THE FINALS

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Update 8.5.0

In this update, we’re goodbye to HEAVEN OR ELSE, so set down your Spears and stop chucking the Healing Emitter, it’s time for a new World Tour Event:


RUSHDOWN brought to you by HOLTOW



Bring a new meaning to hit-and-run with this week’s new World Tour Event! In Rushdown, you’ll be able to pick up a burst of speed from any eliminated contestant! Enjoy 5 seconds of super speed for every boost you grab, and outrun the competition!

Go get ‘em, speedsters!

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A NEW BOO-TIQUE



We’ve got another collection of bewitching Halloween themed items coming to the store today! Both new and returning pieces that will help you keep it grim and proper in the Arena. Check out these fang-tastic finds, so you can look bat to the bone!

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Also, we’re welcoming our fellow Nordics today, Finland and Norway joining the parade of nations!



5 NEW ESPORTS BUNDLES COMING SOON


For the Fans in the stands!

Five new bundles are dropping in the shop, so make sure to rep’ your favorite team’s colors in the Arena! Each one is backed by a Sponsor and ready to battle it out on the main stage at DreamHack in Stockholm, Nov 28-29


Vanguard Gaming x DISSUN

Team Secret x IVADA

Gen.G x ENO+RINO

FNATIC x VAIIYA

TSM x TRENTILA



Still don’t see your favorite team? Don’t worry, there are more bundles to come before The Grand Major!



IMPORTANT NOTE: You may be able to purchase the bundles already in some console stores, but you won't see them in game until they are fully released, which will happen very soon!

Continue reading...
 

Update 8.4.0

Welcome to week 2 of HEAVEN OR ELSE!


This week, HOLTOW introduces new contracts for you to complete to earn those smoldering rewards! Keep poking, spinning and Chucking your way to the Pearly Gates!


A bewitching Store

You may notice that things are looking spooky in the Arena! Monaco, Seoul, Kyoto and SYS$Horizon have been sprinkled with decorations to celebrate the season of the witch!


The store is also ready to help you celebrate October in style with a mix of old and new classics to help you frighten the competition! A squeaky new Sword that’s more dangerous than it looks and skins that will show everyone your sweet side!


Note: we have an incorrect tag on the Cashout Conjurer Set that claims it will expire in 1000s of days. In reality, it will expire in about 28 days. We’ll fix it as soon as possible!


Also, in our parade of nations, this week we welcome The Netherlands and Japan!


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We’ve got one small balance change that will help us investigate an issue:


Balance Changes

Weapons


Riot Shield


  • Reverted latest collision update on the Riot Shield

    Dev Note: We have noticed that the last update to the collision of the Riot Shield came with a few issues so we have now gone back to the previous iteration while we figure out why the update didn't work as expected. The updates to the blocking of steals is unaffected by this.

Continue reading...
 

Hotfix 8.3.1

We’ve just pushed a hotfix for some of the issues you’ve been encountering since yesterday’s update. Thank you everyone, as always, for helping to report these issues to us!


Bug Fixes:


Contracts



  • Fixed an issue with the "Complete Daily contracts" contract from Heaven Or Else not progressing properly

Game Modes


  • Fixed an issue with Heaven Or Else rounds not counting toward Quickplay Progression

Weapons


  • Fixed an issue where the BFR was not using hitscan, causing it to be ineffective at long range

Continue reading...
 

Update 8.3.0

NEW LIMITED-TIME MODE: HEAVEN OR ELSE

Get ready to shine in HEAVEN OR ELSE, a limited-time, 5v5 showdown where Contestants will fight for their lives (and their afterlives!) armed with a Spear and a few extra tools fine-tuned for the competition! Sweep, spin and poke players to knock them off the celestial surfaces of the Final Stage Arena!

Pierce the competition and secure your glory! Keep your health and your spirits up or you’ll be sent plummeting down through the clouds. You won’t turn into coins here, but the lower your health, the farther you’ll fly, so keep your feet on the ground or you’ll head for the clouds!

Complete contracts to earn up to 12 free rewards over the next two weeks. Play with fire but don’t get burned!

Sponsored by HOLTOW Pearly Gates Insurance, your key to eternity.

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STORE UPDATE

This week’s store update asks you to choose between good or evil! Pick your side with the two new companions Quill and Cinder! But we all know Nama Tama is the cutest, Double Yolk earrings oblige. Prove a point with the Mandate Javelin, or two more with the Malebolge’s notice trident.

If you are feeling patriotic, the Poland and Greece bundles are now in store. As the competition is heating up sooner than later, The Grand Major 25 Prime selection is the perfect fit for all your tournament needs!


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Speaking of tournaments…


ESPORTS BUNDLES HAVE ARRIVED

It’s never too early to show your champions some love! The Grand Major 2025 is still a few weeks away, but the first collab bundles are coming in NOW! No efforts were spared from our Sponsors and their signed up teams:

ALLIANCE x ENGIMO

ENVY x OSPUZE

PULSAR x ISEUL-T

KCP x ALFA ACTA

NTMR x VOLPE

SSG x HOLTOW



Support your favorites by wearing their colors, and by buying their bundles! When purchasing a set, its team will get a share of each sale, with another portion going to a common pot that will be split across the board for all qualified organizations (the rest goes to platform fees and Embark).

Not seeing the Qualified Team you are rooting for? More bundles will be coming in future updates!

TWITCH DROPS

Tune in to your favorite stream and earn Twitch Drops items. The Broadcast Blaze set is now available on all streams with Twitch Drops enabled until October 16th 2025. Watch for 4 hours, and go get those free cosmetics for the M26, Cerberus, and ShAK-50! Don’t miss your chance!


AND MORE

No more one size fits all! The Revive statues just received an upgrade with a Light and Heavy format! Know who’s who at a glance.

And for the patient S3 Ruby players, a S3 player card badge just dropped in your inventory.

Now let’s get into the details:


Balance Changes

Gadgets



Breach Drill


  • Decreased activation sequence duration from 3s to 2.5s, making it faster to trigger after deployment


  • Decreased cooldown from 25s to 20s

Smoke Grenade


  • Decreased the duration of smoke from 15s to 9s, meaning it stays in the world for less time after deploying


  • Decreased the amount of ammo from 3 to 2

    Dev Note: We’re aware that cashout steals using smoke have become an increasing frustration for many players, due to their frequency and limited counters. We have several long-term improvements on the way in the coming months for smoke, but in the short term we hope these nudges to Smoke Grenades will make them a little more balanced.

Game Modes

Cashout (World Tour & Ranked Tournament)


  • Updated how respawn positions are decided after team wipes, reducing the chances that teams spawn very close to each other

    Dev Note: Related to Cashout in World Tour and Ranked, but not to the direct change above, we want to acknowledge that we’re aware of community sentiment around ‘doubling’ cashouts, especially in tier three, and its ability to ‘grief’ out the second placed team and we’re working towards a solution for it. Our hope is to be testing some changes in the live game relatively soon, but we have no set timeline. We wanted to let you all know so you’re aware that it’s being worked on.

Weapons

BFR Titan


  • Decreased damage from 98 to 90

    Dev Note: This change is mostly aimed at removing the Winch Claw plus BFR headshot attack combo on Lights which, now that the data is in, has proven to be more rapid and easier to execute than we expected. The change shouldn’t negatively impact most other ‘shots to kill’ breakpoints, so for the most part the weapon should feel as it did before.
Content and Bug Fixes

Animation



  • Fixed inspect animations blending badly together with interacting animations in 3rd person


  • Fixed a small inconsistency when going from aim down sight to sprint in first person


  • Fixed deploys and inspects breaking when activated while climbing off a ladder


  • Fixed an issue where the Weapon sometimes disappeared for a short while after using Charge N’ Slam in the air

Audio


  • Fixed an issue that caused double respawn sounds when exiting a replay


  • Fixed an issue where incorrect introduction voiceovers were sometimes played in Cashout


  • Minor tweak to the P90 firing sequence to make it sound less suppressed

Contracts


  • Daily Club Contracts now display the total number of contracts that can be accepted/completed instead of showing the number of contracts available to be accepted

Controller


  • Fixed an issue that caused controller input to be processed while the game was not in focus


  • Changed the buttons used to back out of a pop-up notification to prevent the accidental canceling of matchmaking

Customization & Cosmetics


  • Fixed an issue where the Player Card displayed wouldn't match the eliminated contestant


  • Your pet will now play its audio when you Emote in game


  • Improved the colliders on punk-style outfits to reduce the erratic movements of shoelaces and chains


  • Fixed issue with Visible Line in Solar Safeguard, Blazing Guarantee, Radiant Protection and Blinding Warranty skins on certain AMD graphics cards


  • Addressed issue causing an artifact near Dale the Whale's mouth


  • Pets now play sounds in the Store and Battle Pass


  • Fixed the Sensorveil Bomber jacket clipping with Emblems and upper back items


  • Fixed the clipping of head and ears on the Impact Unit V3000 mask


  • The item descriptions now show the correct origin of items from Battle Passes


  • Fixed visual glitches on Mischief League heads when viewed in third person \[909001] Reduced clipping and added physics simulation to the necklace in the Sick Trick Rick outfit


  • Headband will now have a better fit and less clipping when combined with multiple facewear items

Game Modes


  • Updated the scoreboard in Ranked Cashout in private matches to hide certain info, such as scores, so that it matches the functionality of the scoreboard in Ranked Tournaments


  • Fixed an issue where it was possible to change your loadout mid-round in private match ranked cashout games.


  • Powershift platform path should now properly display in replays


  • Fixed issue where you started with 4 respawn tokens in a private match ranked Cashout.

Gameplay


  • Fixed an issue where weapon audio could get stuck while in a replay


  • Fixed issue with hand getting stuck when interacting with an object, also called the hand-gun bug. Interactions have now been improved and should appear smoother and more correct than before


  • Fixed FOV setting affecting the visibility of the Dematerializer's first-person vfx


  • Fixed an issue where objects picked up just as you launched on a jumppad would trail behind and eventually fail to be picked up. With this change the failed pickup in this situation will happen much sooner to reduce frustration


  • Revive statues will now have a unique look for Lights, Mediums and Heavies!


  • Address doors, ziplines and platforms being in the wrong locations in replays in some situations


  • Fixed a corner case that could leave players stuck in a replay


  • It's now again possible to use the back key to leave the drafting screen


  • Fixed so respawn markers doesn't block interaction line of sight validation which could for example interrupt steals


  • Fixed an issue that made it harder to place down deployables


  • Increased aiming accuracy for Grapple Hook and Winch Claw


  • Fixed so the revive effect plays in the correct position if the respawn statue was moved from its original spot


  • Fixed an issue where Grenades and projectiles would trigger effects twice when used simultaneously with another of the same type

Game Show Events


  • Flying saucers now spawn near the closest active Cashout Station during the Alien Invasion game show event


  • Alien Invasion is now enabled again on SYS$Horizon, Fortune Stadium, and Nozomi/Citadel

Maps

General


  • Fixed players being able to go outside of certain maps when spectating


  • Reduced planter beds so that they are now a set height across multiple maps


  • Fixed issue where tree stumps wouldn't destroy properly on destructible ground, leading to visual and gameplay issues

Bernal


  • Temporarily disabled the Suspended Sponsor Structures map variant due to a lighting bug that caused them to be completely dark

Fortune Stadium


  • Added out-of-bounds border to prevent players using Gadgets to access unreachable areas

Kyoto


  • Fixed step up height for temple pillar stones


  • Fixed an issue with the Kyoto pagoda roof causing unexpected destruction behaviour

Monaco


  • \[Fixed issue with cannon collision not matching visuals[/p][/*]
Nozomi/Citadel


  • Replaced the zipline between the corner of Apartments and Cybercafe with Jump Pads

    Dev Note: Taking out this zipline and forcing enemy teams to approach Cybercafe head-on made it hard to cross The Rift unscathed. This change now provides a reliable option to flank from the side.


  • Slightly moved a player spawn in the corner of the Research Facility that was next to the underpass

SYS$Horizon


  • Increased the health of the large cubes from 1000 to 2000 so they're more consistent with other large/sturdy geometry


  • Campus cube garden corner:

    • Split some of the extra large cubes into multiple


    • Added a few cubes for extra cover


    • Raised a part of the ring surrounding the ball for extra cover


    • Reduced the size of the ‘Big Cube’ next to the rooftop to make it less of a dominating vantage point

  • Campus voxel bridge corner:

    • Added a secondary voxel bridge underneath that connects with a vent to the classroom


    • Added extra cover on and around the street

      Dev Note: The cashouts at the two outer corners of Campus have been tricky to contest. With these changes we aim to give players more ways to approach and play around these areas, and reduce the speed at which these areas become too empty.

Seoul


  • We have reduced the length of the exposed hospital roof by 8 meters, and added a 16 meter overhang at the end. Effectively shortening the exposed area from 60 meters down to 36 meters

    • These changes also enable a host of new gadget and movement opportunities both for approaching teams and teams that defend/spawn in the back wing

  • An additional doorway and vent were added to the side of the back wing, to allow for quicker exits and new flanking opportunities.
    Dev Note: We’ve wanted to address this particular pain-point for a while. Our challenge was to address it in a way that maintained the original design intent, since a lot of the surrounding area was built to support that. We have some smaller changes planned for the future to help with jump pad placement, but didn't want to delay these larger adjustments. As always, we will be monitoring the effectiveness of these updates and will make further adjustments where needed. Thank you so much for all your feedback :)

Skyway Stadium


  • Added soil ground meshes to planter beds above Medical Center to help player flow

Private Matches & Spectator


  • Fix for back input closing the team customization modal instead of dropdown menu

Settings


  • Added descriptions to explain why certain Video settings are grayed out


  • Unify size and opacity of all option buttons

Social


  • Fixed so that the chat is scrollable using the scroll-wheel anywhere in the chat window


  • Added support for official clubs

Specializations

Winch Claw


  • Increased how much visibility is needed for Winch Claw to successfully hook an enemy player

Stability & Performance


  • Optimize memory usage by showing simplified characters on the tournament overview screen on systems with 16GB RAM or less


  • Improve reliability of Embark systems during platform outages (e.g. if steam is down, game is still playable)


  • Improve performance when browsing the customization screens


  • Potential fix for one of our most common animation related client crashes

UI


  • Improved the pacing of the Player Card sequence to better fit the Instant Replay flow


  • Fixed various input hints not updating correctly when keybindings are changed


  • Updated the emote list to be name-based rather than icons for easier overview


  • Fixed an issue where badges was incorrectly rendering over the transition screen in the winners’ sequence


  • Fixed an issue where hitmarkers could appear after respawning


  • Fixed an issue causing the incorrect name to be displayed on weapon animations in the customization menu


  • Updated overview stats on a some Weapons (Famas, CB-01, KS-23, Model, XP-54) to fix inconsistencies and incorrect reload durations on single-bullet reload weapons


  • You can now set your preferred color to reticules!


  • Added playername to the Match report


  • Fixed an issue that caused the current ammo count to not be displayed in the inventory for certain weapons

VFX


  • Fixed an issue that would cause all in-flight visual effects to restart when changing Effects quality in the Video Settings

Weapons

Melee Weapons


  • Fixed an issue where the damage from melee weapons could be incorrectly blocked by the world even though the enemy player was hit


  • Fixed an issue where Dome Shields and Mesh Shields would incorrectly block melee attacks

Riot Shield


  • Improved collision alignment


  • Fixed an issue where moving in front of a Cashout Station could cancel steals

Spear


  • Fixed the secondary attack not showing properly in 3rd person when being winched


  • Fixed an issue where the primary attack animation could go missing in 3rd person



.50 Akimbo


  • Fixed an issue that caused bullet dispersion to grow slightly faster than intended



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Continue reading...
 

Update 8.2.0

World Tour Stop | Vertigo

Reach new heights with TRENTILA, the proud sponsors of this week’s World Tour stop! In Vertigo, you’ll experience an all new game-show event, aptly named Double-Jump!

When it’s active, you’ll be able to jump twice in a row and expect lots of power in the second hop!

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New Items in Store!

Get yourself the Coverage Cutters Set for all your insurance needs! The Wireline Set doesn’t come with collision coverage, but is guaranteed no strings attached! And for that extra protection, nothing’s better than taking it into your own hands with the Eclipse Shade Set.


Keep your account in order with the Silent Ledger Set, and enjoy a cold one with your team in the Brew Brawler Hat.


Let’s also welcome the Australia and Germany bundles in the store!


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Continue reading...
 

Update 8.1.0

One week into Season 8 and we’re ready for the first update!

The store update brings you the Hexscribe Set, which is bound to break your heart and your toys! Speaking of toys, a new ÖRF! collectable has entered the Arena and this time it’s Chubble Trouble the Goo Grenade! On top of that, it doesn’t matter if you like your weapons wrapped in barbed wire or dipped in Acrylic paint, there’s something for every Contestant!

This week we also welcome two new flag bundles: Mexico and France!

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We’re also getting ready for the Closed Qualifiers this weekend that will lead the winning teams to The Grand Major 2025! Tune in and watch our talented hosts and casters as they take us on this last step of the journey. The winners of this event will meet on the stage of The Grand Major at DreamHack Stockholm in November!

Speaking of DreamHack, do you plan to be there for The Grand Major in Stockholm? If so, fill out this survey so we can make plans to see you there! If you already filled it out, please don’t do so again unless your plans have changed.

This update comes with a few additions and fixes, which you can read about below:

Content and Bug Fixes


Cosmetics & Customization



  • Updates to some facewear to increase compatibility with some headwear, for example, all gas masks will behave more like the newer versions


  • Wings will now work consistently and should not clip with upper body items as much

Game Modes

Practice Range


  • Added S7 trophies

Performance & Stability


  • Fixed one of our most common client crashes

Social


  • Fixed team chat not functioning properly after elimination, regardless of Instant Replay being enabled or disabled

Continue reading...
 

Creating a Dynamism Shooter

When we started making THE FINALS, we wanted to bring together all the things we always loved in games: player choice and systemic design, deep interactivity, sandbox physics and destruction, and both playstyle and visual customization, and make them the foundation of the entire game. It was all about giving players agency, creativity, and the ability to shape their own experience. We gave this philosophy a name: Dynamism!

In this episode of MAKING THE FINALS, our Creative Director, Gustav Tilleby Silow, explains Dynamism and walks us through the journey of making the world’s first Dynamism Shooter.


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Packed with footage that dates back to the earliest days of Development, you'll learn what steps we took at Embark Studios to ensure that THE FINALS could live up to our dream of being a Dynamism-based shoorter from the very beginning, to now.

Tune in!

Continue reading...
 

Hotfix 8.0.1

Hotfix 8.0.1

We’ve just deployed a hotfix to solve some of the unexpected issues introduced in Update 8.0.0. This includes the removal of the super jump that was created for the Light class!


Content and Bug Fixes

Cosmetics & Customization



  • Fixed an issue with the ‘Fuel to the Fire’ visual effect that caused it to be too long and sometimes clip into the player’s first-person camera view


  • FIxed a bug with the Black Nile Project Mask that could make your Character appear bare-chested in the main menu

Gadgets

H+ Infuser


  • Fixed an issue where the H+ Infuser’s projectiles could be blocked by some objects, such as friendly Dome Shields

Gameplay


  • Reverted a change that has prevented players from quickly cancelling an animation after use, such as throwing a Frag Grenade, causing the item or projectile not to spawn

    Dev Note: In the 8.0 patch we made a change to better match the animation that plays when raising the Dematerializer control panel to the preview effect, to fix a common issue where players tried to quickly Dematerialize a surface but their first input didn’t count. Unfortunately, this fix had some unintended impacts so we have reverted that change, which means the old Dematerializer issue will be back until we find another approach.

    It should be noted here that separate to this change, we made a fix in 8.0 that causes deployables’ preview meshes to only appear when the player is allowed to deploy them. This should make it more reliable to deploy, and avoid that old feeling that the input was being ignored because the mesh showed up too early. The ‘time to deploy’ for these items is still the same as prior to 8.0, this is just a visual change and it is not related to the revert mentioned above.


Specializations

Evasive Dash


  • Fixed an issue where hitting jump immediately after dashing would cause a ‘super-dash’ to occur, sending the player much further than intended

Weapons

Dagger


  • Fixed an issue where releasing the secondary attack early, before fully charged, could cause distorted and stuck sound effects

Pike-556


  • Fixed an issue where the Pike had the wrong headshot bonus. It now gives the correct x1.5 damage bonus

Sword


  • Fixed an issue where releasing the secondary attack early, before fully charged, could cause distorted and stuck sound effects

Continue reading...
 

Season 8 is LIVE!

SEASON 8 | GAME TIME
THE WORLD IS WATCHING


It’s time to unite! This is the main event, Contestants. With all eyes on the grandest of stages, if there ever was a moment to play your best, this is it. The game is on. The greatest gameshow on Earth is back for another season! This is THE FINALS.

Flags will fly, cultures will shine, and Contestants from all over the globe will step into the spotlight for a showdown of epic proportions! The Arena is set, revamped, and ready to host the World's biggest competition! It's GAME TIME!


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For a more complete version of the Notes, visit the News Page!

INSTANT REPLAY

Instant Replay Beta has landed and it's nothing short of magical! Want to know what just turned you into a pile of coins? Now you can! This is mind-bending tech that fuses destruction physics, dynamic environments, and fast-paced action into a full clip, live, and just for you.

This feature is rolling out in beta as we learn from it. It’s technically wild, and we’re beyond proud. It plays back your elimination moments so you can actually see what happened in that fast-moving, destructible chaos we call THE FINALS. The clarity it delivers is game-changing.

To be honest, at first and second glance, this was an impossible task. But at Embark we take a challenge seriously. Prototypes for this feature date back to the early days of the project, before THE FINALS even had a name, trying to prove it possible. What you will see in Season 8 is the result of all that hard work. We had to calculate everything that matters: player movement, environmental destruction, object interactions in a level of data fidelity that’s hard to pull off in a Dynamism Shooter. Then take all that info and quickly reconstruct the moment.

It’s not enabled for everyone by default (especially on systems under 16 GB RAM), but you can toggle it on manually. If you’ve got the horsepower, turn it on, try it, and tell us what you think. We’ll be gathering feedback, polishing performance, and expanding integration throughout the season.

In THE FINALS, the Arena is a living, crumbling, ever-changing beast. Instant Replay offers a path to smarter plays and sharper instincts. Give it a try!

MATCH RECAP

We’re rolling out a brand-new match summary screen for World Tour, Ranked and QuickCash, with more Modes to come. It features a timeline graph of important scoring events. You’ll also see a personal breakdown of your own performance, with ratings across Combat, Support, Objective score, and more. You’ll see how it all played out and your own contribution to the team effort!

Rise to the challenge and aim to be spectacular! And should you successfully end a round with nothing but S-ranks across the board, tag us and let us know!

WEAPONS OLD AND NEW

Season 8 comes with two new Weapons that are bound to change the game in new and exciting ways:

BFR TITAN | Heavy


The BFR Titan is a high caliber, manual action revolver that deals immense damage. With its low ammo count and individually reloaded rounds, it's ideal for those who want to hold the edge of the encounter and pick off their targets, one bullet at a time.

P90 | Medium
The P90 is a submachine gun with a compact design and high capacity magazine. Unload a barrage at shorter ranges, or pester targets from further away by raining bullets! Get ready to spray and pray, contestants!


Weapons System We’re also migrating more weapons over to our new Weapons System, which is way more robust and reliable than the old one! This is a long-term initiative and we’re taking it step-by-step to make sure this first phase is done right. Several Weapons are migrating over to the new system and more will make the move during Season 8. It is our ambition to finally put an end to some of the longest standing weapon related bugs in THE FINALS, once and for all.

Dematerializer Improvements

We’ve reworked the Dematerializer to be more reliable when opening and closing segments and to provide a more accurate aim when it comes to aiming your wall removal. We’ve also added an off-screen indicator that will help other Contestants know when a wall has been opened nearby to them.

Grenade Indicator

Watch out! We’ve added a Frag Grenade indicator for better readability on your imminent detonation, players should now have a bit more time to react to live Grenades. This has been a requested feature for some time, watch your six and stay safe out there, Contestants!

SMOOTH DESTRUCTION

Welcome to the first release of a feature we’re calling Smooth Destruction. Until recently, impact damage from collapsing structures wasn’t really there. With this new update, we’re dialing up the cascading damage that can occur when buildings or objects fall into others. Starting with suspended structures and cranes, making these crash down can cause real damage and totally reshape the environment, creating new emergent play spaces in the process!

Smooth destruction introduces knock-on effects and chain reactions that open up new tactical and strategic options. It’s a fundamental leap forward, and further proof that evolving our core systems can transform the Arena just as much as brand-new features.

This is only the beginning! We plan to keep pushing the boundaries and spreading Smooth Destruction across every Arena in new and exciting ways!

This is something we have wanted and planned for since day one, so seeing it live in the game is humbling and exciting all at the same time! Have fun tearing it all down, Contestants!

KYOTO UPGRADES
Destruction keeps evolving across the Arenas, and Kyoto is the latest to get an upgrade. Buildings now collapse into connected chunks of debris that are easier to climb and traverse. Collapses happen closer to where structures were weakened, so it’s easier to anticipate what’s going to fall. The new setup is also more optimized, so performance gets a boost too.

But that’s not all, Kyoto has also received design improvements. Extra jump pads have been added to provide faster access to key areas, and reduce the need for movement gadgets. Interior layouts have been simplified, and basements have been split up with walls to provide more cover and tactical opportunities. Expect more changes to come as we work on tackling even more of the pain points!

MONACO AND MOREWe’ve applied what we’ve learned from our more recent maps to Monaco’s suspended structures. They’re now built as larger gameplay spaces with improved accessibility, creating more room for action and better flow.

Across all maps, you’ll now see new branding that amps up the excitement of the Competition. Just like when the Olympics or World Cup takes over a city, every Arena is being transformed with fresh banners and energy!

Even the stadium itself is evolving; stands and structures will change throughout the season, building up towards the Major, where the full transformation will be revealed…

SIGN YOUR SPONSOR

It’s time for a new Sponsor deal and this Season, you’ll be choosing between two giants!

HOLTOW | Digitally insured, virtually secured.

HOLTOW is back for another Season, vying for your Loyalty and dedicated to your protection! They even have an all new insurance type to offer the wayward souls of the meatspace and virtual world alike. CEO, Quemby Rutile, is ready to back any Contestant willing to wear the HOLTOW name with pride. If you’re a returning HOLTOW signer, get ready for a whole new track of rewards that will deepen your dedication and your protection!

SIGN WITH HOLTOW AND INSURE YOUR VICTORY!


TRENTILA | Slightly unstable. Shockingly good.

CEO Ana Del Mar has been tilling the soil of the Arena for a long time now, but this is the first time TRENTILA steps up into the spotlight and offers support to Contestants as an official Sponsor of THE FINALS! They are here to prove that they can nurture more than just agriculture, and promise that signees will bloom in the spotlight that they cast! If they can grow their trademarked Tiger Fruit in the middle of the Transatlantic Landfill, they can certainly grow your fame and fortune!

SIGN WITH TRENTILA AND CULTIVATE YOUR TRIUMPH!

BATTLE PASS

The Season 8 Battle Pass is full of earnable rewards designed to celebrate the spirit of global competition in a spirited and fantastical way! You can choose between the Ultimate, Premium, or Free Battle Pass which means there is something for everyone!

PLAYSTYLES

We’re introducing Playstyles: pre-made Contestant templates that bundle a Specialization, Weapon, and Gadgets into a recognizable style of play. They give new players a clear starting point and show off the variety THE FINALS has to offer, while still letting everyone branch out and experiment with their own personal Loadout and Playstyles. This will make THE FINALS friendlier for new players and will also provide a much faster path for unlocking Weapons, Specializations, and Gadgets!

Want the full breakdown? Check out the Playstyles blog for all the details.

MORE IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEWBIES

Tutorial Updates
The tutorial has been expanded to cover so much more of what makes THE FINALS, THE FINALS! It now teaches players how to use Specializations, what happens during a team wipe, and how to revive teammates. After completing a revive, you’ll even get a Dummy teammate to help finish things out. This should help new players gain a stronger foundation before their first real match.

New Dummy ChallengesWe’ve added more Dummy Challenges in the Practice Range, focused around playing the objective. In one, you’ll defend a Cashout from waves of Dummies trying to steal it, perfect practice for the chaos of the Arena.

Rookie ContractsRookie Contracts return as a fuller onboarding experience. Now they include tasks like completing the tutorial, finishing Challenges, creating your first Contestant, and trying out different Game Modes. They give new players a longer runway to explore the game and plenty of incentives along the way.

FASTER BOOT TIMES

We’ve added background shader pre-compilation, which means the game client boots up much faster. You’ll be able to navigate menus, edit Contestants, and party up with friends while shaders finish compiling in the background. For machines that normally spend a lot of time stuck on precompiling shaders, this change should make a big difference.

Ranked Reconnect ImprovementsWe’re adjusting the rules for Ranked Tournament abandonment. Combined with faster boot times, this means players who need to reconnect during a ranked match won’t be unfairly penalized just because the client took too long to restart.

CUSTOMIZATION IMPROVEMENTS

Earrings
That’s right, get ready for Earrings! It’s time to find new ways to sparkle! Nothing complements a beautiful set of hair, stylish glasses, a well trimmed beard, and a fresh coat of makeup like a pair of diamond studs covering your sides!

Effects We’ve separated item effects from items, so cosmetics that come with signature character effects that modify the space around them, no longer rely on that piece in order to apply the effect!

GAME MODES

Head2Head is here to stay!
Head2Head is no longer a limited event. It’s joining our Quick Play modes. We saw a lot of love for this Mode and we think it’s a great warm up round or pick when you don’t have time to make it to the final round of a Tournament!

Team Deathmatch on BernalAs part of our efforts to enhance existing features, we’re adding Team Deathmatch to Bernal, giving players a fresh way to experience the map. Get ready to fight across three signature areas in this magical town: Hotels, Apartments, Backyards!

Saying Goodbye to Terminal Attack For now, it’s time to say goodbye to Terminal Attack. It’s by far our least played Mode and its fraught history makes the Mode difficult to love. Maybe it’ll return one day as an event, once we’re all good and ready!

NEW SOUNDTRACK


It wouldn’t be a new Season without a new set of Bangers from our unbelievably talented Audio team!

Audio Director, Carl Strandberg, says, “This season we really wanted to hit home on the Olympic grandness of the Major coming up. So it's very much inspired by everything majestic. We've really tried incorporating a lot of orchestral elements, tying it together with the classic FINALS-synth and drum sounds, but also trying to get elements from every previous season in there, to build on everything we've created the last 7 seasons.”

MOUSE AND KEYBOARD FOR CONSOLE

You can now play with Mouse and Keyboard on Console!

TWITCH DROPS

Abby the APS is excited to join her friends Terry and Chuck! Available now for FREE as a Twitch drop, along with a sticker and a pair of Earrings that will help keep Abby close to your heart and mind at all times! Watch any Twitch streamer playing THE FINALS with drops enabled to earn your new best friend! While the new handy Frag Grenade indicator will alert you of an incoming Grenade, Abby will kindly, but firmly, decline its explosive power.

THE GRAND MAJOR 2025

With The Arenas set for the grandest competitions, we’re also setting the grand stage for our first ever esports Major! The 16 strongest teams across the world will travel to DreamHack Stockholm to settle the score and see who’s truly the best of the best, and will be crowned Champion of The Arena!

Our Closed Qualifiers featuring full studio production, top talent from the community and the strongest 16 teams from EMEA and NA takes place on September 20th & 21st, where we will find out which teams qualify through to The Grand Major!

See you in Stockholm, Contestants!

Now, let’s get into all the nitty gritty details:

Balance Changes

Gadgets


Frag Grenade


  • Added in-world grenade indicator

H+ Infuser


  • Decreased healing per shot from 15 to 145

    Dev Note: The Infuser was still slightly outperforming other healing items, this change is made to address that.

Thermal Vision


  • Temporarily disabled Thermal Vision

    Dev Note: Thermal Vision has struggled with a considerable number of bugs and issues for some time now, issues that are not a simple or quick thing to fix. Some issues can offer players an unintended advantage, so we’ve made the decision to bench the Gadget for now. We’ll re-work it over the next few seasons, at which point it will return to the roster.

General


  • Increased the damage done by the crane’s wrecking ball from 10 to 75

Specializations

Dematerializer


  • Decreased the number of charges from 3 to 2


  • Added new functionality which now remembers exactly which wall segments were dematerialized when a charge was used. These segments are now grouped together and if any of them is rematerialized, all of those in the group will also always be rematerialized


  • Added a vignette to the screen that will be displayed when a wall segment is dematerialized near the player, just outside of their field of view, so that players are better aware of what is happening around them


  • Updated the dematerialize effect on walls when activated, adding a slight delay before the wall segment becomes fully transparent


  • Added a new ‘vibration’ effect to dematerialized wall segments, which will start to play just before the wall segments would automatically rematerialize

    Dev Note: These changes have been a long time coming. The Dematerializer Specialization has been by far the most picked Specialization and the most winning, across the majority of modes and skill tiers. We never intended any item to see so much usage and it has sped up the pace of the game and how quickly Cashout fights resolve. Our intent has been to reduce the number of charges available, to throttle the usage rate, but we felt we couldn’t make that change until we fixed how unreliable opening and closing wall segments could be. With this new system and the improved visual feedback, we’re now in a place where we can reduce the ammo count. Between this change and the Turret and Healing Beam buffs, we’re hoping to return to a more varied Medium meta.

Guardian Turret


  • Decreased the cooldown from 40s to 35s


  • Decreased the cooldown when retrieving the turret from 20s to 17.5s

    Dev Note: As Specializations go, the Turret has been fairly underused. We want to increase its desirability without making it too frustrating. This change will buff its availability in-match.

Healing Beam


  • Increased healing rate from 40 per second to 46 per second

    Dev Note: Since the Healing Beam is a Specialization, it should be one of the more desirable healing tools in the game, Since the introduction of the H+ Infuser and the Healing Emitter (a.k.a Chuck), it’s not been desirable enough. This change allows the Healing Beam to go from 220 to 253 healing before overheating, which should buff it to where it should be.

Winch Claw


  • Increased cooldown when missing a target from 7s to 10s


  • Increased cooldown when successfully hitting a Cashout Station or Contestant from 14s to 18s


  • Increased the cooldown when hitting all other object types from 7s to 14s

    Dev Note: The power and impact of the Winch Claw is out of line with some of the other Heavy Specializations and that is reflected in the data.

Weapons

.50 Akimbo


  • Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 35m to 32m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range


  • Decreased damage falloff max range from 42.5m to 39m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range

    Dev Note: We feel the akimbo pistols are performing slightly too well at longer ranges, so this is a small nudge to bring them more into their intended niche.

CB-01


  • Increased damage from 84 to 88

    Dev Note: The CB-01 has struggled to perform well across most modes and sees a very low pick rate. This change is intended to improve viability.

Dual Blades


  • Increased how quickly sprinting is re-enabled after the second attack animation begins by 25%


  • Increased how quickly sprinting is re-enabled after the third attack animation begins by 15%

    Dev Notes: This change is mostly to correct some inconsistencies between attacks, which made the second animation in the attack sequence more aggressively slow the player than it should have.

LH1


  • Increased damage from 42 to 44

    Dev Note: We’re still trying to get the LH1 to a place where it’s viable but not dominant. Previous changes have seen it really bottom out in both usage and performance, so we’re nudging it in an effort to improve viability and desirability.

Pike-556


  • Decreased damage from 50 to 48


  • Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 45m to 40m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range


  • Increased damage falloff multiplier from 0.75 to 0.8, meaning the weapon now does slightly more damage at range. This is somewhat offset by the reduction in base damage


  • Increased the size of bullet dispersion when firing from the hip, especially while crouching, making the weapon less accurate when not aiming down sights

    Dev Note: We feel the Pike currently has too much utility, being both good at long range but also very viable at close range. These changes aim to get it to where it should be, a medium-to-long range rifle that is less effective when fighting at close quarters.

Riot Shield


  • Decreased maximum speed of an attack’s lunge to the target from 10m/s to 7m/s


  • Decreased minimum speed of an attack’s lunge to the target from 7m/s to 5.5m/s


  • Decreased the trigger range of the attack’s lunge from 4m to 2.5m

    Dev Note: The recent buffs to melee, including the Riot Shield, exposed some pre-existing issues, including its ability to too reliably keep attackers on top of enemies once they reached them. These changes should address that.
Content and Bug Fixes

Animation



  • Fixed an issue where the Sword's secondary charge-up animation was sometimes not shown correctly in spectator view


  • Reworked the first-person view of the Riot Shield. You will now have a better sense of where your shield is blocking when aiming up and down


  • Fixed a small but noticeable inconsistency when aiming down sights after sprinting in first-person. This transition should now feel more consistent


  • Polished first-person animations for the Defibrillators, including an improved visual cues on the charging cables to make it easier to tell when they’re ready to use

Career Rank


  • Added career levels up to level 500, and re-balanced the tiers from Bronze to Amethyst

Controller


  • Additional rumble has been added for more things in the game


  • Fixed an issue where pressing buttons while loading could cause focus to be lost when returning to the menu

Contracts


  • Added Rookie Contracts for new players where all cosmetics that used to be in the career path will now be available under the Rookie Contracts instead

Cosmetics & Customization


  • Added Earring category


  • Added 4 more Outfit slots


  • Character effects have now been split from their headwears into its own customization slot


  • Fixed sleeve clipping for the Toga Damnata coat during certain animations


  • Fixed folding issues when crouching in the Combat Chore Dress on certain Builds


  • Updated the Spray preview to now show the Spray applied to a concrete slab (Slabby?!), instead of a card


  • Ballistic masks can now be worn with hoods, enhancing your character customization options


  • Reduced the intense bright spots of the Shock Value Effect in the Arena

Consoles


  • Added Mouse and Keyboard support, at long last

Gadgets

Smoke Grenade


  • Updated the placement and duration of the smoke’s blocking volume, which hides enemy players. This should now better match the visual effects of the smoke

Sonar Grenade


  • Increased hitbox size to make it easier to destroy by shooting

Proximity Sensor


  • Increased hitbox size to make it easier to destroy by shooting

Game Modes

General


  • Removed Terminal Attack from Quickplay and Private Matches


  • Added Head2Head to Quickplay and Private Matches


  • Removed Bank It! from Private Matches

    Dev note: While we still see lots of love for Bank It! in the community, it hasn’t been played often enough in Private Matches to warrant the overhead it brings when it comes to regular maintenance, QA testing, etc.. It will likely return in another format some day in the future!


  • Fixed an issue where the abandoned check did not work as intended. Players are now only marked as abandoned if they’ve actually left and are no longer tracked by the connection system. We’ll be keeping an eye out to ensure this behaves correctly

Practice Range


  • Added two new challenges: Cashout Defense and Cashbox Time-Trial


  • Added a 4th version of the Meet the Dummies challenge where you’ll meet all three Dummies at the same time


  • Updated Dummy behavior to enable them to fight back against some Gadgets and Deployables


  • Tweaked Dummy aim behavior to improve their ability to land hits at long range

Ranked


  • Increased the tournament reconnect window from 210 to 240 seconds to give players more time to rejoin mid-match

TDM


  • Added Bernal to the map pool

Tutorial


  • Fixed an issue where the Nama Tama hint could become stuck

Gameplay


  • Enabled Smooth Destruction for the Crane, Wrecking Ball, and Suspended Structures


  • Gadget previews are now better aligned with actual usability timing, preventing missed inputs in the Arena


  • Fixed an issue where sounds and visual effects would occur in the Arena without any player nearby


  • Fixed an issue where elimination hitmarkers would sometimes fail to display

GameShow Events


  • The Dead Go Boom Gameshow Event is now enabled on all Maps and Modes where Events are available


  • Alien Invasion has been adjusted to target objectives when applicable and lift up players

    Dev note: we're looking into a bug where UFOs don’t avoid collision with none-playable buildings, which once squashed, will allow us to enable the updated Alien Invasion on more maps in the near future.

Languages


  • Added Russian localization to the game

Maps

General


  • All Suspended Structures will now use the new Smooth Destruction feature which allows them to destroy the environment underneath them when they fall


  • Updated crane visuals to allow players to vault to top part of crane more easily when the cabin ladder is broken


  • Fixed an issue where shooting at text or decals on windows would need more bullets to be fired in order to break the glass.


  • Slightly reduced scale of goo and smoke ATK Canisters to minimise players getting stuck on them

Bernal


  • Fix for player movement issues on curved metallic slanted roof


  • Added a short ladder to the area in front of the Chapel courtyard


  • Adjusted the zipline in the courtyard next to the Chapel for smoother exiting in multiple directions


  • Fixed collision complexity on a low tree to fix issues with player revives

Fortune Stadium


  • Fix for player getting accidentally stuck beneath ground of ISEUL-T buildings when falling through

Kyoto


  • Added several Jump Pads between Temples and Villa Compound to make the Villa Compound easier to attack, improve the Macro Flow, and reduce the need for movement gadgets.


  • Added cover and reworked the layouts of all basements in Kyoto to make them more varied and interesting to fight in. We also removed as many “floating” pillars as we were structurally able to, to make navigation easier - particularly during combat.


  • Adjusted the amount of basement entrances, to reduce the number of engagement angles you have to cover at once.


  • Removed all Cashout Stations inside the Bamboo Forest as prolonged combat proved too problematic in such a dense, natural environment.


  • Nearly all buildings in Kyoto have seen small interior layout tweaks to reduce their overall complexity. The aim is to make them easier to navigate and quicker understand at a glance.

    Dev Note: Kyoto’s architecture and building sizes naturally lean towards denser and tighter layouts, especially when compared to our other maps. With this pass we want to simplify and open the spaces up a bit more without compromising its theming or gameplay intent.


  • Residential - Added a Zipline to allow for rooftop access without the need for movement gadgets


  • Pavilion - Objectives have been moved to the sides of the building, to ensure fights happen in the flanks, not the center of the structure.


  • Pavilion - Ground floor layout has been adjusted to reduce the amount of 360 fights


  • Added Zipline between Guest House and Residential to improve macro flow and reduce the need for movement gadgets


  • Added ladder from Entrance to Guest House as an alternative shortcut


  • Small Guest House - Added ladder to the rooftop to allow for easier access without needing movement gadgets. Also added a small veranda to subdivide the space and add some cover for combat.


  • Training Quarters - Added more dividing doors to better define chokepoints


  • Training Quarters back building - broke up the corridor and moved the Cashout Station into the other room to make fights more directional. Removed the Cashout Station that was on the exterior veranda as those fights proved too chaotic.


  • Added several planks around the map to highlight and open up new traversal opportunities


  • Villa Compound Garden - Added a Jump Pad on the south side of the Tea House to help players escape precarious situations more easily


  • Villa Compound Tea House - Moved and rotated slightly to frame the new Jump Pad better. Its layout has been subdivided to improve combat longevity


  • Hillside House - Interior has been simplified to reduce its navigation complexity and better support defending the most common approach angles


  • Main Temple - Interior layout has been reworked to make taking control over its spaces easier and fights less 360/chaotic


  • Vault updates and additions all over the map to facilitate more “stand-off” encounters between competing teams


  • Many small QoL tweaks to the flow and readability of Kyoto


  • Fix for indestructible stone fence modules on exterior staircase area


  • Kyoto destruction re-work that make structure collapses result in debris that is more traversable and less chaotic

Las Vegas 2032 & Stadium


  • Added more player spawn points and adjusted a few


  • Fixed a duplicate Zipline in the staircase of Alfa Acta building


  • Fixed a ladder floating above the roof of Glamora casino

Monaco


  • Suspended Structures map variant has been reworked

    Dev note:The previous version could severely restrict players who didn't have the right items to contest the suspended structures, and it lacked meaningful variation between the different setups across the map. With this rework we aim to enable a larger variety of strategies and playstyles, whilst also offering a more balanced experience between attackers and defenders.


  • Fix for collision of cathedral pillar piece on duck and cover variant to be more predictable with player movement and gadgets


  • Added more player spawn points and adjusted a few


  • Added new Vault locations


  • Added new Cashout Station on the crane


  • Added ladders on the sides of a few buildings to make it easier to traverse between rooftops


  • Adjusted the cliffs at the edge of the Forest to make it easier to climb up the walls in a couple places

Nozomi/Citadel


  • Added some more cover along The Rift between Cybercafe and Apartments

Skyway Stadium


  • Fixed floating zebra crossing in the residential district


  • Added more player spawn points and adjusted a few


  • Adjusted backdrop building to prevent crane clipping issues on Skyway Stadium

Seoul


  • Added more player spawn points and adjusted a few


  • Moved a hospital bed away from a window where you could easily get stuck between the two

SYS$HORIZON


  • Added more player spawn points and adjusted a few

Tutorial


  • Improved Tutorial flow to include more scenarios and better teach the basics of gameplay

Matchmaking


  • Updated the matchmaker to put more emphasis on separating premade parties and solo players in matches for World Tour, Powershift and QuickCash

    Dev note: This change is possible due to new functionality we’ve added to the matchmaker, that gives us more flexible ways to make matches. As it’s relatively new and requires quite a bit of testing, it’s only being rolled out for these modes to start with, but it’s our aim to move all modes to this system in the near future

Performance & Stability


  • Moved shader compilation to in-game rather than startup

    Dev note: Moved shader preloading to frontend, allowing players to customize their loadout, visit the shop and adjust settings while waiting for it to complete. If a player attempts to start a game before preloading has finished, a warning is shown. The warning can be ignored if the player prefers to start immediately and risk performance issues.

Private Matches & Spectator


  • Added the ability to change color and assign preset team names to teams in private matches

Rendering


  • Fixed an issue that could cause pixelated artifacts around the edges of your contestant in the Main Menu


  • Fixed an issue that caused light flickering when changing Effects quality setting in-game


  • Made changing NVIDIA RTX Global Illumination setting more responsive in-game


  • Fixed a rare issue that caused the 3D scene to flicker and show up cropped incorrectly in the top left corner


  • Fixed an issue causing jittering red dot and holographic sights when AMD FSR3 Frame Generation was enabled.

Social


  • Moved block management to in-game instead of web based

Specializations

Dematerializer


  • Fixed an issue when trying to rematerialize a section that has just been dematerialized would incorrectly consume ammo

Winch Claw


  • Improving winch claw hit detection by making sure the hooking player has some visibility over the enemy it's trying to hook.

UI


  • Fixed an issue where the incorrect weapon skin was highlighted as you entered the skin screen for weapons


  • Fix player card customization menu resetting to the selected Contestant when opened from gamepad


  • You can now inspect rewards in the contract screen


  • Wishlist prices will now update correctly when adding items to your cart and updating your already existing wishlist


  • Allow toggling HUD in PracticeRange/Tutorial via F10 key


  • Now you can easily equip gadgets, specializations, and weapons directly from the equipment screen!


  • Added specialization icon to contestant pack icons in frontend


  • "Playstyles" tab has been added to the equipment screen


  • "Playstyle Token" currency has been added to the top bar, which only displays if the player has unlockable playstyles remaining. Clicking on this currency will open the playstyles tab.

VFX


  • Fixed an issue with the elimination coin effect that could make it disappear too early


  • Updated visuals for the Gas Canister explosion

Weapons

Sights


  • Setup for Magnifex Sight on all weapons that support Reflector Sight


  • Added 3 new sights to various guns:

    • Iron Vantage - An alternate, high magnification scope added to:

      • Pike-556

    • Quickspark - A red dot sight for handguns added to:

      • - R .357


      • - BFR Titan


      • - V9S

    • Magnifex - A box holographic with moderate magnification added to:

      • - XP-54


      • - FCAR


      • - FAMAS


      • - LH1


      • - CB-01 Repeater

  • Fixed the visual misalignment of the 'Looking Glass' scope with the Shak-50 weapon model

Dual Blades


  • Fixed an issue where dual blades would sometime not play deflect animation when deflecting a turret projectile

Riot Shield


  • Fixed several instances of animation desync of the Riot Shield in third person, zig zag sprints, ziplines and aiming should now all be more accurate to where the collision is situated


  • Reworked the setup in first person to better represent the collision state both in guarded and non guarded state

    Dev note: We have made another animation pass on the Riot Shield to improve the visuals so they better match the collision state. While this improvement does obstruct some of your vision in the left field of view, it does give both the wielder and the attacker a better understanding of which bullets will hit the shield, and which will hit the character. There are still some issues left to solve and we have another update cooking that will improve this even further, but we felt that instead of holding off changes we’d opt for a middle step that will improve things overall.

Spear


  • Fixed an issue where being Winch Clawed while using the secondary attack of the Spear would prevent using that attack again for a few seconds

Security

Updates from the Anti-Cheat team!

Our technical test of Denuvo for XBox on Windows was successful.

As a result we will start an incremental rollout on Steam for Season 8.

We know there have been concerns about us choosing Denuvo from Irdeto, and we'd like to re-iterate that we're not using their Digital Rights Management service. We are working closely with the game team to ensure minimal impact on performance, and trust us, they drive a hard bargain!

In order to keep up with cheaters, we are always on the lookout for new solutions, so aside from Denuvo we have a couple more exciting updates.

We have asked VAIIYA to build a solution for us, which is a complicated and time consuming effort. It’s still very much a work in progress, so stay tuned for updates.

We have also partnered up with Anybrain, and have rolled out their solution to a small percentage of our playerbase as a test with plans to continue throughout Season 8. Evaluations are ongoing and this may become a permanent part of our toolbox to protect fair play and the integrity of our players.

/// Tom and Magnum

Continue reading...
 

Update 7.12 - DANCE LIKE THE SPONSORS ARE WATCHING

Update 7.12.0
DANCE LIKE THE SPONSORS ARE WATCHING


CNS are bringing disco back to the Arena in the final week of World Tour! Strike a pose near the Cashout when the dance floor appears to earn extra cash! This time, you’ll earn more cash the longer you emote while the dance floor is active!

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HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW CONTESTANTS?

Check out this week’s Store Update! Get your end-of-season grind-on with the Slick Trick Rick set, and roll in style with the Vaporwave Board!

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It’s the last week of Season 7, Contestants. Make it a great one!

Continue reading...
 

Store Update 7.11 - Cardbored to Death!

Store Update 7.11.0


Welcome to all the new players who have been entering the Arena lately! And thank you to all the veteran Contestants who have been welcoming them and showing them the ropes. Don’t forget to take advantage of the Recruit and Rise program, that will help both Recruiters and Prospects gain cool rewards, bragging rights, and a nice smooth introduction to THE FINALS!

We’re hard at work on Season 8, but this week, we’ve got a new addition to the store.

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Out of ideas? Never. Out of materials? Maybe.

Cardbored to Death is this week’s beautifully corrugated addition to the storefront, a full set of improvised armor, duct tape and all, for the contestant who crafts chaos from cardboard. Built for budget, styled for battle. The Folded Line Model skin brings paper-cut precision, or maybe cardboard bluntness, to every takedown. And if pixels are more your thing, the 8-bit Blades Set slices its way into the store. Forged in a low-res world for high-stakes play, these retro-inspired Dual Blades pair nostalgia with impact.


THE CLASH FOR CASH CONTINUES

The final countdown is ticking down on the HEAD 2 HEAD event! Sponsors are watching, so do them proud and bring home the Season victory! Starting today, you have new contracts to unlock, new rewards to earn, and as always, fame within your grasp.

Continue reading...
 

Store Update 7.10 - Miss Demeanor!

Store Update 7.10.0

Handle dust, and your opponents, like a pro. This week’s store update was maid for you! Sweep the Arena with the all new Miss Demeanor Outfit! Time to take out the trash!

Also, we welcome Dale the Whale to the gameshow, a digital pet that will help you ride the vibe while you take out the competition.

All this and more, check out the preview below:

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New Sale

Check out the store to see the new sale on some older bundles, starting now and lasting for the next two weeks!

Head 2 Head

This week, Head 2 Head is coming to ALL Arenas! This means a larger pool of locations. Nedstrike will only show up on the original four Arenas (Bernal, Monaco, Kyoto, and Las Vegas). Keep clashing and cashing!


Special Community Stream
Tune in today at 5PM CEST to our very first Embark Creator Showdown!
Oscar and Caroline will be leading two teams of Creators in an epic showdown across multiple game-modes. Join us LIVE on Twitch and YouTube later today and let them know which side you’re on!


Twitch Drops are still ongoing!

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The Broadcast Blaze skins are still up for grabs! So check out your favorite THE FINALS streamers with Twitch drops enabled and get those sweet rewards.


XP Override

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It’s not too late to finish the Battle Pass and gather your Fans! XP Override is still on until the end of the Season, so earn extra XP and Fans from Daily Contracts and gameplay. Kick it into gear!

Continue reading...
 

Hotfix 7.9.2

Hotfix 7.9.2

We have another Hotfix for you today!

Here are the fixes:

Performance


  • Fixed shutdown crash issue for Xbox PC


  • Fixed kick issue (TFAV3015) on Steam Deck/Proton that was introduced in Update 7.9.0


  • Performed optimization on memory that should reduce some instances of stutter during gameplay

Gameplay


  • Fixed an issue that caused toggle inputs such as Toggle Sprint and Toggle Crouch to work incorrectly

UI


  • Fixed an issue that caused the wrong World Tour stop to be displayed

Continue reading...
 

Update 7.9 - HEAD2HEAD feat. Ned

Update 7.9.0


MONSTER ALERT!

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Welcome to the monstrous end-of-season showdown! We’re introducing a new Limited-Time mode called Head 2 Head, which pits Sponsor against Sponsor in the final round of Cashout! Earn free Event rewards for completing Contracts and grab a full set of VAIIYA and CNS themed skins!

Head 2 Head captures that Final Round experience, a 3v3 round where Respawns are faster and unlimited. Look out for an all new Gameshow Event, the Nedstrike, that will have you fleeing in terror!


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Complete Event Contracts to get free rewards!

XP OVERRIDE

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Time to kick your grind into overdrive! Earn 200% XP for Daily Contracts, and up to 150% XP and Fans for gameplay from now until the end of the Season!


BIRDS OF A FEATHER? STICK TOGETHER!

Vibing with your team? Take the party into the next match by selecting STAY AS A PARTY at the end of the round! When a match concludes you’ll have the option to vote to keep playing with your same team, forming a party. Who knows - maybe this is the start of a lifelong friendship in The Arena!

JOIN THE OPEN QUALIFIERS!

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The road to esports ends in Stockholm, but now - your journey begins.


Assemble your team and sign up starting today!

This is a global show of skills! Only the bold will rise. Only the best will qualify.

It’s time to register your team for the Open Qualifiers! This is your first stop on the road to The Grand Major 2025, our first major tournament for THE FINALS, organized by FACEIT and DREAMHACK, which culminates at Dreamhack Stockholm in November.

Sign up your team today:

https://www.reachthefinals.com/registration



NEW TWITCH DROPS

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Look out! A new set of fiery purple Twitch Drops. Tune in to get the Broadcast Blaze set of equipment skins!


ONGOING ISSUES WITH FREEZES AND STUTTERING

Over the summer we have been working to identify the issue where some players experience short bursts of stuttering and sometimes even multi-second "freezes" of the client during gameplay. It’s been a challenge to find the root cause, but this week we finally managed to reproduce the issue! This means we are getting closer to finding a permanent solution.


While we work on figuring out how to eradicate this issue, it’s good to know that the game runs smoother with more memory, so closing any memory-hungry applications (such as Chrome) while playing can help with overall performance.


STORE

Amongst the latest Store additions, say hello to Hammerhead Ned, suitably accompanied by lightning VFX and monstrous voice effects! Make sure to check out the Store this week!

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Balance Changes
Gadgets


Goo Grenade


  • Cooldown increased from 20s to 30s

Dev Note: We’ve noticed the prevalence of goo increasing a little over time, to the point where we think it can now be a little too disruptive to some encounters. This change should reduce the frequency of goo usage slightly


Modes

Cashout (World Tour)


  • Vaults/Cash Boxes that have not been delivered to a Cashout Station by the time overtime starts will no longer despawn, reverting a change made in 7.6. This change only impacts World Tour. In Ranked, Vaults/Cash Boxes that have not been delivered will continue to despawn when overtime starts

Dev Note: We’ve been monitoring the 7.6 change and are seeing fewer double-stacked cash boxes (especially Tier 3) and a slight drop in third-party fights. These were both expected outcomes. That said, we’re not fully convinced it’s the right long-term solution. The despawn rule feels more disruptive in World Tour, where team wipe penalties aren’t in play. So for now, we’re disabling it there but keeping it active and under review in Ranked.


Weapons

93R


  • Decreased rate of fire from 220 to 210, making the weapon slightly slower

Dev Note: We’ve been monitoring the 93R since buffing it in update 7.0. The buff improved the weapon considerably, and even made it a touch too strong. We think this small change will better align it with other Light weapons.

Cerberus 12GA


  • Decreased the radius of the pellet distribution by approximately 10%, making the weapon more accurate


  • Increased the heat applied to world objects by the Cerberus from 2.5 to 7.5, meaning it will now ignite toxic gas clouds in a single shot

Dev Note: Since our last round of Cerberus changes the weapon has dropped dramatically in usage across all modes and skill tiers. We want to buff its viability, without returning to its previous overpowered state and we hope these changes will have that effect.

Model 1887


  • Increase maximum ammo capacity from 6 to 7

Dev Note: The Model is in a very similar place to the Cerberus, with very low usage and poor performance metrics right now. This subtle change should buff its viability without over-tuning its power.

Sledgehammer


  • Secondary attack damage increased from 154 to 175

Dev Note: We’re continuing to monitor and adjust the Sledgehammer. This damage buff to the secondary attack will boost its value compared to primary attacks. We’d also like to note we’re aware of some hit registration issues with the Sledeghammer which we’re currently investigating and hope to be able to fix as soon as possible.

Sword


  • Increased the vertical component of the secondary attack’s rotation clamping from 40 degrees to 90 degrees, meaning the Sword will not be as constrained when aiming up or down during a lunge attack

Dev Note: After recent feedback from players, we’ve relaxed the vertical component of the lunge’s rotation clamping as we agree the vertical clamp was too severe and, in general, vertical movements of the lunge were not what were being exploited previously. Hopefully this feels a lot better, but we’ll continue to read feedback on how players are finding it.

Content and Bug Fixes
Animation


  • Fixed melee swings sometimes not playing when viewing other Contestants


  • Fixed an issue where sprint animations would not play correctly after inspecting with certain skins


  • Fixed an issue where jumping with the Throwing Knives, while using the secondary attack, could cover the center of the screen


  • Fixed a case where the Riot Shield could desync in third person, not correctly showing the protected state

Dev Note: This is the first of several fixes for Riot Shield issues. We’re addressing both animation clarity and cases where the shield’s collision or state can desync from what players see.

Audio

  • Improved the quality of Announcer voice lines, and made them less repetitive
Contracts

  • Fixed issue where some damage types were not considered for Contracts involving damage on/from the Power Shift platform

Customization


  • Fixed The Devourer eyes showing up on top of glasses


  • Fixed an issue that caused some of the older CNS items to have incorrectly displayed prints on them
ESPORTS

  • Updated the Esports section to accommodate new information and registration for the Open Qualifiers. Dev note: Check out more on the esports format here, and don’t forget to sign up to compete in the Open Qualifiers!
Gadgets

H+ Infuser


  • Fixed an issue where getting eliminated while aiming down sights could result in a broken weapon model

Healing Emitter


  • Fixed an issue where Contestants were not healed by their team’s Healing Emitter while holding an enemy team’s Healing Emitter

Nullifier


  • Fixed an issue where nullified opponents could deal quick melee damage
Gameplay

  • Fixed an issue that caused kill hitmarkers to be missing in certain situations


  • Fixed a hit-reg issue with KS-23 and SR-84


  • Updated respawn statue collision to behave more predictably and reduce rolling on sloped surfaces
Maps

General


  • Larger trees now have sturdier trunks that require more bullets to destroy, making them more reliable for cover and line of sight blocking

Practice Range


  • Fixed an issue where the trophy leaderboard text could be difficult to read when picked up


  • Added Blast Off and Super Cashball trophies

Bernal


  • Fixed a zipline on top of the Chapel that floated after the geometry beneath it was destroyed


  • Updated collision on corrugated metal modules to prevent objectives from visually appearing through the roof and being interactable


  • Fix for collision issue of railing piece, specifically causing movement issues around residential staircases

Monaco


  • Fixed some visual gaps in ground meshes

Seoul:


  • Slightly raised the vent path on the outside of Apartments so you can smoothly walk over the ledge at the end without snagging

Skyway Stadium


  • Fixed an issue where grenades and bullets could pass through a narrow part of the back of the Office building

SYS$Horizon


  • Updated the Library building with the latest destruction systems


  • Fixed a step being too high on the voxel bridge next to campus which caused players to snag

Nozomi/Citadel


  • Added trees at the edges around the Cybercafe to block sightlines towards the corner next to Apartments


  • Fixed a duplicate desk underneath another desk in the Operations Center
Private Matches & Spectator

  • Improved layout and visuals for the match building screen


  • Fixed an issue where you could end up in a corrupted private match lobby
Rendering

  • Added support for AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation


  • Pause DLSS Frame Generation when in fullscreen menus (except Video Settings), to avoid rendering artifacts on UI elements


  • Updated AMD FSR version from 3.1.3 to 3.1.4


  • Fixed an issue causing light leaking in fog


  • Optimized GPU performance when a lot of visual effects are active


  • Removed a command line that could give unfair advantages by lowering graphical fidelity
Settings

  • Fixed an issue that prevented gamepads/controllers from working when Steam Input is enabled
Social

  • Fixed mouse scroll wheel functioning poorly with the text chat window


  • Added Stay as a Party functionality to end of round screen

Dev Note: Long requested and finally in THE FINALS - you can now opt in to form a party with the team members of your last game, right at the end of round screen!

UI

  • XBOX platform avatars are now properly shown as your profile image where applicable


  • Fixed an issue where only item names were shown instead of descriptions in outfit customization


  • Fixed incorrect game mode name being shown in the tab scoreboard when reconnecting after shutting down the game


  • Resolved issue causing new markers to appear on other outfits after deleting an outfit


  • The Contracts screen now properly retains the selected tab when navigating back from other pages


  • Fix rewards flow screen getting into a blank state when hitting next/skip too quickly


  • Fix text chat sometimes staying on-screen after being closed during gameplay
Security

New update and exciting news from the Anti-Cheat team!

With this release we will perform a technical test of Denuvo Anti Cheat on Xbox for Windows. If the test goes well, we'll consider rolling it out incrementally on Steam in Season 8.

We'd also like to point out that we're not utilizing the Digital Rights Management parts of the Denuvo platform.

Compatibility with SteamDeck and Proton has been tested as well, and we are still committed to serving that part of our community.

Please keep sending in player reports and other information you believe could be of value to us, it really helps us in our work to keep THE FINALS fair and secure!

//Tom and Magnum

Continue reading...
 

Update 7.8

UPDATE 7.8.0 – RISK & REWARD RETURNS

Sponsored by VAIIYA, the Risk & Reward World Tour is back, and this time, the stakes are smarter.

Throughout the event, Contestants will earn varying amounts of cash for eliminations based on the Weapon used. Whether you go in with a surgeon’s precision or a showman’s flair, the right tool could mean the difference between pocket change or a payload.

With rebalanced cash earned per elimination, it’s the perfect time to rethink your Loadout and bring your most devious strategies to the Arena.

So go bold, go calculated.. just don’t go in unprepared.

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Looking to turn heads while you turn the tide of battle? Consider yourself Judge, Jury and Executioner? The store has been restocked with high-contrast, high-drama looks. Face off in black-and-white with Mandatum Nullum and Mandatum Ultimum, or flash feathers and firepower with the Aviatrix Prime Load, a dual pistol set crafted in the spirit of light and shadow. The Marble Monarch and Marble Mobster sets round out the drop with sculpted strength and museum-grade menace.

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And if you’ve been waiting for news on the Grand Major 2025, the time has come. Today at 16:00 CEST, we’re revealing the full competitive format, including a breakdown video, detailed blog, and complete rulebook.

Continue reading...
 

Update 7.7

Update 7.7.0 – Badoom and Bancho

This week, it’s all about the style.

We’re bringing a plush-powered punch to the Arena with the arrival of the ÖRF BADOOM! Mythic Frag Grenade skin. Soft, snarky, and seriously explosive, just pull the cord and let it do the talking.

The Bancho Rising outfit also enters the spotlight this week. This legendary look brings the attitude and swagger of a street legend straight into the Arena. All leather. No mercy.

Looking for something more tactical? The Mayhem Threat Set is here with a stripped-down, stockless AKM skin that blends lethal intent with sleek design. Minimalist, mean, and made to make a statement.

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On the fixes and improvements side of things, we have enabled support for spectators in Cash Ball Private Matches! There is a bug where everyone is wearing the same colored outfit, but you can still tell players apart through their outline and the color of their health bars!

Introducing the Embark Creator Program

Ready for some egg-citing news?

We know that many of you have been asking and waiting for this, and we can finally announce that we have officially launched the Embark Creator Program! You can now go from a Contestant to a Rising Star as an Embark Creator or Partner, and we want to be part of your journey!

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Find all the information you need here!

~ From Caroline and the ECP Team, with love!

Continue reading...
 

Mid-Season update 7.6 - SUPER CASHBALL!

QUEUE UP FOR SUPER CASHBALL!

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Hit the locker room Contestants, it’s time to suit up for SUPER CASHBALL!

Welcome to the fast-paced, high-stakes 5v5 mode where you work as a team to throw the Cashball into the opposing goal! You can score even bigger by passing the ball between teammates, charging the ball and making it worth even more points! Earn up to 3 points in a single goal with a fully charged Cashball! A pass counts even if the ball touches the ground, so long as the next person who grabs it is on the same team.

The match is split into two five-minute halves with a short halftime in between. At the final buzzer, if the ball is still in the air, it can still score, so those last-second throws are very much in play. Every second counts in CA$HBALL STADIUM.

Looking for a comeback? Score in the last 30 seconds to get an extra 30 seconds on the timer! If a tie, the first team that reached the tied score will win.

Choose your position wisely! Loadouts are locked and the best team has a balance:


Light Build: Strikers Deadly with the Dagger and fast on their feet. They can subdue opponents, and get across the Stadium in a flash!


Medium Build: Playmaker

This position will escort the ball, pluck it out of the sky with the Winch, and carry the whole team across the field!


Heavy Build: Enforcer

Lock down the ball and the goal or chase the opposing team back to their own territory, usually in coin form.


Loadout: Evasive Dash
Dagger
Glitch Grenade Thermal Bore
Nullifier


Loadout: Winch Claw
Riot Shield
Goo Grenade
Jump Pad
Zipline


Loadout: Charge n Slam
Sledgehammer
Barricade
Dome Shield
Lockbolt


Each goal has a penalty zone around it, and if a player from the opposing team steps inside, they get Glitched. A Glitched player can’t pick up or carry the ball, nor can they use Gadgets or Specializations. So watch where you step and don’t get baited into the enemy zone!

Success in SUPER CASHBALL is all about teamwork. Pass to charge, watch the zones, and always be ready to launch that final shot.

SUPER CASHBALL will be available in Private Matches, as well! And keep an eye out for the leaderboard!

CA$HBALL STADIUM
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All of this goes down in a brand new Arena: CA$HBALL STADIUM! The lights are up, the playing field is ready.

SPIN THE SUPER CASHBALL WHEEL

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From our generous Seasonal Sponsor, VAIIYA, we introduce the SUPER CASHBALL WHEEL! It comes with CASHBALL-themed prizes, with each a chance to be earned by completing Daily Contracts to get tickets! Everyone gets a free ticket to start and duplicate spins will get you a ticket part. Combine three ticket parts to make a new ticket for an additional spin.

You’ve got 20 prizes up for grabs and the Zone Enforcer Set at the end if you successfully unlock them all!

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR COMMS

You can now pick how your Contestant sounds in the Arena, separate from the Face you have chosen, with the all new Voice Customization feature in the Appearance Tab. Some voices come with custom voice lines!

We still have some voice altering effects attached to certain items and those will still work, regardless of the voice you have chosen.

CHUCK THE HEALING EMITTER

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This update comes with CASHBALLS and Wheels, so why not throw one more round thing into the mix! Our brand new Twitch drops campaign will start today, and you’ll be able to earn Chuck the Ball! You’ll also get the Chuck nametag sticker, and a Chuck Charm, so even when you play Light and Medium, he’ll be by your side!

All you need to do is tune in to any streamer playing in THE FINALS category and watch to earn! Make sure you have connected your Twitch account so you don’t miss out on your new best bud!

LOTUS REAPER SET + 2400 MB

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The Lotus Reaper Set has arrived and it comes with 2400 Multibucks, and some of the most striking pieces we have seen in the Arena to date! Bloom in silence, strike without mercy!


STORE UPDATE

Some moments in The Arena deserve to be recorded, and watched back, in beautiful 8mm quality - and now you can with the Overexposed FAMAS!

Check it, and much more, out in this week’s store:

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SERVER CRASH EXPLOIT

In some serious news, we have patched a critical exploit that allowed players to crash the servers. We’ve managed to compile a list of everyone who used this deliberate exploit in order to remove other players from the game.

We’ll be returning the lost RS to players who were affected by this in a Ranked Tournament and permanently banning those who used this exploit to wreak havoc in the last few days. Game breaking exploits are serious and performing them deliberately is not permitted.

To those impacted by this exploit, we’re sorry for the inconvenience and we appreciate all the reports that helped us identify the issue and ensure it could be stopped.





A note on Melee from Design Director, Matt:

We wanted to share an update on the state of melee, since it's been a hot topic in the community lately. The goal is to clarify how we see melee and what kind of work we’re doing to improve it going forward.

First and foremost, melee weapons belong in THE FINALS. We wouldn’t have added them if that weren’t the case. For a melee weapon to earn its place, it needs to be viable as a style of play, intuitive for both the user and the opponent, and feel like the kills it gets are earned. Let’s break that down.

Viability

In order to make melee weapons viable, they should be able to compete with fairly similar odds to guns, but that doesn’t mean they should always be as good as the best gun or other weapons. In a game with so many weapons of incredibly varied styles, some will always be more accessible and others more niche, that’s the reality of building weapons that are so asymmetric to one another. Melee weapons, shotguns, sniper rifles and bows tend to be more niche because they exist at the extremes of balance: very short or very long ranges, very fast or very slow fire rates, etc. This makes them notoriously hard to balance. They’re often underpowered, but when buffed can quickly become overpowered and frustrating to play against. This is just the nature of balancing for more extreme playstyles. Our goal to keep them viable is to make sure players have a chance to win without making them overly frustrating or too niche for regular play. It’s a hard goal to hit, thus we keep working toward it.

Intuitiveness

For melee weapons to be intuitive, they need to behave in a way that most players can easily understand and expect, especially new players. This is where ‘melee tech’ comes in. At its core, ‘Tech’ means discovering and using bugs and edge cases in the game’s code and design. Most FPS tech arises where one system meets another. For example, the Sword’s “super lunge” is the result of one movement system (the Evasive Dash) meeting another (the lunge). Likewise, the “phantom strike” tech exploits bugs and edge cases in our animation system to perform melee strikes without visible animations. We get this can be fun to discover and master, because it boosts a weapon’s power and often takes skill. But for others, it’s frustrating. It’s unintuitive, often invisible, and disproportionately strong.

Our position on ‘tech’ has been clear since our Alpha and Beta, where we discussed ‘movement tech’ in our Meet the Makers podcast. We see ‘tech’ as a bug. When it disrupts balance or frustrates players, we aim to fix it, and in severe cases, may ban players who repeatedly exploit it. Occasionally, ‘tech’ emerges that is intuitive and doesn’t break balance. In those rare cases, we may turn the ‘tech’ into an actual mechanic that is part of the game, but only if it fits. At the end of the day though, ‘tech’ is unintended and frequently harmful to the overall experience of the game.

Current Melee Tech

Some recent ‘melee tech’ has put us in a tough spot. Without the tech, some items can feel underpowered, and with it, they become overpowered and frustrating to play against.

We want to remove that ‘tech’ for the reasons explained above, but sometimes the work involved with re-writing a system can take a long time. So what then should we do with the frustration it’s causing in the interim? This is a tough problem to solve. Generally, we’ve solved this by nerfing the item in question while the ‘tech’ exists, until we have time to fix it properly, at which point we can re-buff the weapons. That is part of the journey the Sword has been through in recent months. It’s been nerfed to offset some ‘tech’ that was frustrating and making the Sword overly punishing to play against, while we made changes to its functionality. With 7.6, new functionality goes into the game that should address the ‘tech’ issue, allowing us to buff the Sword again. With the new functionality we can monitor how well the Sword does and go from there.

Outside of the ‘tech’ issues, we’re aware that a lot of the melee weapons still lack the refinement of our guns and that’s something we want to tackle in the long-term. In 7.6, we’re making a number of balance changes to try and smooth out some of the lumps these items have, but many of them still need considerable re-works to get them to the best place possible for both their users and opponents. Re-works take time. We’re hopeful we can deliver a number of these in the coming seasons, but in the meantime we’ll continue to do what we can by balancing within our current systems.

Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of how we see melee and our approach to it. We also hope this explanation goes some way to explaining the various melee changes made in 7.6. As always, keep providing feedback and we’ll keep trying our hardest to be as solid and varied for different playstyles as we can.

//Matt

Balance Changes
Archetypes


Light


  • Replaced the Grapple Hook with the Evasive Dash in the default Loadout. The Grapple Hook must now be unlocked for VRs if not already owned


  • Replaced the M11 with the XP-54 in the default Loadout. The M11 must now be unlocked for VRs if not already owned


  • Moved the Frag Grenade from the Reserve into the default Loadout


  • Moved the Sonar Grenade from the Reserve into the default Loadout


  • Moved the Flashbang from the Loadout into the Reserve in the default Loadout


  • Moved the Smoke grenade from the Loadout into the Reserve in the default Loadout

Medium


  • Moved the Goo Grenade from the Loadout into the Reserve in the default Loadout


  • Moved the Frag Grenade from the Reserve into the Loadout in the default Loadout


  • Replaced the Glitch Trap with the Explosive Mine in the default Loadout.The Glitch Trap must now be unlocked for VRs if not already owned


  • Added the Compact Reflector sight to the default AKM in the default Loadout


  • Added the Compact Reflector sight to the default R .357 in the default Loadout

Heavy


  • Added the Compact Reflector Sight to the M60 in the default Loadout
Gadgets

Defibrillator


  • Increased charge time from 0.8s to 1s

Dev Note: We want to move more of the risk of reviving a player with Defibrillators onto the reviving player, not the player they revive. We think this nudge should encourage players to find a safe spot to defib more often, but we’ll monitor the impact and try other solutions if this doesn’t have the desired effect.


H+ Infuser


  • VFX now use team colors, making it easier to tell who is healing who

Healing Emitter


  • VFX now use team colors, making it easier to tell who is healing who

Nullifier


  • Bullets will now pass through Nullified players

Dev Note: This change only impacts hitscan bullet weapons for the time being, but we plan to address projectiles as well in a future update

Maps

SYS$Horizon


  • Rebalanced destruction for the Campus, Workspace, and Art Gallery buildings
Mode

Cashout (World Tour and Ranked)


  • Any Vaults/Cash Boxes that have not been delivered to a Cashout Station by the time overtime starts will be despawned and removed from the match

Dev Note: We’ve been taking in lots of feedback related to “double stacking” two Cash Boxes in the same Cashbout Station. After doing a detailed analysis, it’s clear that the biggest frustration point is doubling the Cash Boxes during the final phase, where the total value of a single Cashout can be huge. In this scenario, the second-place team almost always loses their spot, since all three other teams are incentivized to target them. The first place wants a weaker opponent next round, while third and fourth just want to qualify. Our data shows that regardless how much cash the second place team has already secured, this doubling scenario always disproportionately affects them negatively. It often occurs during overtime as well. This change is aimed at making sure second place teams that have already secured a lot of cash are more likely to qualify, by reducing how often large stacks of cash are available in the final Cashout during overtime. This change is a test and will run from 7.6 through to 7.9, at which point its impact will be re-assessed.


Private Matches


  • Added the Ranked Cashout ruleset from Ranked Tournaments to Private Matches

Dev Note: There are two known issues with mode that still need to be addressed, players get four respawn tokens instead of 2 and players can also swap items from their Reserve between lives. We aim to fix both of these soon, but we didn’t want to hold back unlocking this mode while waiting for fixes.

Specializations

Healing Beam


  • VFX now use team colors, making it easier to tell who is healing who
Weapons

Dagger


  • Primary Attack

    • Increased the outer width of the hit sweeps by ~40%, so that it better matches the weapon’s animation


    • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent the it hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable


    • Increased the duration of the hit sweep from 0.07s to 0.1s, making the weapon more reliable

Dual Blades


  • Increased the hit sweep range by ~40cm, to bring it more in line with other melee weapons


  • Increased the hit sweep height by ~5cm, making the weapon more reliable


  • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent it hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable

KS-23


  • Converted the KS-23 from a projectile weapon to a hybrid hitscan-projectile weapon

    • KS-23 shots will be hitscan up to 25m, making it more reliable at closer ranges


    • KS-23 shots will be projectiles after 25m, making it less likely to be used to snipe at longer ranges


    • KS-23 projectile velocity reduced from 300m/s to 280m/s

Dev Note: This new approach to the KS-23 should make it more reliable at the close-to-medium ranges it is intended for

Riot Shield


  • Updated the Riot Shield’s hit sweeps to make them slightly more reliable and to better match the attack animations


  • Increased the hit sweep range by ~50cm, to bring it more in line with other melee weapons


  • Increased the lifetime of the hit sweep from 0.04s to 0.12s, making the weapon more reliable


  • Increased the outer width of the hit sweeps by ~70%, so that it better matches the weapon’s animation


  • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent it hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable


  • Decreased the attack duration from 0.9s to 0.81s, effectively increasing the attack speed of the weapon by 10%

Sledgehammer


  • Primary Attack

    • Increased the outer width of the primary attack’s hit sweeps by ~80%, so that it better matches the weapon’s animation


    • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent it hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable

Spear


  • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent the Spear hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable

Sword


  • Primary Attack

    • Increased damage from 74 to 88


    • Increased the attack duration from 0.55s to 0.6s, slightly slowing the primary attack speed


    • Increased the hit sweep height by ~5cm, making the weapon more reliable


    • Decreased the inner width of the hit sweep nearest to the camera, to prevent it hitting objects just outside the player’s field of view, making the weapon slightly more reliable


    • Slightly modified the hit sweeps to better align with the animations

  • Secondary Attack

    • Increased damage from 105 to 120


    • Decreased the attack duration from 1s to 0.75s, increasing the secondary attack speed of the weapon

  • Introduced rotation clamping to the Sword’s secondary lunge attack, preventing players from swinging 360 degrees while travelling. During the lunge, the Sword wielder is now clamped to a 40 degree forward angle

Dev Note: The lack of constraint on the Sword’s lunge led to players often feeling they were hit unexpectedly when a player lunged them. This constraint makes the attack’s behavior more intuitive, allowing us to add back some of the Sword’s power that we’d previously reduced to address issues like the high rotation during lunges.


  • Increased the speed of the lunge from 1500 to 1750


  • Increased the range of the lunge from 5.5m to 7m


  • Introduced a new system to control stacking effect of Evasive Dash momentum together with Lunge (aka "Super Dash"), and reduced the stacking. Together with the high lunge speed, this now results an an average “Super Dash” distance of 17-20m, up from a range of 16-19m

Dev Note: It’s taken us some time to implement new code to handle the unintended momentum exploit that was the “super dash.” In the interim, we nerfed the Sword lunge distance to reduce the maximum range a “super dash” could achieve, which was around 24m. With this new system in place and allowing us to control inherited momentum better, the lunge range has been buffed again as have some of the damage values.

Content and Bug Fixes
Animation


  • Fixed a broken third person animation that could occur when reloading an empty CL-40


  • Fixed an issue where players could end up stuck in a corpse pose
Characters

  • Fixed an issue where certain lower body cosmetics could cause very thin legs on the character when combined with low heels


  • Improved appearance of Chromatique Dress for the Heavy contestants


  • Fixed an issue where the Wise Wing Jumper would float when jumping and crouching


  • Fixed Medium and Light builds looking overly muscular when equipping a custom outfit using heavy muscular body types
Controller

  • Fixed an issue where the text chat menu would sometimes not open when using a controller
Gadgets

Barricade


  • Ruby Barricade skin now correctly references Season 6 instead of Season 5
Game Modes

Cashout (World Tour and Ranked Tournaments)


  • Fixed an issue where players could incorrectly receive an abandon penalty, even when it appeared safe to leave due to a teammate never connecting to the match

Private Matches


  • Enabled Super Cashball for the duration of the event
Gameplay

  • Speculative fix for an issue where players could sometimes end up in the wrong body when revived
Maps

General


  • Fixed an issue where pre-placed Ziplines in maps could become partially invisible


  • Adjusted the health values of various open and closed fences, so they are more appropriate and consistent


  • Fixed a small number of lighting issues

Bernal


  • Fixed ladders and ziplines not having appropriate sponsor colors

Kyoto


  • Fixed an issue where Arena Carriables could be thrown through paper walls without breaking them


  • Made various texture optimizations to help performance


  • Fixed a number of small collision issues, to hopefully improve player movement

Las Vegas Stadium:


  • Fixed a bug that triggered the “Hackout” Game Show Event outside of the World Tour event

Monaco


  • Fixed a collision issue that allowed players to get underneath the ground mesh in Monaco


  • Fixed a zipline in the park hovering above the ground

Skyway Stadium


  • Slightly adjusted the aircon vent path on the inner side of the Medical Center so they don't break when the wall next to them is dematerialized
Rendering

  • NVIDIA DLSS 4 Transformer model now uses the newer “K" preset instead of "J"


  • Updated DLSS version from 4.0.0 to 4.0.2
Settings

  • Fixed an issue on the Settings screen where the Push to Talk button would not be correctly shown the first time the player loads the screen
Specializations

  • Improved the hit detection of the Winch Claw when using it while interacting with a Zipline

UI


  • Fix Sprays overlapping with UI in customization screen when previewing


  • Fixed rarity display issue for the Off the Grid and Silent March outfits in the Sponsorship menu


  • Fixed gamepad navigation sometimes breaking when backing out of the Contestant menu


  • Fixed gamepad navigation sometimes getting stuck in Style and Appearance customization menus


  • Fixed an issue where Quickplay Points could be missing from the end of round progression screens after a match


  • Fixed an issue where previously earned Recruit & Rise rewards could appear in the end of round summary


  • Fixed issue where the respawn timer could continue to count down after the team disconnected


  • Made improvements to player card rendering when viewed in-match


  • Fixed an issue where character particle effects could remain visible after navigating to the Career screen


  • Fixed an issue where props used during emotes would not drop to the floor correctly in the Contestant screen
VFX

  • Improved the visibility of the firework VFX in the Fourth of Mayhem RPG Skin to match the intensity of Rocket Resolution RPG Skin
Weapons

  • Melee attacks will no longer move the player towards targets that are currently invulnerable


  • Increased the rarity to Epic, and introduced animated effects to the Buffer Overflow Weapon skins! Thanks for all of the support on Twitch!
Security

With update 7.3, we mentioned changes coming to our anti-cheat systems, and a few questions popped up in response. So we thought we’d take this update to give you a bit more information:

Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat Isn’t New

Easy Anti-Cheat is a kernel-level program, and it’s been implemented in THE FINALS since early betas. However, we’re currently testing additional anti-cheat tools to collect feedback on what’s best for the game long-term. There’s no set timeline here, but we’re obviously cautious not to disrupt the game while testing and planning.

Modern cheats use advanced methods, including external hardware and AI, that target the game from the outside in ways that are hard to detect. To effectively protect the experience for fair players, we need anti-cheat tools that can see what’s interacting with the game process directly on the player’s computer.

We understand privacy concerns. Our anti-cheat is focused solely on identifying threats to the game. We do not collect information about your personal files, nor do we monitor unrelated activity.

Steam Deck and Proton Support

We noticed the concern about Linux following our last update. We’re testing everything across all platforms, and have made it very clear to our partners that Proton and Steam Deck are important to our development plans. While we don’t officially support Steam Deck due to our required dependence on Proton Experimental, we are committed to ensuring compatibility, and we work with external partners to fix issues before we ship a patch. The experience of every player is important to us. Despite many factors, we are still dedicated to supporting it because we know it matters. However, general Wine support is not tested, and native Linux support is not planned.

Thank you for your continuous support. We’ll have more to share in the next major update!

//Chim and Tom

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Update 7.5

LOCK.PHASE()

Dome shields have begun covering cashout stations across the Arenas as Season 7 sponsor-interloper CNS are taking over the show in World Tour. While the event is active, cash in and defend your prize with the extra help of a damage-blocking dome for your team to rally inside!

Stealing the cashout also swaps ownership of the shield, and resets its HP back to full! If you’re trying to find the right opportunity to break through it, a well placed glitch Grenade temporarily disables the shield for 5 seconds!

VAIIYA may have eyes everywhere, but CNS know how to keep their secrets safe and locked down.


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Store Update:

Summer is hitting the store with the Pool Flamingun set and the Bounce Back ball, essentials for any high stake water fight or Arena showdown! This isn't your grandma's garden party! But the Floral Fatale set does make for a blooming and booming showing.

Once the dust settles, relax with the Sudden Lounge animation. Let’s hope you cleaned up the competition thoroughly or the new Throwing Knife skins will bring back some memories you might want to dodge!

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Support a Streamer one more week!

The Buffer Overflow weapons bundle and the Encrypted Vision helmet are still around on twitch for one more week! This is the perfect time to support our fantastic content creators while getting some sweet skins as a Thank You - and - following player feedback the weapon skins will be animated from update 7.6 onwards! Help our streamers keep showcasing the game and earn cool rewards in the process!

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Update 7.4

BLAST OFF! With New Contracts!

It’s Week 2 of BLAST OFF! Which means a new set of contracts and rewards to collect! And, in case you missed it, we’ve added an option to toggle the pixelation effect for those of you who felt it was too strong. Just disable Lens Distortion in the Video section of the Settings menu for a pixel-free experience and get blasting!

Store Update + Sale!
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We come in peace! This week’s store features some cosmically cool additions, such as Major Anomaly and the oddly familiar Blorbo Orbob! Equip your Ray Gun Redux and get ready to invade the Arena!

On top of that, we’ve put some old favorites on sale! So swing by to check out both the old and the new in the shop this week.


Support a Streamer is live!

Show love to your favorite THE FINALS creators by subscribing or gifting subs during this new drop event. You can receive the Buffer Overflow Bundle (3 weapon skins) with 1 Sub, and unlock the Encrypted Vision helmet with 3 total Subs! Give ‘em all to your favorite or spread the love around!

Plus: The BLAST OFF! drops are back for two more weeks!

If you missed them last time, now’s your chance to claim them. Already got them? You’ll still be able to claim the drops again on Twitch - but since they’re already in your inventory, you won’t receive duplicates.

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