they are an organisation comprised of both paid and unpaid ”volunteers”. You can apply to work for them for free to help them deliver their projectshttps://t.co/8Vf5Xy3w4b pic.twitter.com/KogvTALpTN
– Zach Jackson (@tightinthejorts) June 27, 2022
At least at the current time, there are no available positions for full-time volunteers at The Day Before. Why developers should nevertheless consider working for Fntastic without pay is what a nearly 30-second video on the official website attempts to clarify. Here, two of the studio”s presumed developers describe:
“Whatever you do with your life happens voluntarily or involuntarily. If you do something voluntarily, [life] becomes heaven [on earth]. If you do something involuntarily, it becomes hell. The culture at Fntastic is based on the idea of voluntarism. Being a volunteer means working with free will towards a common goal.
The idea behind voluntarism is based on our own experiences and aspirations. In other words, it is about becoming a person who says yes to life. Voluntariness means bringing a certain joy with you in everything you do ”
What you should know about The Day Before
The Day Before is set to release on March 1, 2023 and promises to be a mix of 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. It”s no wonder that The Day Before is the 1 most wanted game (on Steam).
However, caution is also called for. Because whether The Day Before will really turn out the way trailers released so far have led us to hope is questionable. Why we ourselves advise a healthy pinch of scepticism!
What are your hopes and expectations for The Day Before? Are you looking forward to the survival-shooter-MMO-mix or are you more sceptical? Let us know in the comments!
