The developers of the highly anticipated MMO game, The Day Before, may be considering a name change in an attempt to resolve a trademark dispute. Fntastic, the game developer, and Mytona, the publisher, have jointly filed a trademark application for “Dayworld” under the name Mytona Fntastic, which suggests a collaboration between the two companies.
The trademark application for Dayworld specifically mentions “downloadable game software” and “downloadable video game programs.” However, this potential name change could possibly lead to another trademark dispute. The Day Before may face legal challenges as author Philip José Farmer published a trilogy of books under the title “Dayworld” between 1985 and 1990. Although no existing trademark for the Dayworld novels was found, it doesn't necessarily mean that Mytona Fntastic won't encounter legal obstacles from Putnam Publishing Group, a subsidiary of the Penguin Group, which originally published the trilogy.
The Day Before encountered a setback earlier this year when its release was delayed by nine months due to Fntastic's oversight in trademarking the game's name. As a result, the zombie MMO game was removed from Steam temporarily. Although Fntastic announced its plans to bring The Day Before back to Steam, no updates have been provided since then.
Furthermore, there has been little news about The Day Before recently, with Fntastic remaining quiet on the matter. Only in late June did they make a brief appearance, promising in-game features such as houses, saunas, and jobs for players in their apocalyptic MMO.
If The Day Before intends to launch in November 2023 as planned, it will need to expedite its name change process. The game's future remains uncertain, but players eagerly await further updates on its development.
Source: Well Played (no URLs provided for sources)