Controversial survival MMO The Day Before "won back" its name and is set to hit Early Access this December

The Day Before is alive and set to launch into Early Access under that title on December 7, 2023.

"We won back our name 'The Day Before'! This was confirmed by the decision of the Intellectual Property Tribunal," developer Fntastic says in a social media statement. "We dedicate this victory to all our future players, and it's all for them. For five years, we have been doing our best to give people this dream game. We also want to thank our volunteers for their constant support and faith in us."

The game will be $39 when it hits Steam Early Access on December 7 at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm GMT. The devs expect the Early Access period to last "around 6-8 months," according to the Steam page. The full release will bring both a next-gen console version and a price increase to $49.

The news was accompanied by a new trailer breaking down the game's features, which you can see below.

The Day Before caught the gaming world's collective eye back in 2021 with a debut trailer that was both endearingly goofy and genuinely impressive. But coming from an unknown independent studio, some prospective fans were skeptical it could deliver on its expansive promise, particularly as reports emerged that the studio was looking for volunteers to aid in development. Last-minute delays and an apparent string of trademark and copyright issues didn't exactly inspire confidence, either.

But it looks like we're just over a month away from seeing how The Day Before has turned out for ourselves. Here's hoping it can measure up after a long, messy road to launch.

If you need more to play in the meantime, check out our guides to the best MMOs and best survival games.