The Day Before release time - The controversial open-world MMO hits Steam Early Access soon

A zombie rushes toward the players in The Day Before — (Image credit: Fntastic)

Thanks to an Early Access release, The Day Before release time is coming a great deal before many of us likely imagined.

The road to release for the post-apocalyptic open-world MMO has been bumpy. The Day Before has long occupied a spot among Steam’s top wishlisted games thanks to an appealing premise, but controversy isn’t typically far away. Developer Fnatic raised eyebrows among plenty when it put a call out for part-time volunteers to do community and translation work for non-monetary rewards. Fans also grew concerned as they neared an earlier release window without seeing much of the game, leading many to joke that it likely didn’t exist. That wouldn’t be the worst of it, as the developer would then be forced to delay the Steam MMO due to a trademark dispute that would eventually be solved.

Between all of that, though, we have seen some glimpses of the game. What we’ve seen so far tells of a game where you’ll do lots of scavenging and resource managing while chopping down the odd zombie. Fnatic promises that’s the tip of the iceberg, though we don’t have long to wait and find out. The Day Before releases in Early Access on December 7, and you can read on to see exactly when the Steam MMO unlocks in your timezone.

The Day Before release time

10am PST
1pm EST
6pm GMT
7pm CET

In the build-up to The Day Before's early access launch, Fnatic published a list of revelations. They tell all future players that "we made this for you so that you will enjoy the games and it becomes a celebration. Together, we will continue improving the game and adding content." For the skeptical, or those "who didn't believe", the developer says, "We made this game for you, too," before adding, "We accept any kind of criticism and don't hold a grudge against you."

Either way, we don't have long to wait to see how this all unfolds.

Curious about what the competition is? Check out our list of the best survival games.

I joined GamesRadar+ in May 2022 following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When I'm not running the news team on the games side, you'll find me putting News Editor duties to one side to play the hottest JRPG of 20 years ago or pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new cloak – the more colourful, the better.