THE FINALS

We’ve restocked the Store with a fresh new drop of content alongside a sale on some old favorites, so make sure to take a look! This is also the last week to play Bank It, so jump in, collect red envelopes, and don’t forget to cash them in!

STORE UPDATE | CURTAIN CALLER

It’s time for you to be making your ceremonial entrance into the Arena with the Curtain Caller set. Stay focused and let the other teams know you’re the one running the show. Curtain’s up! All the Arena’s your stage.

LUNAR NEW YEAR | LAST WEEK

Bank It is still here for another week! We hope you’ve been successful in banking red envelopes as well as lighting up your lanterns for the Collection Event. While the time is up to collect tickets, you can still redeem any unused tickets until next week as well as purchase rewards if you have missed any.

Continue reading...

 

Contestants! We have crafted a very cool high-tech Store update for you all featuring the Longwei Prime Pack as well as some extra goodies, courtesy of IVADA!

Also, we’ll be running Season 9 for one additional week on top of the original schedule to allow the team to polish the upcoming Season 10 and take it to the next level. We’ve been locked in on building the next season of THE FINALS, and we can’t wait to start sharing more with you all very soon!


Let’s take a look at what’s in store:


STORE UPDATE | LONGWEI PRIME PACK

Forged in tradition, engineered for stealth, your return to the Arena will be felt by those who will dare to attempt crossing you. This week, IVADA is proudly sponsoring the highest form of tech in THE FINALS, which is now fully embedded inside you.

Continue reading...

 

Hello Contestants!

We’re pushing an update through now that will fix the broken text strings that some players have been seeing in-game since Update 9.9.0. This issue was caused by an update to the system we use for text strings. Everyone should see the correct names with this fix!

As always, we thank you for all the reports.


SEE YOU IN THE ARENA!

Continue reading...

 

A beautiful moon takes over the Arena, and rising lanterns float upwards, casting a soft glow across the Arena. The Lunar New Year festivities have officially started in THE FINALS!

Don’t miss the Lunar New Year decor scattered across many of the maps in the Arena. Pick prizes from the lanterns in the Lunar New Year collection event, and say hello to Bank It, a fan favorite returning as a limited time mode.

Alongside a refreshed store, you can also earn a brand-new set of free Twitch drops and read about some balance changes to weapons like the CB-01 Repeater, and more!

Check out the details below:


COLLECTION EVENT | LUNAR NEW YEAR

Light em’ up!

Complete 3 daily contracts to light up a lantern each day and earn up to 15 free Lunar New Year-themed rewards, including the Legendary Final Mentra set!

We’ve also tuned the event a bit to make it easier for everyone, as you will now only need to collect 12 out of the 14 rewards in order to unlock the Legendary set! If you still end up missing a reward, the option to purchase any reward with Multibucks is also available.


ARENA UPDATES | LUNAR NEW YEAR DECOR

The Arena is aglow with Lunar New Year decorations lighting up selected maps! Visit Fangwai City, Las Vegas, Monaco, Seoul, and Fortune Stadium to embrace the festive spirit!


LTM | BANK IT

A classic in THE FINALS is now back as a Limited-Time Mode!

That’s right, Bank It is making its return as you race to eliminate your opponents and collect precious red envelopes to bring them safely to a Deposit Station. Be on your guard, the more envelopes you collect, the longer and more visible the trail behind you becomes, making you a prime target to eliminate.

Unlock vaults, eliminate your opponents, steal their envelopes, and don’t wait too long to Bank It!


STORE | REVENANT SETS

It has been said that they never truly left the Arena. Step into the boots of the mysterious spirits inside THE FINALS with the Ling Shen and Graveward Revenant sets and chase down your opponents in a relentless pursuit for vengeance. Oh, and… a duck.


TWITCH DROPS | BOOTLEG HOTLINE

Wireless. Sort of.
File your HOLTOW insurance claim hands-free thanks to your brand-new, sturdy, 45 EU-sized phone that’s been laced with the latest tech! Call a friend and make a sole-ful connection or stay dialed in from head to toe! If you listen carefully, you might even hear Oscar say “Hello?”

Watch anyone playing THE FINALS with Drops Enabled to earn the “Hello?” Emoticon, “Cold Call Relic” Charm and the “Bootleg Hotline” headwear.


Impressive how far technology has come. This has been a real step up in communications.
Available until Feb 26.

Balance Changes

Weapons

BFR Titan

• 
  Decreased damage from 90 to 88
  
  
• 
  Increased manual action duration from 0.73s to 0.745s, causing the gun to fire slower
  
  • 
    This change effectively decreases the BFR’s fire rate from 82RPM to 80.5RPM
    
• 
  Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 30m to 25m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range
  
  
• 
  Decreased damage falloff max range from 45m to 40m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range
  
  
• 
  Decreased damage falloff multiplier from 0.7 to 0.65, reducing the weapon’s damage at range
  
  Dev Note: These changes are aimed at reducing the Heavy’s ability to ‘poke’ at ranged compared to the Medium and especially the Light, as we feel the ‘poke’ meta has become a bit too possible for the non-Light archetypes. With a low ammo weapon like the BFR, there’s little room to balance here, but we believe these changes should weaken the Heavy’s ability to ‘poke’. This and the CB-01 change were originally planned for 9.7, but held back for further testing.
  

CB-01 Repeater

• 
  Decreased damage from 88 to 84
  
  
• 
  Increased lever action duration from 0.71s to 0.73s, causing the gun to fire slower
  
  • 
    This change effectively decreases the CB-01’s fire rate from 84.5RPM to 82RPM
    
• 
  Decreased damage falloff minimum range from 40m to 35m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range
  
  
• 
  Decreased damage falloff max range from 45m to 40m, giving the weapon a slightly shorter effective range
  
  
• 
  Decreased damage falloff multiplier from 0.7 to 0.64, reducing the weapon’s damage at range
  
  Dev Note: As with the BFR changes above, these changes are aimed at reducing the ‘poke’ strength of the Medium, while also making the Pike-335 a more comparable weapon choice for long-ranged Medium players
  

Cerberus 12GA

• 
  Increased pellet count from 11 to 13
  
  
• 
  Decreased damage from 9 to 8 per pellet
  
  
• 
  Updated pellet pattern to fit the new pellet count and normalize distribution, making the weapon more consistent
  
  
• 
  Decreased the heat generated per pellet to account for the extra pellets. The ignition point for players/objects catching fire should remain the same as before
  
  Dev Note: These changes are aimed at bringing the Cerberus back to viability, without it becoming as overpowered as it has been in some previous seasons. To get the right level of overall damage, we needed to increase the pellet count to give us more room to work with. The damage per pellet was reduced to offset this a little, but the change effectively results in a buff from 99 damage per shot to 104, excluding fire damage.
  

LH1

• 
  Reduced camera shake from firing the weapon by approximately 50%, increasing readability between shots
  

Content and Bug Fixes
Animation

• 
  Fixed an issue where animations for throwing a Grenade or interrupting a throw could sometimes fail to play
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Flip-Out Flayer skin for the Dagger could appear to float during inspect
  
  
• 
  Improved crouch pose, turning while crouching, and slide transitions for smoother visuals and more consistent motion when transitioning to standing and running
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where first-person animations could continue playing after switching to third-person view (for example, by activating the Mesh Shield or the Spear’s alternate attack), causing visual inconsistencies
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the left hand could shake while sliding with the .50 Akimbo Manual Ballistics skin (Pew pew!)
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where a Contestant’s feet could appear misaligned during movement
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where switching between teammates while spectating could sometimes carry over animations and give the appearance of a player performing a Quick Melee movement
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where using the Gateway while swapping weapons could result in incorrect animations or deformed weapon and arm visuals
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where the initial spawn animation could sometimes trigger when being revived with the Defibrillator
  
  
• 
  Updated the Tracking Dart’s ADS firing animation to be less aggressive
  

Audio

• 
  Fixed audio stutters when sliding on stairs or debris
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Quick Melee sounds from other players sometimes would not play
  
  
• 
  Fixed inconsistent sprinting footstep sounds when the Riot Shield is equipped
  
  
• 
  Added a sound when players pick up deployed Gadgets so others can hear the action
  
  
• 
  Fixed missing water impact sounds for melee hits
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Repeater reload sounds could continue playing after the reload was interrupted
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where movement sound effects would sometimes play while idling with the Riot Shield
  

Cosmetics

• 
  Volpe Bout Blanket now displays the proper decal, which matches the icons
  
  
• 
  Ensured that Gala Guard Cut, Gothic Leather Pants, Bouncer Trim, Kabuto, and Tosei Gusuoku items display correctly on both High and Low graphics settings
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Contestant icon on Player Cards could appear grayed out or show an outdated look after equipping an item from the Store
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the The Fumigator facewear to prevent clipping when combined with headwear
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue causing Catastrophe Grin (The ÖRF! mascot head) to appear low-resolution in the Contestant Screen on low settings
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Light characters’ heels appeared to be floating when wearing the Ascendant Soles boots
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Pocket Pop & Play charm would activate when not visible
  
  
• 
  We’ve updated the Chart-Topper emote to better match the intended movement
  

Game Mode

General

• 
  Fixed an issue in the drafting screen where the team loadout overlay could appear under the wrong squad member or fail to update when teammates changed Contestants
  

Cashout

• 
  Fixed an issue that could occasionally cause a 7th and 8th Vault to spawn in Cashout matches
  

Point Break

• 
  Updated the Lockbolt to allow it to attach to Grand Vaults again
  
  
• 
  Slightly increased the effect of the Anti-Gravity Cube on Grand Vaults
  Dev note: With the addition of constraint zones around the objective in 9.7, which prevent the Grand Vaults being moved too far from their original spawn location, we feel we can now increase the impact of Anti-Gravity Cubes on the Grand Vaults without significant negative effects
  

Private Matches

• 
  To celebrate the Lunar New Year LTM, Bank It has been temporarily added back to the Mode pool
  

Gameplay

General

• 
  Fixed a bug where Practice Range Bots would stop shooting when players stood too close to them
  
  
• 
  Fixed flower pots across several maps not triggering the Fatal Florist achievement
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where reloading while carrying objects would not reload the Weapon correctly when playing with gamepad
  
  
• 
  Removed an unintended camera shake in spectator free-cam when observing a Contestant firing Tracking Darts
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where explosive canisters sometimes failed to display explosion effects, particularly when struck with melee in the Practice Range
  

Maps

General

• 
  Improved the look of billboard videos in Monaco and Seoul
  
  
• 
  Reduced the brightness of certain lamps in nighttime map variants to prevent glare and improve visibility
  
  
• 
  Increased the health of rooftops in Monaco and Kyoto to make them consistent with other structural elements
  
  
• 
  Temporarily removed the Duck and Cover variant due to compatibility issues with the Lunar New Year Event decor
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where hanging clothes and other simple destructible props, wall decals, and fixtures could remain floating or fail to break after nearby structures were destroyed
  

Nozomi Citadel

• 
  Polished arena signs and improved visuals and collision
  

Fortune Stadium

• 
  Rolled out improved destruction, adding impact damage, to deliver more consistent, reliable, and dynamic destruction
  
  
• 
  Corrected misplaced rubble piles and fixed culling and collision issues after building destruction
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where a staircase pillar had no collision after being destroyed
  

Seoul

• 
  Fixed a visual jitter that could occur when the large apartment building collapses
  
  
• 
  Fixed a railing near the Data Center that could not be destroyed
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where apartment buildings didn’t respond correctly to environmental damage
  

Fangwai City

• 
  Adjusted the tournament intro lighting to improve visibility
  
  
• 
  Fixed a gap in the ground that could appear after destroying a building
  
  
• 
  Corrected flickering on an uphill road section
  
  
• 
  Adjusted Zipline and Jump Pad placement
  

SysHorizon

• 
  Fixed doorframes to resolve visibility issues in multiple locations
  

Kyoto

• 
  Temple ceiling decorations now break when the supporting structure is destroyed to improve consistency
  
  
• 
  Fixed three ladders to improve traversal reliability
  
  
• 
  Adjusted a garden Zipline to better align with nearby Jump Pads
  
  
• 
  Reduced light leakage on rooftops to improve lighting quality
  
  
• 
  Trees can now be destroyed by the environment
  
  
• 
  The Pagoda has received Smooth Destruction to allow for more dynamic collapses and knock-on effects
  
  
• 
  Updated banners to break on touch so they no longer block rockets and grenades
  

Las Vegas Stadium

• 
  Fixed visible floor gaps in the Engimo building
  

Bernal

• 
  Fixed an issue where multiple suspended structures could collapse after removing a single hook
  

Skyway

• 
  Fixed a weak spot in the destruction that could cause parts of a building to collapse incorrectly
  

Performance

• 
  Improved performance of environmental destruction updates, especially regarding small changes to large structures
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the shader stutter warning could appear incorrectly during gameplay
  
  
• 
  Reduced frame hitches when loading player assets during matches
  
  
• 
  Shader preloading is now significantly faster in subsequent runs
  
  
• 
  FSR and DLSS Frame Generation now requires a restart to turn on in the settings and will reduce the memory usage and latency, especially with vsync turned on
  
  
• 
  Optimized CPU performance of in-game billboard videos
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where changing graphics settings could cause Weapons or hands to appear distorted or to temporarily not render
  
  
• 
  Reduced hitches and stutters when items and cosmetics are granted or when switching Contestants
  

Social

• 
  Fixed an issue where typing past the 16-character limit when editing your Embark ID could disable the Confirm button
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where friends who set "Show As Offline" could disappear from the Friends list until reopening the Social menu
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Point Break was missing from the Clubs preferred game mode list, making it selectable again in the Playstyle dropdown
  
  
• 
  Platform friends who choose to appear offline are now shown as offline in Clubs, and inviting to Party from the Clubs screen respects their hidden status
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Club Contracts tab could show placeholder icons or hide contracts when using languages other than English
  
  
• 
  Console players can now open a player's profile directly from the match summary scoreboard
  
  
• 
  Embark ID is now the primary name shown across all platforms. On consoles, platform display name is also shown next to the platform icon on player profiles
  

Specializations

Winch Claw

• 
  Fixed an issue where the Winch Claw sometimes wouldn't work when activated immediately after vaulting
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where a Charge N Slam from teammates could cancel Winch Claw hooks, causing hooks to break unexpectedly
  

Spectator

• 
  Fixed several issues with the Statue camera: it now respects the option to avoid spectating statues, no longer switches to destroyed statue markers, prevents jitter when teammates block the view, and removes a brief jump to an unrelated location when your team is eliminated
  
  
• 
  Spectating now works as intended and updates the spectated statue’s status correctly
  
  
• 
  Fixed cases where switching to Free-Fly Cam at the moment the viewed player is eliminated could leave the camera tilted or keep unintended camera effects
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the spectator camera could get stuck or lose its target after the last followed player was eliminated
  

Stability

• 
  Fixed a rare client crash
  
  
• 
  Fixed a crash that could occur at the end of a match in scenarios involving the Anti-Gravity Cube
  

UI

• 
  Fixed an issue where the player marker scale option didn’t change the actual marker size
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where adding a secondary keybind overwrote the primary keybind in the next round
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where creating a new default Outfit could replace thumbnails of previously saved Outfits
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where deleting a duplicated Outfit could turn some thumbnails black
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the post-elimination Player Card could appear blank or show a hologram instead of the correct Contestant model
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the first loadout icon could appear blurry after launching the game
  
  
• 
  Increased visibility of on-screen hit markers against solid-color backgrounds
  
  
• 
  Adjusted controller bindings for the Equipment Wheel preset: fixed overlap between Ping and the Communication Wheel so pinging works again, restored the Equipment Wheel direction on the gadget radial, and moved Go To Marker to the right face button
  
  
• 
  Added clearer communication to the end of round in Point Break to enhance player understanding of match outcomes
  

An Update from Anti-Cheat

Hello from the anti-cheat team!

In the patch notes for our 9.0 update we described how we’ve been significantly increasing our cheat detection capabilities, enabling us to detect even more types of cheats with higher precision. In this update, we want to give you an idea of how some of this technology works to help give you a better sense of what we’ve been doing, and to address some worries we’ve seen the community discussing related to the notion of false bans.

To start off, I think we should put cheating in THE FINALS into some kind of context. At present, on any given day and calculated across all players, only about 0.02% of players receive a ban. This is a relatively small number of bans, but online discussions can make it seem otherwise.

So how do we know bans aren’t false? Let’s examine one example that showcases the kinds of detections we have been working on and the process we go through before introducing them into the game.

In THE FINALS, weapon recoil must be manually controlled. Each burst generates hundreds of mouse or controller inputs. Human recoil control produces organic, noisy patterns.

For example, the image below shows a natural recoil pattern with the M11, where the player has tried to control the weapon. Below that is the output of the player’s mouse, showing the sort of natural pattern we see with natural, human recoil control.

By comparison, cheats such as aimbots, XIM devices, recoil scripts, or spoofed aim assist replace that human control with automated input. These systems generate artificial, highly consistent patterns where natural noise disappears. The image below shows what this tight recoil control looks like in game and the sort of input patterns generated by such cheats.

Our newer anti-cheat systems include machine learning models trained for months on both real player data and known cheat data. They analyze input patterns and distinguish human control from scripted behavior.

Once these models were fully trained and able to accurately identify between cheats and real players we began to deploy them to the live game. To protect our players from false bans, we started conservatively with each new model, to gain confidence in the detections. All the while, tuning parameters. We apply strict detection thresholds that players have to pass to even be considered for a ban.

When introducing a new detection rule, and periodically over time, we manually evaluate incoming ban appeals to ensure accuracy. We are now at a point where we are extremely confident in our current models. In all recent manually reviewed cases, the results have been correct.

Although detection could technically occur within minutes, we intentionally accumulate data over longer periods before issuing bans in order to collect enough data and ensure a high confidence. This means that a single moment of excellent recoil control will not trigger the system.

Because monitoring happens over time, the exact timing of a ban is not necessarily meaningful. It simply reflects the point at which sufficient data has been collected. This protects against false positives and prevents cheaters from reverse-engineering detection thresholds.

Some of the current chatter around false bans likely comes from cheaters themselves. Models deployed over the last six months are catching cheats that previously went undetected, including players who avoided bans for long periods. We monitor cheat forums and Discord servers, and their recent reactions reflect that impact.

So the banhammer is not swinging indiscriminately, it’s dealing out precision blows.

Before we wrap up this update, we’d like to encourage you all to consider and examine any of the configuration software you might be using for keyboards and mice. Increasingly, manufacturers add scripting capabilities to a lot of their peripheral devices, and some might have default settings which could provide unfair advantages and trigger detections from anti-cheat solutions. These are often more easily reviewable on appeal, but our advice is that if you want to avoid potential issues, it’s always good to understand exactly what you’re installing.

///Magnum

Continue reading...

 

We’re kicking off the return of Super Cashball for a special weekend, with a brand-new fresh field on the CA$HBALL ARENA (check name), your team’s outfits, and a shiny new ball! Grab your cleats and get ready to tackle some grass stains and some Contestants!

We’re gearing up for love day with a new Event Battle Pass! The Heartbreaker ‘26 Pass, perfect for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. Whether you get it for yourself or a loved one, it is sure to make an impact! Show your love in the Arena, but also please focus on the objective…


LTM | SUPER CASHBALL WEEKEND

SUPER CASHBALL returns for five days only in a high-stakes weekend event, putting teamwork, timing, and smart plays at the center of the action! Squads will face off in 5v5 matches where crisp passes, clutch scores, and every decision can turn the score. It’s all about reading the field, trusting your lineup, and cashing in when it counts.

Time to hit the locker room!

EVENT | HEARTBREAKER ‘26 PASS

Cupid doesn't miss, and neither does this pass!


Fall hard into the Arena with the HEARTBREAKER ’26 Pass. Two full pages of unlockable gear that will get your heart racing await you in this limited-time holiday Battle Pass! Get it before it's gone, but once you have it, unlock it at your own pace!


Love hurts, but so does everything else in the Arena!

STORE | FIZZY LINEBREAKER

POP. POUR. GOAL!

Let the whole Arena know OSPUZE has your back with the Fizzy Linebreaker set. Built for your protection and definitely not for your opponent's comfort once they meet your padded shoulders. Match it with the Homecoming Reign and Homecoming Hit sets for the perfect blend of sporty and spirited!

TWITCH DROPS | FIELD TRAINED

We’re adding two new additional drops to the current rotation!

You can now also earn the Game Plan Multidevice Screen and the Iron Spiral Frag Grenade by watching anyone playing THE FINALS with Drops Enabled. Whether you want to feel the grass beneath your feet or watch the game from the bleachers, you’ve got two new ways to celebrate SUPER CASHBALL WEEKEND!

Continue reading...

 

Update 9.7.0
STAY ON THE MOVE!

Hey there, Contestants!

This week, we are bringing a bunch of bug fixes, some performance improvements, changes to Point Break, balance changes and more! The recent DDoS attacks have also been largely mitigated by now, so the game should be back to normal service!

Check out the full notes below.


SOCIAL | DISPLAY NAME

As part of our ongoing process of protecting the game from bad actors, we have introduced new rules for your Embark ID Display Name that will make it easier for our moderation tools to find offensive names.

If your Display Name did not fit in the new rule system, it was likely changed, with no cooldown so you can pick a new one easily. You can change your name in the settings menu by going to Settings > Social > Account, then choose Edit Embark ID.


If you were affected by this change, you may also have received an inbox message warning about possible permanent bans. That message was sent by mistake, and we are sorry for the confusion it caused. Please disregard it. Only accounts with display names that were clearly and severely inappropriate were meant to receive that warning.

STORE UPDATE | PEAK-FORM STRIKER

Send your opponents down a slippery slope in style with the Peak-Form Striker and the Slope Slammer sets. And you know what, sometimes you just need to get right to the point: We added Finger guns.

WORLD TOUR | ORBITAL BREACH

Watch out, Contestants, Orbital Breach has been enabled in the Arena. You will have to think twice about taking a break in the corner of a room as this event combines Hackout, letting you see nearby opponents through walls, and Orbital Lasers, targeting anyone standing still for too long. Use this to your advantage but remember, other teams will as well.

DLC | GLITCH PROWLER SET

Let your feline side take over and leave no chance to the competition with the Glitch Prowler Set. Embrace the cuteness, lull your opponents in a false sense of security, and strike :3

Glitch in, start the hunt, and always land on your feet!


OPTIMIZATION | LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS

As a part of our ongoing performance work, this patch has tons of small performance fixes for objects used on Bernal, Nozomi, Seoul. We’ve made dozens of micro changes that may not spell out noticeable improvements this time, but there are hundreds more planned and together they’ll build a better experience overall, change by change.


TWITCH DROPS | GREENROOM GLITCH

Foomp - Foomp foomp foomp - BRRT BRRT

We have a brand new set of free Twitch drops ready for you to grab!
Simply watch anyone playing THE FINALS with Drops Enabled to be eligible to earn the Greenroom Glitch CL40 for 1 hour, Greenroom Glitch MGL32 for 2 hours and the Greenroom Glitch 93R for watching 4 hours!

*Drops available until Feb 12


Balance Changes
Gadgets

Dome Shield

• 
  Decreased health from 300 to 250
  

Dev Note: The Dome Shield has essentially been a ‘must have’ for Heavy players for quite some time and does lack a range of hard counters. This is especially bad in double Heavy team compositions, where they’re able to spam Dome Shields. This adjustment aims to reduce the value of the item in the short term. Longer term, we’d like to introduce more shield counters to better balance out the Dome Shield and Mesh Shield.

Glitch Grenade

• 
  Increased ammo from 1 to 2
  
  
• 
  Increased cooldown from 12 to 25 seconds
  

Dev Note: Our changes to Glitch Grenade in 9.0 aimed to ask more of players when it came to Glitch Grenade placement, by removing the second, immediately available grenade. In hindsight, we see that this has been too punishing and removed some key utility, so we’ve decided to return to having two ammo. To add more cost to Glitch usage though, the cooldown has been raised to 25 seconds.


Game Modes

Point Break

• 
  Added constraint zones around Grand Vaults, preventing them from being moved too far from their initial spawn point
  

Dev note: Moving objectives is something we feel is part of the ‘Dynamism’ pillar in THE FINALS. However, we want to make sure it remains fun and balanced. In Point Break especially, the location of the objective can quickly shift the balance of the mode. With this change we aim to reach a nice balance between dynamic objectives and a reliable Point Break match experience.

• 
  Added the ability to spectate from the position of your Revive Statue when eliminated in Point Break mode
  
  
• 
  SYS$Horizon: Adjusted the location of an attacker spawn in phases two and three, to better balance the distances as the objectives progress
  
  
• 
  Bernal: Adjusted the location of an attacker spawn in phase two, to better balance the distances as the objectives progress
  
  
• 
  Bernal: Added ladders for comfortable flow from the adjusted spawn location to objectives
  

Weapons

FCAR

• 
  Increased damage from 22 to 23
  
  
• 
  Decreased rate of fire from 540 RPM to 520 RPM
  

Dev Note: We’ve seen both ‘poke’ (long ranged, high damage) and ‘brawl’ (short ranged, high damage) weapons increasingly becoming the top weapons in the meta over the last season or so, and this was never really intentional. It’s left a lot of automatic weapons struggling performance wise by comparison, so we’re making various small nudges to a range of automatic weapons in 9.7 to help them out. This FCAR change, a small buff in overall DPS for the weapon, is one of those.


M60

• 
  Decreased dispersion when aiming down sights while standing and moving, making the weapon more accurate
  
  
• 
  Decreased dispersion when firing from the hip, in some stances, where the dispersion level could reach unintended extreme values
  

Dev Note: These changes should make the M60 feel easier to use, hopefully bringing it closer to the Lewis Gun in usage.


P90

• 
  Increased damage falloff minimum range from 16m to 18m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range
  
  
• 
  Increased damage falloff max range from 22m to 24m, giving the weapon a slightly longer effective range
  

Dev Note: Similar to the FCAR change above, this is to increase the P90’s viability.

Pike-556

• 
  Increased damage from 48 to 49
  

Dev Note: Our last round of changes to the Pike-556, along with the CB-01’s overall performance, have really hurt the Pike’s popularity in a serious way. This small tweak should bump its viability.

XP-54

• 
  Increased rate of fire from 860 RPM to 880 RPM
  

Dev Note: Another FCAR-like change, hopefully boosting the XP-54’s viability.


Content and Bug Fixes
Animation

Gateway

• 
  Fixed an issue where some actions (such as throwing a grenade, backstabs, reloads, etc) could visually reset when passing through a Gateway
  

Audio

• 
  Added new commentator voice lines in Point Break when the Grand Vault is activated or deactivated
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where all sound effects could stay muted after leaving a paused Private Match until the game was restarted
  
  
• 
  Polished commentator audio when a stolen Cashout is taken back
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where custom bow audio could be heard by other players
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where fountain water sound effects continued playing after the fountain was destroyed
  
  
• 
  Fixed mismatching vocalizations and breathing sounds for the "Deep” voice
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the match intro commentary did not play at the start of Quick Cash on Fangwai City
  
  
• 
  Set the "Revive Request" dialogue cutoff distance to 100 m so it only plays for nearby squad members
  

Contracts

• 
  Clarified Rookie "Arena Challenges" objectives to require completing a challenge (not just playing), and fixed "Deal 5,000 damage with Gadgets" so Guardian Turrets no longer progress it
  
  
• 
  Fixed unreliable tracking for the "Deal damage with grenades" contract (including CL40 damage)
  
  
• 
  Fixed the broken Sky Bridge Saboteur Achievement in Seoul
  
  
• 
  Fixed issue where the 'Get X eliminations in a single match, X times' contract could be progressed multiple times during a single match
  

Cosmetics

• 
  Fixed a visual issue where the Baggy Battle Cargos could push the feet inward
  
  
• 
  Fixed some items looking too different depending on the video quality settings
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Frostclava could clip with faces
  
  
• 
  Improved clarity of loadout and contestant preview icons
  
  
• 
  Fixed cases where textures could appear low-resolution, such as the first loadout icon and certain masks on low settings
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Frostbite Flyer skin on the Frag Grenade could appear to glow unnaturally in shadowed areas
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where equipped Multi-Device skins, charms, and stickers were not shown on the tablet preview from the loadout overview
  
  
• 
  Fixed issue where some longer capes and cloaks would not attach properly
  

Gameplay

• 
  Fixed an issue where movement input could become temporarily unresponsive after network connection problems
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where players revived with the Defibrillator during Point Break phase transitions could respawn in the wrong area
  

Maps

Fangwai City

• 
  Fixed several spots where players could stand on invisible collision
  
  
• 
  Restored missing stairs to improve navigation
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where a street could appear excessively bright on PS4
  

Kyoto

• 
  Added a path from the Villa Compound into the courtyard behind the Entrance building
  
  
• 
  Spread out barrel spawn points to prevent chain reactions
  

Las Vegas

• 
  Fixed a visual issue where a wall could display broken materials after destruction
  

Monaco

• 
  Fixed boxes that could float in the air after the floors were destroyed
  
  
• 
  Fixed window collision that could block players from climbing through
  

Practice Range

• 
  Updated the S8 trophy leaderboards and added the S9 Snowball Blitz trophy
  
  
• 
  Fixed an exploit where players could escape the map by using Goo
  
  

Skyway Stadium

• 
  Fixed an issue where the construction cranes bottom section could not be destroyed
  

Performance

• 
  Adjusted texture sampling setting to improve Xbox GPU performance
  
  
• 
  Improve performance and movement around stairs, elevators, and escalators
  
  
• 
  Ongoing GPU optimization for Las Vegas
  

Social

• 
  The Stay as a Party feature has been updated with new animations and sounds
  
  
• 
  Added an option to appear offline, hiding your online status from other players
  

Dev Note: Please note that if you are also friends on other platforms, such as Steam, you need to set yourself as “invisible” there as well.

• 
  Restricted the allowed characters in Display names to create a more streamlined and easily moderated system
  
  
• 
  Scoreboard and social menus now display the correct platform icon
  

Specialization

Dematerializer

• 
  Fixed an issue where the Dematerializer could consume a charge without dematerializing anything
  

Spectator

• 
  Fixed an issue where the spectator camera zoom distance would drift when using a gamepad
  

Stability

• 
  Fixed a crash in the store menu on PlayStation
  

UI

• 
  Added a subtle shimmer effect to game mode buttons when pressed
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where buying Battle Pass levels could cause gamepad focus to be lost, preventing navigation until leaving the menu
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Match Recap timeline could list squads in the wrong order
  
  
• 
  Improved the accuracy of cash totals when selecting a bar in the Match Recap Timeline
  
  
• 
  Improved controller navigation reliability in the main menu by restoring focus automatically after certain actions
  
  
• 
  Fixed a one-frame flash at the start of certain UI animations, including the Player Card
  
  
• 
  Polished the Stay as a Party avatar animation for smoother visuals and improved pulse timing
  
  
• 
  Fixed the Match Recap screen in TDM sometimes showing the wrong team's winning score
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Scoreboard could get stuck if held open when the round ended in TDM
  
  
• 
  Fixed Motion Blur Mode and Lens Distortion settings sometimes showing incorrect states after resetting video settings to default
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Player Cards could appear missing or as black tiles in the Match Recap and other screens
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the pickup prompt appeared even when glitched or nullified
  
  
• 
  Match Recap in Power Shift now shows the final win bonus cash (including Overtime wins), so the last bar reflects the full amount awarded to the winning team
  
  
• 
  Fixed the Grand Vault to show the correct value at round start and update during its animation.
  
  
• 
  Improved Attacker and Defender labels in Point Break
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where multiple tournament brackets could appear at once on the Ranked Tournament and World Tour screens
  

VFX

General

• 
  
  Fixed an issue where the H+ Infuser’s healing visuals could look incorrect when healing a teammate
  

Kyoto

• 
  Fixed wrongly assigned destruction materials on wooden beams
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where boats moved in an unrealistic way
  
  
• 
  Fixed issue where Concrete Canopy would cause some Weapons to render incorrectly
  
  
• 
  Added subtle movement to the water to improve visual clarity
  

Continue reading...

 

We’re still making up for the skewed holiday schedule, so this week is a store update and an adjustment to matchmaking in Ranked Cashout.

Next week, you can expect to see bug fixes, balance changes, and a few additional content drops. If you’ve been keeping an eye on the World Tour Screen, you know that Super Cashball Weekend is coming in 9.8, so locate your cleats and get ready to go for the goal, along with a few more sweet surprises on the horizon!

Check out the tactical trio we’ve added today:


STORE UPDATE | BLIZZARD OPS CREW

Tactical gear for tacti-cool people like you! Helmet, vest, camo.. It’s time to gear up for the Arena with this brand new Blizzard Ops Crew set. And if you’re feeling like matching your arsenal with your clothing, the Tundra Striker Pack is the perfect choice. They’ll never see you coming…

GAME UPDATE | CONTENT AND BUG FIXES

Matchmaking

Ranked Cashout

• 
  Made a slight adjustment to Ranked matchmaking, to lower the chances that Ruby/Diamond players might face Platinum/Gold players during very off-peak times of the day. This may increase the wait times for Ruby players during those time periods
  

Continue reading...

 

Hello Contestants!

Alongside some brand-new content, a sale in the Store and the return of a Cashout Event, we are pushing some important bug-fixes with this update.


Check out all the details below


STORE UPDATE | SNOW POSER SET

Shoveling your neighbor’s driveway? Forget about that, there are better uses for a snow shovel in the Arena, such as clearing away your opponents. The Snow Poser Set brings everything you need to handle the Arena’s wintery weather in style.

We’re also running a sale on some of the most popular bundles from the past, so don’t forget to check those out!

CASHOUT EVENT | VERTIGO!

Reach new heights with the return of a classic event in Cashout: Vertigo!

Once the event is active during a match, you’ll gain the ability to perform a double jump, defying the rules of gravity. Use this to your advantage and take unexpected routes towards the objective! It’s time to reach new heights!

GAME UPDATE | CONTENT AND BUG FIXES


Maps

Fangwai City

• 
  Fixed a lighting issue which caused some areas on the map to be overly bright
  
  

Weapons

FAMAS

• 
  Fixed an issue which turned the FAMAS into a fully-automatic weapon when switching to it from a Healing Beam
  

Security

• 
  Disabled a launch command enabling unintended access to a developer console
  

Game Modes

Private Matches

• 
  Fixed an issue preventing some players to connect to a Private Match when a spectator is present
  
  
• 
  Removed the ability to select a non-functional version of the P.E.A.C.E Center map
  

Continue reading...

 

It’s the first week back in 2026 and we’ve packed this week’s update with a long list of bug-fixes, some balance changes, and performance improvements all detailed below. Check it out, keep warm, and…

SEE YOU IN THE ARENA!


Snowball Blitz | Last Chance

This is the last week of Snowball Blitz, so make a pile of snowballs and turn in those contracts!


Store Update | P1XEL REIGN CREW

This week, the crowd is about to go absolutely wild!

C-Pop group P1XEL REIGN have entered the Arena and they’re here to take the spotlight from everyone! Do you have what it takes to face them?


Balance Changes

Gadgets

Breach Drill

• 
  Increased the length of the drill bit from 83cm to 108cm, to allow it to more effectively drill through deep walls
  
  Dev Note: We noticed some locations in the world had thick enough walls that they would prevent the Breach Drill’s flash from impacting players on the other side. This change should address that
  

Game Modes

Cashout/Ranked Tournaments

• 
  Updated the logic for deciding where Cashout Stations should spawn, to create more consistent distances between Cashout Stations and Vaults
  
  Dev Note: This is a small iteration that hopefully makes round pacing more consistent. One of our goals over the next season or two is to revisit various spawn systems, from objective spawns to team/coin spawns.
  

Weapons

CB-01 Repeater

• 
  Increased aim down sights zoom time from 0.2s to 0.24s, making it slightly slower to aim down sights
  
  
• 
  Increased bullet dispersion when crouched, moving while crouched, and when standing still, making the weapon slightly less accurate
  
  Dev Note: The CB-01 has been over performing for a while now, compared to all other Medium weapons, and it sits as the one of the bigger outlier weapons in the game at present. Much of its power comes from it remaining effective at closer ranges when the weapon is intended to specialize at longer ranges. These changes should reduce its close range effectiveness without damaging its performance at range, but this is a weapon we’ll continue to monitor closely.
  

FAMAS

• 
  Adjusted the recoil pattern, making the weapon jump more during the initial burst and adding slightly more recoil overall
  
  
• 
  Increased bullet dispersion slightly, across all stances
  
  
• 
  Decreased the delay before recoil recovery begins from 0.7s to 0.24s, making the weapon much easier to control if the player fires in bursts
  
  
• 
  Decreased recoil recovery speed from 0.9 to 0.8
  
  Dev Note: We feel the FAMAS has become a little too effective at both long and close range, meaning it has very few drawbacks compared to some other Medium weapons and often fills the role that we intended for the AKM and FCAR. These changes nudge it towards being a medium-to-long ranged weapon, and make it slightly less effective up close.
  

Recurve Bow

• 
  Increased rate of fire from 98 RPM to 103 RPM
  
  
• 
  Decreased minimum draw time from 0.15s to 0.08s, making it faster to perform quick shots
  
  Dev Note: The Bow has dropped off in usage and various other metrics over time making it one of the weaker and least popular Light weapons. These changes are aimed at bumping up its power to give it greater viability.
  

V9S

• 
  Decreased the damage fall-off end range from 25m to 20m
  
  Dev Note: We mentioned in Update 9.1 that our 9.0 buffs to the V9S had pushed it into a dominant position, especially when it came to damage output per round. Despite some adjustments in 9.1 to try and address that, the V9S still remains a significant outlier in terms of performance, largely due to its increased value in medium ranged fights since S9 launched. This change should firmly push it back towards being a more closed ranged weapon, rather than having it cannibalize the role of other Light weapons.
  

Content and Bug Fixes

Animation

• 
  Fixed a visual issue where one of the .50 Akimbo pistols could appear to float when affected by a flashbang or when burning
  
  
• 
  Fixed incorrect thigh deformation on characters during movement
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the animation when a Contestant using .50 Akimbo pistols is pulled by a Winch Claw
  
  
• 
  Fixed meshes appearing blurry during inspect animations
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where, in some BFR animations, the Weapon Charm could appear on screen before the Weapon
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where being glitched while aiming with the H+ Infuser could cause melee weapons (such as the Dagger) to be held in an ADS pose until swapped
  
  
• 
  Fixed animation distortions when entering Low Gravity while using Akimbo pistols and Mesh Shield
  
  
• 
  Fixed a firing animation issue for .50 Akimbo pistols after using Mesh Shield
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where certain Weapon action animations would not play after switching items mid-action and switching back
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the quick melee animation sometimes did not play when used immediately after the Spear spin attack or while using Mesh Shield
  
  
• 
  Fixed throwing animations not playing after certain actions
  

Audio

• 
  Fixed an issue where sounds could be muted when leaving paused private lobbies
  
  
• 
  Fixed incorrect destruction sounds on various environmental objects
  
  
• 
  Included the announcer as part of the commentary volume slider which can be adjusted in Settings
  
  
• 
  Updated and polished deploy sounds for many Weapons and Gadgets to improve clarity and consistency
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the commentator voice-over at the end of a round in Cashout could be cut off
  
  
• 
  Added a sound for inserting a second Cashbox into a Cashout Station
  
  
• 
  Adjusted ÖRF grenade voice lines to prevent them from cutting off. Inspect lines now stop when you throw, but continue when preparing to throw
  

Contract

• 
  Fixed an issue where grenade damage was not recognized for related sponsor Contracts
  

Cosmetic

• 
  Fixed finger clipping with the QuickSpark sight when inspecting the Revolver with the Plundersteel skin
  
  
• 
  Fixed several boots clipping with pants
  
  
• 
  Improved hoodie compatibility for the Military Mechanic Hat, fixed hood clipping on Engineer’s Crown, and made Facewear correctly replace the Crisp Ops Helmet to prevent overlap
  
  
• 
  Improved the reliability of outfit icons when creating a new outfit in the customization menu
  
  
• 
  Improved cloth collision on Heavy Outfits to better fit the Moonbeam Dress top and to reduce visual clipping
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where newly purchased customization items were not equipped when selecting Equip from the store highlight splash screen
  
  
• 
  Fixed a visual issue where the CL-40’s bullet glow could persist after using the Choppy Check inspect and starting an emote
  
  
• 
  Reduced clipping on The Beakon and The Beakend Masks from the Chirurgeon and Apothecarion sets
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the Surgeon’s Cowl and Best Practice Cowl fit around the shoulders
  
  
• 
  Wrist and watch cosmetics now display correctly with the Crosswind Cloak
  
  
• 
  Fixed an OSPUZE Sponsor Emote, Mizdown, where the can prop could appear upside down
  
  
• 
  Improved compatibility with Long Coats for the Brush of Greatness fox tail
  
  
• 
  Fixed naked characters appearing in team intros
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the Core Slinger Emote’s muzzle flash on the Player Card to prevent overly bright flashes
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the Sledgehammer’s on-screen positioning when customizing or inspecting it in the menus
  
  
• 
  Magazines now visually reflect remaining ammo and empty-mag visuals have been added
  
  
• 
  Fixed a visual issue where the Anti-Gravity Cube could sometimes show an incorrect skin when deployed
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Concrete Canopy skin would cause the XP-54 to render incorrectly
  

Gameplay

• 
  Fixed some instances of the “can’t shoot” bug
  
  
• 
  Environmental kills now correctly display the granted score
  
  
• 
  Added a hit marker when successfully glitching a Gateway
  
  
• 
  Added a critical hit marker for Flashbang. The hitmarker now indicates flash effectiveness, showing yellow for a very successful hit
  

Gamemodes

Point break

• 
  Party members now spawn together more often at the start of Point Break matches
  
  
• 
  Lockbolt can no longer attach to the Grand Vaults
  
  Dev Note: Grand Vault manipulation has become a fairly negative experience for many players in Point Break mode since the mode launched and it’s something we’re keen to reduce to ensure more enjoyable matches. This change is the first of a series of changes we’re likely to make over the next few weeks to make manipulation of Grand Vaults much more limited.
  

Bernal

• 
  Slightly adjusted a Phase 2 Attacker spawn on Bernal to improve flow
  

Monaco

Phase 1:

• 
  Moved objectives B and C one house further away from the Cathedral
  
  
• 
  Moved attacker spawns back a little to maintain similar travel distances to the objectives
  
  
• 
  Tweaked Ziplines and planks for smoother routes between the adjusted objective locations
  
  
• 
  Replaced a Zipline for a Jump Pad at one of the Attacker spawns for more consistent access to the rooftops
  Dev note: Objective B could be quite difficult and sometimes frustrating to capture, due to the defenders having a strong natural high ground advantage from the Cathedral next to it. We hope that these changes still make the Cathedral a fun and meaningful position for long-range Defenders, but less oppressive when attacking. Objective C was moved to maintain a nice flow between it and the new objective B location, and to give it more layers of destruction to better sustain prolonged large-scale battles when it’s the last objective remaining.
  

Phase 2:

• 
  Moved objective E in the Cathedral slightly away from the wall to make movement around it more comfortable
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the Attacker border so it sits a bit further away from the shed in the Forest where Objective G of Phase 3 is located
  
  
• 
  Added extra Ziplines to increase rooftop access
  

Phase 3:

• 
  Added extra Ziplines to increase rooftop access
  

SYS Horizon

Phase 1:

• 
  Slightly moved Objective B to avoid a small gap between it and the wall, through which you could unexpectedly get shot
  

Phase 3:

• 
  Adjusted a Defender spawn to improve flow and make a Zipline easier to spot and use
  

Power Shift

• 
  Fixed an unintended loop in the Power Shift platform path on Kyoto that caused rapid rotation
  
  Dev note: Because of the above fix Kyoto will now return to the map pool for Power Shift!
  

Maps

Kyoto

• 
  Fixed a hillside spawn that could cause players to clip into terrain
  
  
• 
  Adjusted Kyoto’s map border to better follow the hillside terrain and restored a missing wall end at the stables
  
  
• 
  Removed the bamboo cluster between Cliffside and the Temples to improve readability
  

Bernal

• 
  Fixed an issue where the ISEUL‑T Hotel could collapse erratically after partial destruction
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where parts of a building could float after nearby structures were destroyed in the residential area
  

Seoul

• 
  Fixed an issue where the bridge to the Data Center could clip into nearby structures in the Hospital area
  

Fangwai City

• 
  Fixed a destruction weak spot in the Traditional area that could cause structures to collapse too easily
  
  
• 
  Fixed a gap in the ground that could appear after destroying a residential building
  
  
• 
  Improved the visibility of railings and monitors at lower quality settings in the Terminal Area
  
  
• 
  Resolved an issues that caused objects to disappear when moving behind certain cliff rocks
  

Monaco

• 
  Added a ladder on the flat-roof building in the Hotels area to improve rooftop traversal across all modes and variants
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the cover placement in some of the Hotels and Shopping District houses to make them less cluttered
  

Practice Range

• 
  Fixed an issue in the Combat Arena where Gadgets and Specializations could be placed out of bounds under the entryway
  

Performance

• 
  Improved animation performance in 8v8 matches
  
  
• 
  Improved Instant Replay timing
  
  
• 
  Disabled dynamic shadows in reflections to improve performance
  
  
• 
  Optimized lighting data to improve performance across all platforms
  
  
• 
  Improved performance by loading Player Card Backgrounds asynchronously to reduce hitches during previews
  
  
• 
  Optimized character cloth simulation during animation updates to reduce CPU cost and improve frame performance
  
  
• 
  Optimized destruction updates to reduce stutters during large-scale breakage, improving responsiveness in heavy destruction moments
  
  
• 
  Optimized performance by disabling ray tracing on VFX static meshes
  
  
• 
  Improved ray-traced performance on Kyoto by reducing triangle counts on common environment meshes
  
  
• 
  We’ve made a series of ray tracing optimizations across several maps to improve performance and visual consistency
  
  
• 
  Optimized collision for Frag, Smoke, Sonar, Goo, Gas, Incendiary, EMP, and Flashbang grenades to improve performance and interaction accuracy
  
  
• 
  Optimized replay loading during checkpoints, reducing startup time
  
  
• 
  Improved performance and reduced hitching on Xbox
  
  
• 
  Improved performance by optimizing animations, especially on lower-spec PCs
  
  
• 
  Refined collision for Dome Shield, EMP Trap, Gravity Vortex, Gateway, Explosive Mine, Gas Mine, and Incendiary Mine to improve performance and interactions
  
  
• 
  Improved network stability by fixing an issue that could cause unexpected lag spikes and rubberbanding
  
  
• 
  Fixed performance issues caused by NVIDIA Shader Cache being full
  

Social

• 
  Party invites across platforms now show an error when crossplay is disabled
  

Spectator

• 
  Fixed an issue where Spectators in Private Matches could not see the health bars of Contestants while invisible due to the Vanishing Bomb or Cloaking Device
  

UI

• 
  Added the Match Recap to Power Shift
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the season introduction screen could repeatedly reappear when returning from sub-menus after dismissing it
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Practice Range dummies displayed an incorrect specialization icon
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Attackers who backfilled into an ongoing Point Break match could see "Hold to Disarm" instead of "Hold to Arm" when arming the Grand Vault
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where a new marker could appear on the Career screen despite no new items being available
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in an Instant Replay if revived right as it started
  
  
• 
  All icons now display a direction marker when highlighted
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where tutorial hints in World Tour could not be skipped with a controller and might instead open the Rewards screen
  
  
• 
  Gameplay UI elements now respect slow motion and pause
  
  
• 
  Fixed interaction prompts appearing during the Spear’s spin attack when actions cannot be performed
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the schedule button on the World Tour map screen was not clickable
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where input progress would not display during hold interactions
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the left navigation arrow in the Store’s Legacy Battle Passes were hard to select
  
  
• 
  Improved controller navigation in the Game Mode Rules screen: you can now scroll through the Arenas & Variants tab with a gamepad and the map list correctly includes Fangwai City where applicable
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the tournament screen could be skipped in Ranked matches
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where team wipe notifications could incorrectly state that a team eliminated themselves
  
  
• 
  Fixed an unintended camera zoom-out when returning to the menu after previewing a reward in the Contracts screen
  
  
• 
  Fixed some concurrent game show events missing icons
  
  
• 
  Added click and hover sounds to World Tour progression and reward buttons in the menu
  
  
• 
  You can now back out of the "Sign with Sponsor" screen by pressing Esc
  
  
• 
  Added the Point Break leaderboard to the Career menu
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where newly created outfits could display a missing icon
  
  
• 
  Progression animations in menus now play in parallel for a snappier feel
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where background audio could continue after leaving mid-animation
  
  
• 
  Fixed a brief stretch of the loading screen background before entering a match
  
  
• 
  Added primary and secondary shortcuts to the World Tour calendar for the current week, allowing quick access to start the mode or view contracts
  
  
• 
  Improved World Tour calendar navigation: left/right buttons move between stops, and map stops are now clickable
  
  
• 
  Fixed incorrect progress indicators when objectives are armed in Point Break
  
  
• 
  Added an animation to the Attacker ticket view in Point Break to make changes easier to spot
  
  
• 
  Added a larder header to the Point Break rule information on the loading screen for improved visibility
  

VFX

• 
  Fixed overexposed Meteor Shower visuals at night
  
  
• 
  Improved victory line-up lighting on Monaco at night to address overly bright, washed-out visuals
  
  
• 
  Fixed missing impact decals on ice in Kyoto (winter condition) for Weapons and Gadgets
  

Weapons

Sword

• 
  Added a small timing buffer to charged lunges, preventing cases where damage would trigger but the lunge wouldn’t when released just before landing
  

Continue reading...

 

HAPPY 2026!

It’s a new year in the Arena and we’ve got a lot in store for you, Contestants!

But just a little bit in the store for you today!

Hope you celebrated at midnight and that all your resolutions stick!

Enjoy one more week of Snowball Blitz and see you next week for a slightly larger update!

Until then, god fortsättning!


RUBY REWARDS S9

The climb to the top is now on!

Ruby rewards are prestigious items granted only to the best of the best: the top 500 players. Unlike other ranked rewards however, you will have to fight to keep your spot in the ranking, as only the podium on the final day of the season will be given the precious bragging rights. You don’t just reach Ruby, you earn it.

Do your best and show the Sponsors you have what it takes to make it to the top!

Rewards for S9 will be as follows: Ruby player card background, Ruby emblem, Ruby badge, Ruby charm, Ruby sticker, and most importantly, a Ruby coin. Exchange the Ruby coin for a ruby skin of the weapon of your choice!

As always you can check the top contestants in-game and over on our website:

https://id.embark.games/the-finals/leaderboards/s9


STORE UPDATE | WINTER VICIOUS

The holidays may be over, but it’s still snowy in the Arena! Keep the spirit of the holidays all year round and stay cozy while you rack up the eliminations!

Enjoy one more week of Snowball Blitz and see you next week for a slightly larger update!

Until then, as we say in Sweden, god fortsättning!

Continue reading...

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CONTESTANTS!

Today’s update comes with a new LTM, a store that gets you decked out for the coming New Year!

We’re sending the warmest wishes from our homes and our headquarters…

For a very merry holiday season…

from Embark…with love.!

NEW LIMITED TIME MODE | SNOWBALL BLITZ

It’s time to deck the halls and wreck the lobby!
It’s Christmas Day and Monaco is snowed in. This calls for a snowball fight!

Snowball Blitz is back for another season, because nothing says holiday spirit like a face full of tightly-packed snow.

Put on your warmest outfit and join the 5v5 snow brawl! Just like TDM, the first team to hit 30K takes the win, so it’s time to put your opponents on ice. Get ready for heated battle and very cold hands.

Everyone loads in armed with snowballs.

Contracts are live, rewards are waiting, and Snowball Blitz sticks around for two weeks starting today.

Season’s beatings, Contestants!


STORE UPDATE | COUNTDOWN CREW

It’s too early to start the countdown for midnight, but not too early to pick out your party attire. Head over to the shop to pick up some gear that will help you start the New Year off right!

Continue reading...

 

Holly Jolly Hotfix

Before the holidays, we’ve managed to put in a hotfix to repair a few pressing issues introduced in Update 9.1.


We’re reverting the Barricade back to its pre-Update 9.0 functionality. The current state, which wasn’t intended to be introduced, is causing too many performance issues to stay in while we work on a solution. We are actively working on a better solution that will allow for easier placement (without making Barricade airplanes or throwing entire buildings across the Arena)


We’ve also fixed an issue that would display your Contestant distorted and without clothing while looking at new bundles. That was scary.


The “Deal 1000 damage to opponents with grenades” Contract has been removed, as it was not working.


We’ve removed Kyoto from Power Shift while we continue to work on fixing a snag in the track. It was supposed to be removed in Update 9.0.


Finally, we’ve replaced the Holly Jolly Nama Tama with the 2025 variant! The 2024 version was in the store unintentionally.

Continue reading...

 

LET’S GET HOLLY JOLLY!

We’re decking the halls, so expect some holiday cheer sprinkled throughout the Arena!

This week, we’re bringing a fresh new store to help you settle into the Christmas mood, alongside a wide range of bug-fixes, some exploit fixes, and performance improvements.

We’re also aware of a series of issues with the Barricade, involving everything from players phasing through walls - to entire buildings flying away to space. We don’t currently have a fix, but we are actively working on a solution.


STORE UPDATE | GIFT RIPPER SET

It’s getting chilly in the Arena!
No worries, we’ve got you covered, literally. Get warm in style with the Gift Ripper set, and let your opponents know this year, they’re only getting coal in their vault. Plenty more is awaiting you, so check it out!

TWITCH DROPS | Season of Support!

The season of gifting is upon us and what better way to share the love than to support your favorite THE FINALS content creators? Starting today until the 8th of January you’ll be able to unlock the Charmalure Set (3 weapon skins) with 3 twitch Sub, and the Bass Unit 86 helmet with 5 total subs!

We’ve also extended the duration of the Calvin the Cube drops, so you have a chance to unlock those all the way into the new year as well - who doesn’t love Calvin!?


BREACH THE CASHOUT STATION | ARC Raiders Contract

ARC Raiders is out now on PC and console, and we’re celebrating in THE FINALS.
Play 3 matches in THE FINALS to unlock a special ARC Raiders outfit.

Just complete the contract, launch ARC Raiders, and make sure your Embark ID is connected.
You’ll earn XP in THE FINALS along the way - see you in The Arena, and Topside, Contestants!


Balance Changes

Weapons

V9S

• 
  Decreased damage from 40 to 38
  

Dev Note: In the 9.0 update we buffed the effective range of the V9S to give it more viability, in an effort to increase how desirable it is to use. We can tell from early feedback and data that this range increase, combined with damage buffs, has been enough to quickly push it into a dominant position. This change will offset that. We’ll continue to monitor this closely over the next few weeks


Content and Bug Fixes

Cosmetics

• 
  Reduced clipping on the Baihu Pathfinder Outfits when worn with long jackets
  
  
• 
  Fixed a visible gap in the Muzzle Wyrm Flamethrower VFX
  

Gadgets

• 
  Fixed an issue that allowed the APS Turret, Jump Pad and Guardian Turret to be deployed inside walls
  

Game Modes

Point Break

• 
  Changed the Grand Vault behavior so the objective can no longer be pushed outside the play area, adding a fallback to keep it within the border
  
  
• 
  Changed objective border behavior after phase changes: Attacker borders now deactivate when a phase ends, and Defender borders no longer block players unintentionally
  

Performance

• 
  Potentially reduced some in-match stuttering by fixing an issue where shaders from the user cache were not precompiled
  
  
• 
  Reduced some of the occasional freezes sometimes happening during gameplay
  
  
• 
  Improved performance stability by preventing eviction of essential shaders used for UI, lighting effects, and post‑processing, reducing the risk of missed visuals and hitches
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Instant Replays were delayed
  
  
• 
  Improved general performance in the Practice Range
  
  
• 
  Improved performance in Powershift and map conditions with moving platforms
  

Social

• 
  Fixed an issue where the UI would incorrectly display Steam names instead of the Embark Display Names
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where backfilled players could inherit the wrong Display Name
  

Stability

• 
  Fixed several PS4 memory crashes
  
  
• 
  Updated the recommended AMD graphics driver to version 25.12.1, resolving a crash present in the two previous AMD releases
  

UI

• 
  Fixed an issue where the Multi-Device tab no longer previewed your equipped skin and charm after switching to another tab and back
  
  
• 
  Added the missing Double Jeopardy modifier to the Private Match descriptions for Cashout and Ranked Cashout
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where spectating party members in Point Break could display incorrect HUD elements
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where World Tour points gained were not shown in the end-of-round results
  
  
• 
  The Sponsor progression screen now shows proper progression of fans and rewards
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Premium Battle Pass levels did not appear immediately after purchase
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Ultimate Battle Pass preview screen showed an incorrect number of instant rewards
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where purchasing the Premium or Ultimate Battle Pass would not lead to the proper in-game screen
  
  
• 
  Updated Ranked and World Tour league reward images and text
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Season 6 Legacy Battle Pass could not be opened or purchased
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Ultimate Battle Pass could appear purchasable multiple times
  

Continue reading...

 

WELCOME TO SEASON 9 | DRAGON RISING

Dragon Rising draws from the depth and richness of Chinese culture with a blend of historic symbols, architectural styles, and modern city energy. There’s a new mode, a new Arena, and plenty more to uncover, so let’s take a look at Dragon Rising and dive into a fresh season of the World’s Greatest Gameshow.


To experience the full visual patch notes please click this link.

New Map | Fangwai City

Fangwai City is built for spectacle, with elevated walkways, dense apartment blocks, riverfront views, serene gardens and towering structures all blended together for the ultimate variety. This latest addition to the Arena is built from the ground up with smooth destruction, combining everything we have learned from the past two years, to create a battleground that puts Dynamism on the center stage!

Distinct zones with strong individual personalities that draw from multiple real world locations in China, such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, create a playground of variety. Explore the vertical routes, the winding pathways, but don’t forget to look up at the electric backdrop of a city that never sleeps.

This megacity is grand, it’s loud, it’s tuned to keep the action flowing, and it’s coming for the crown. Step into your new favorite map!

New Mode | Point Break

Take everything you know about Cashout, turn it up to 11, and add four more players!

Point Break delivers a rolling battle where the fight is always in motion, the stakes rise with every phase, and every decision carries weight. It’s fast, it’s messy, and it brings a new rhythm to THE FINALS.

As you load into Point Break you find yourself as one of eight Attackers or Defenders, each side with a clear goal. Attackers need to gain control of, and destroy, nine Grand Vaults before running out of respawn tokens while Defenders aim to do the opposite. Deplete the Attackers coins and victory is yours, but be vigilant as they gain more coins for each phase they complete.

Go play!

New Progression | World Tour 2.0

World Tour is now your one stop shop for all game modes! What used to be a single game mode is now a full progression system that tracks everything you do across THE FINALS. Whether you sweat it out in Ranked, push the Platform in Power Shift, or chase eliminations in TDM, every match pushes you toward your seasonal goals!

For fans of the old World Tour Tournament Mode, it’s still here, but now it’s called Cashout!

Your World Tour Badge progresses regardless of what you play and as you advance, you’ll earn Stickers, Charms, Multibucks, and Emerald rewards delivered to you at the start of the next season! Your effort now builds toward one track, making progress simpler, smoother, and more rewarding.

You’ll still earn Ranked Rewards separately, allowing the most competitive Contestants to earn additional rewards for climbing the ranks in Ranked Cashout!


Reward System | Reward Coins

Gone are the days of receiving pre-determined skins at the end of a season! If you’ve had ambitious dreams of an emerald Dagger, that is now your choice to make! Does the thought of a golden Famas make your eyes sparkle? You can pick that, too!

Introducing Reward Coins: the brand new way for you to choose any weapon skin your heart desires, based on your Ranked and World Tour progress.

There are Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Ruby coins earned through Ranked Cashout, and an Emerald Coin awarded for reaching the top Badge level in World Tour.

Sponsors | VOLPE, OSPUZE, and any one you choose!

You can now sign with any Sponsor you like, whenever you like, and swap them at any time. No more being locked in. This update is about giving you freedom, choice, and a reason to mix things up. We are also adding new loyalty tracks for the official Sponsors of Season 9, VOLPE and OSPUZE.

You can go with a Seasonal Sponsor, return to your favorite, or try a little bit of everything. The CEOs are watching, so you can prove your loyalty or leave them wondering if you’ll ever return! The Fans you earn will only go to the active Sponsor you have signed with at any given moment, so make sure you sign before stepping into the Arena. Don’t worry about the fine print!

Which brand will you wear today, Contestant?

Cashout Rules | Double Jeopardy

A new rule is coming to Cashout in the form of Double Jeopardy, a condition triggered whenever a second Cashbox is inserted in an already active Cashout Station.

When a team initiates Double Jeopardy, if they are in control of the Cashout Station as it completes, they bank all the money as normal, but if they fail to secure it they lose 50% of their current cash total.

‘Doubling’ is now a high risk strategy, allowing struggling teams to catch up, while increasing the risk for those ahead.

Battle Pass | Free, Premium, and Ultimate

The Battle Pass carries the spirit of Dragon Rising across every tier. The Free path gives all players a collection of rewards that showcase the season’s blend of heritage and future tech.

The Premium Pass opens a wider range of outfits, skins, and gear. Unlock up to 106 rewards (including bonus pages) and earn 1575 Multibucks, enough to buy next Season’s pass and then some!

The Ultimate Battle Pass is where the full theme of Dragon Rising really shines! Maximize your experience with instant unlocks and high impact styles, complete with mythic items ready for your wardrobe. It also comes with a 25% boost in Match XP, opens the full collection of 118 Unlockable rewards and 2575 Multibucks (1000 of which you gain instantly).


No matter where you start, each tier is built to feel meaningful, rewarding, and connected to the world of Dragon Rising!

Quality of Life | Expanded Options and Customizations

We’re expanding our privacy options, allowing you to fine-tune how you appear and interact with others, and select which pop ups for friend and party invites you see on screen. We’re also enabling you to send party invites to club members!

You can now “opt-in” to view an Instant Replay, giving you the ability to watch replays only when you choose to with the simple press of a button.

To end on a high note, some highly requested additions, you can randomize between your favorite skins and finally customize your multi-device tablet!


Optimization | Performance Improvements

This season we’ve reworked a lot of our physics meshes for environment and characters to reduce game memory requirements and stuttering, we have also made significant improvements to texture memory usage.

We have made several performance upgrades across the game, starting with smoother Instant Replays supported by a new download system and backend cleanup that reduces shader and state work during matches.

Hard work has gone into supporting 16 players at once in Point Break, and the improvements made will benefit all Game Modes across THE FINALS.

Kyoto has been updated to improve GPU performance. Physics have been optimized, vegetation has been rebuilt for clarity, and the bamboo forest near the Guard and Servants quarters has been refined to run more efficiently. These updates help the map feel sharper, lighter, and more responsive during busy fights.

We’re not done. Significant additional improvements to memory usage are coming soon which will reduce stutter on minimum' and recommended specs, but will benefit everyone.

Expanded Visuals | Smooth Destruction upgrade

Visual destruction is getting a major improvement this season. Objects remain attached when structures come down, giving you more realistic destruction that also provides new ways to traverse and climb through the rubble!

We’ve reworked our destruction effects to better reflect the shape and material of whatever you destroy. Walls now break apart with debris that resembles real fractured pieces, much like the way windows already shatter. These changes bring more clarity, more character, and a more satisfying hit when the Arena comes crashing down.

Major changes have come to Monaco, which has complete Smooth Destruction across the whole map! Expect more as the season continues!

Bundles | TGM25 Champion Set + 2nd Anniversary Bundle

NTMR have emerged victorious in The Grand Major 2025 and have secured their place in the history of THE FINALS! You can celebrate their success and own a piece of the action in this stunning, gold NTMR TGM25 CHAMPION SET!

NTMR and all other participating organizations in the TGM25 receive a share of the sales revenue from this bundle, so your support celebrates their triumph in more ways than one! Take home a piece of the gold for yourself and keep a souvenir from TGM25 that’s fit for a king!

You can also celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of THE FINALS with this brilliant red Anniversary bundle featuring three skins and just enough Multibucks to pick up the Premium Battle Pass!

Twitch Drops | Calvin the Cube

To ring in the new Season, we're introducing your newest pal, Calvin the Cube! Go pick up Calvin, his nametag, and his hardworking Multi-Device skin so your cubicle feels right at home! Watch your favorite THE FINALS content creator on Twitch to earn them all!


Okay, let’s look at the details:


Balance Changes

Dev Note: To hopefully make the dev notes a little less verbose, we’ve removed dev notes from some of the changes below that are fairly self-explanatory. Most of these changes are small nudges and amendments to an item with the goal of increasing their desirability/viability slightly.


Controller

• 
  Added aim snapping to the following weapons:
  
  • 
    .50 Akimbos
    
    
  • 
    BFR Titan
    
    
  • 
    CB-01 Repeater
    
    
  • 
    Cerberus 12GA
    
    
  • 
    KS-23
    
    
  • 
    M26 Matter
    
    
  • 
    Model 1887
    
    
  • 
    R .357
    
    
  • 
    Recurve Bow
    
    
  • 
    SA1216
    
    
  • 
    SR-84
    
• 
  Increased the cooldown on aim snapping from 0.5s to 0.7s
  
  
• 
  Added a 1.5s cooldown for aim snapping with sniper rifles
  
  
• 
  Added a 1s cooldown for aim snapping with shotguns, revolvers and grenade launchers
  
  
• 
  Aim snapping now scales with distance, meaning it no longer gives a stronger effect at longer ranges
  

Dev Note: This change to aim snapping at distance allows us to reduce the effectiveness of long ranged weapons at longer ranges more than we could previously. Previously, snapping made longer ranged headshots a little too easy but was constrained by how snapping worked at closer ranges, with this change they should require more aim from the player.


Gadgets

Breach Charge

• 
  Decreased cooldown from 30s to 20s
  

Dome Shield

• 
  Added the ability for Dome Shields to block the Winch Claw
  

Dev Note: The Winch Claw has been dominating the Heavy meta and this adjustment is an effort to offer some more counter-play.

Frag Grenade

• 
  Increased outer radius from 5m to 5.5m
  
  
• 
  Increased max damage radius from 2.5m to 2.75m
  

Dev Note: The Frag Grenade is a little under-powered, although it still sees very high usage and is reasonably effective. As a result, we’re only adjusting its power slightly to see how it impacts things.


Gas Grenade

• 
  Decreased cooldown from 30s to 24s
  

Gateway

• 
  Decreased max range from 70m to 50m
  

Dev Note: The Gateway has become a little too effective at allowing very long, very fast rotations by teams, cannibalizing the value of items like Zipline too much.


Glitch Grenade

• 
  Decreased ammo count from 2 to 1
  
  
• 
  Decreased cooldown 20s to 12s
  

Dev Note: This change is made to require players to be more accurate with their Glitch Grenade usage to get pay-off from it, rather than having an immediately available second grenade to cover up for misses. The shorter cooldown is there to ensure a miss isn’t overly punishing.

Goo

• 
  Increased explosive damage multiplier versus goo from 2.0 to 2.25
  

Dev Notes: Goo has become highly effective in the current meta and we want to offer some more effective counters to it. This change is to help explosive items remove goo slightly faster.

Pyro Grenade

• 
  Decreased cooldown from 30s to 24s
  

Pyro Mine

• 
  Decreased explosive damage from 80 to 55
  

Dev Note: the Pyro Mine cannibalizes the role of the Explosive Mine a little too much, this adjustment should help to address that.

Thermal Bore

• 
  Decreased fuse time from 2.5s to 1.75s
  
  
• 
  Decreased cooldown from 45s to 35s
  
  
• 
  Decreased the amount of lingering smoke, making it easier to see after it detonates
  

RPG-7

• 
  Increased damage from 100 to 110
  

Dev Note: This adjustment is mostly targeted at improving the RPG’s effectiveness versus Goo, without having a significant impact on player versus player combat.

Game Modes

Cashout Mode (including Ranked Tournaments)

• 
  Introduced Double Jeopardy mechanic. If a team ‘doubles’ a Cashout, i.e. puts a second Cashbox into an already active Cashout Station, if that team does not own the Cashout Station at the point the cashout concludes, they will lose 50% of their cash total.
  

Dev Note: This is a brand new mechanic aimed at reducing the rate of ‘doubling’ Cashboxes in Cashout and Ranked Tournaments, something many players consider to be aimed specifically at preventing the 2nd placed team from progressing to the next round of the tournament.

We want doubling to be a part of the many viable strategies that teams can use to help win the game or stage an epic comeback. Double Jeopardy allows us to keep the epic comebacks and clutch plays that ‘doubling’ offers, especially for 3rd and 4th placed teams who are playing from behind. If a 1st place team wants to ‘double’ the Cashboxes now, they’re putting their own lead on the line to the tune of 50% of their cash.

This is a considerable change to the game, so as always we’ll monitor how it plays ‘in the wild’ and will keep an eye on player feedback following its launch.

Ranked Tournaments

• 
  Cashboxes will no longer despawn when overtime begins, as they would previously
  

Dev Notes: With the addition of Double Jeopardy, this mechanic is less warranted now. This change also brings Ranked Tournaments back in line with regular Cashout.

World Tour

• 
  Renamed World Tour to Cashout
  

Dev Notes: With World Tour being moved to be a wrapper for the wider game, covering all modes, we’ve renamed the old World Tour Tournaments to Cashout.

Progression Systems

Ranked Tournaments

• 
  Increased the overall accuracy of Ranked Score (RS) calculations, which will result in slightly smaller RS changes from match to match
  
  
• 
  Re-balanced RS calculations to make first round losses in tournaments less extreme, especially for highly seeded teams
  

Dev Notes: When digging into data from recent seasons we were able to confirm the general feedback that being a highly seeded team in a match, but facing a first round elimination, could result in RS losses that might take a full tournament win to earn back. This was especially common around the Silver and Gold ranking tiers. In the most extreme cases, albeit somewhat uncommon, we saw that a first round loss could require six rounds won to recoup the RS. This change should alleviate those extreme cases.


Specializations

Mesh Shield

• 
  Increased max health from 750 to 850
  
  
• 
  Added the ability for Dome Shields to block the Winch Claw
  
  
• 
  Dev Note: This Winch Claw has been dominating the Heavy meta for a while now, so this adjustment should offer some more counter-play to it. It also should increase the viability of the Mesh Shield.
  

Winch Claw

• 
  Decreased the max stun duration from 0.65s to 0.5s
  
  
• 
  Decreased the minimum stun duration from 0.35s to 0.2s
  
  
• 
  Added functionality where, if the clawed victim is far away from the initial point of collision, the Winch Claw will break. This addresses an issue where the Winch Claw could sometimes appear to grab players around walls
  
  
• 
  Winch Claw now retracts as soon as it hits an object it can’t latch onto, reducing time spent lingering in the air
  

Dev Note: These changes aim to address some of the more common frustrations players experience when facing the Winch Claw, which has become quite dominant in the meta across multiple modes. The hope is to bring the Heavy’s Specializations more in line with each other in terms of viability/impact.

Weapons

93R

• 
  Decreased damage from 26 to 24
  
  
• 
  Decreased the damage fall-off start range from 32m to 30m
  
  
• 
  Decreased the damage fall-off end range from 40m to 37.5m
  
  
• 
  Increased the damage fall-off multiplier at max range from 40% to 50%, meaning it does slightly more damage at long-range
  

Dev Note: For much of the last season the 93R has outperformed the second and third placed weapons on damage and eliminations per round by almost 10%, that’s above the acceptable range. These changes are aimed at bringing it in line with the other top weapons.

BFR Titan

• 
  Decreased environmental damage from 130 to 95
  
  
• 
  Decreased the rate of fire from 85 RPM to 82 RPM
  

Dev Note: The BFR is the very definition of a ‘love it or hate it’ weapon, where its top end performance is very good but where its parameters put it very close to feeling clunky and ineffective to use. As a result, it makes this weapon quite hard to balance. We want to give it a fair power level without making it feel awkward to use. We hope the RPM change here brings it to the right place, but we’ll continue to monitor how it performs.

Dual Blades

• 
  Increased the damage of the the third attack in the attack sequence from 65 to 100
  

Dev Note: We feel like the Dual Blades’ full attack combo hasn’t been offering the pay-off it deserves. This adjustment should address that.

KS-23

• 
  Decreased bullet dispersion across all stances when aiming down sights (ADS) by approximately 30%, making the weapon more precise
  

Dev Note: After the positive feedback that the feel of the BFR has received, we’ve decided to push the KS-23’s dispersion in a similar direction, without making the two items too similar.

Lewis Gun

• 
  Increased damage from 22 to 23
  

Dev Note: Both Heavy LMGs have been somewhat ineffective compared to other options available to the Heavy. This slight nudge aims to push the Lewis Gun towards greater viability.

M134 Minigun

• 
  Decreased bullet dispersion slightly when crouching or standing still and aiming down sights (ADS), making the weapon more precise
  

Dev Note: Seasoned players are already able to get solid performances out of the Minigun, but we’ve noticed some casual players can sometimes struggle with it. This change is an attempt to bridge that gap, making the Minigun slightly easier to use, hopefully without buffing its top end power too much.

M60

• 
  Decreased the amount of vertical recoil during the first 8 bullets of the firing sequence, making the M60 slightly easier to control
  
  
• 
  Slightly increased the amount of vertical recoil after the 30th bullet in the firing sequence, making the M60 slightly harder to control during sustained firing
  

Model 1887

• 
  Decreased tactical reload intro animation duration from 2.2s to 1.5s, meaning the weapon reloads faster
  

Dev Note: We know that some of the Model’s reload animations have been a cause of frustration for players. We’re not done with the Model yet, it’s one of a number of guns that would benefit from a ‘reload checkpoint’ system, and it’s still our intent to introduce a system like that sometime in the next year.

V9S

• 
  Increased the damage fall-off start range from 10m to 15m
  
  
• 
  Increased the damage fall-off end range from 15m to 25m
  
  
• 
  Increased the damage fall-off multiplier at max range from 62% to 65%, meaning it does slightly more damage at long-range
  

Content and Bug Fixes
Animation

• 
  Fixed an issue where the P90 tactical reload could twist the arm unnaturally
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the left hand could briefly appear during the Model 1887 Cycle Action when using the Dough Wrangler or Eclipse Shade skins while crouching or inspecting
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue in the Practice Range where switching weapons via Change Loadout while reloading could cause the new weapon to continue playing the reload animation incorrectly
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue causing Light Contestants’ hands to twist unnaturally during interactions from a certain angle, such as stealing a Cashout
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Contestants could appear to run in place when lightly pushing the left stick forward on a controller
  
  
• 
  Improved the animation transition from deploying to zooming in, most noticeable with the RPG-7
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where an Akimbo pistol could appear to float during hazard reaction animations (e.g., gas or fire) or during Quick Melee
  
  
• 
  Weapons are more responsive animationwise when firing from the hip while sprinting
  

Audio

• 
  Fixed an issue where the XP-54 empty reload sound could continue playing after the animation was interrupted (e.g. picking something up or interacting)
  
  
• 
  Tuned the audio mix for the Pocket Pop & Play charm’s mini-game
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the announcer’s elimination-streak line could become very quiet mid-sentence
  
  
• 
  Fixed a missing reload sound on the ARN220 so it’s audible to other players
  
  
• 
  Reduced unintended rattling/foley audio that could loop during idle or light movement, most noticeable when using the M60
  
  
• 
  Voice lines requesting revives from players who are far away are now suppressed to reduce audio spam
  
  
• 
  Added a confirmation beep when recalling deployable gadgets
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Riot Shield's deploy animation sometimes played no sound, including during the Choose Contestant Pack
  

Contracts

• 
  Fixed an issue where "Get X eliminations in a single match, X times" Contracts could progress multiple times within a single round
  
  
• 
  Fixed issues in several Contracts where cash from the last Cashout in Quick Cash wasn't counted, the last kill in TDM wasn't counted, or cash from the last won round in TDM was counted twice
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where "Restore 1000 health to teammates" contract could be progressed through self-healing
  
  
• 
  Healing Emitter healing now correctly counts toward the "Restore 1000 health to teammates" contract
  

Cosmetics

• 
  Emote props no longer fall through the floor during use
  
  
• 
  Store offer previews for custom animations now match the animations rarity
  
  
• 
  Added the ability to favorite skins for use with skin randomization
  
  
• 
  Fixed blurriness affecting large headwear on Player Cards
  
  
• 
  Fixed the hair from Liquid Assets to stop clipping with certain headwear
  
  
• 
  Fixed clipping issues between the Captain Ironmark Head and ballistic masks for better character appearance
  
  
• 
  Fixed exposure compensation for TGM25 Red & Gold weapon skins so the red stripe no longer appears too dim in bright light or too bright in dark lighting
  
  
• 
  Moved the PULSAR Ski Mask from Facewear to Headwear
  The cap is now removed when wearing the Skimask with hoods to avoid clipping
  
  
• 
  Fixed visual distortion and spawn delay when using the Pressed Advantage gesture while moving
  
  
• 
  Fixed clipping on the Bats & Jacks upper body item when using the muscular Heavy body type
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the R.357 inspect animation to reduce finger clipping when using the QuickSpark sight with the Plundersteel skin
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Minigun's Loadout Loaded Deploy animation sometimes played only partially
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where some CL40 skins applied the wrong texture to projectile shells
  
  
• 
  Fixed cases where headwear could clip with ears or nose on certain face shapes
  
  
• 
  Added an Ogre voice effect when equipping the Ogre Head item
  
  
• 
  Fixed severe clipping on the La Furia Cempasúchil headwear at lower settings
  
  
• 
  The Protocol Core and Shadowframe Suit now supports Pets and is compatible with upper-back items
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Player Cards could appear low-resolution in menus
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Contestant Pack icons on player cards could appear blurry
  
  
• 
  Adjusted sticker placement on the FCAR Disciple of Sound skin so stickers are no longer obscured by the hand during the Inspect animation
  
  
• 
  The CL-40 skins Corecharge Melt, Arcadia Obliterator, and Toybox Trigger now eject the correct casings (spent cans, retro cylinder, and toy shells) instead of default shells
  
  
• 
  All eyes will now work with the Arch Rival face
  
  
• 
  Fixed distortion on the Stacktrace Reaper and Verisect Duality skins for the .50 Akimbo, improving visual clarity
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the diver outfit in first-person view by reducing shoulder size and removing the net to prevent visual obstruction
  

Gadgets

Thermal Bore

• 
  Fixed an issue where the Thermal Bore could pass through surfaces (including Goo) without activating
  

Game Modes

Private Matches

• 
  Added support for the Point Break Game Mode
  

Quick Cash

• 
  Fixed a rare issue where cashout stations stopped spawning
  
  
• 
  Fixed a rare issue where cashboxes could not be inserter
  

Powershift

• 
  Due to a snag in the travel path of the platform, Kyoto has temporarily been removed from rotation and will return in 9.4
  

Gameplay

• 
  Cannons are now physics-enabled, reacting to movement, forces, and collisions for more dynamic interactions
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where aim assist could continue targeting an eliminated player
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue with aim assist that would cause it to move incorrectly when switching between targets
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue that would cause the reload to start to early after firing the last bullet on some weapons
  
  
• 
  Thrown Carriables now activate more reliably when thrown
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where firing immediately after equipping some weapons could result in missing firing and recoil animations
  
  
• 
  Fixed friendly Practice Range bots not shooting at enemy bots and enemy bots not shooting at the player
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where switching from the Lockbolt to the M60 or Lewis Gun caused ADS times to be longer than intended
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where attempting to retrieve a Guardian Turret or Healing Emitter immediately after equipping it could ignore the input
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue with Ziplines that would sometimes make contestants jitter when using them
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue with Quick Melee not respecting cooldown when swapping items
  

Dev Note: This change addresses the Quick Melee ‘rapid fire’ exploit that we’ve seen in matches recently

Maps

Nozomi/Citadel

• 
  Fixed floating ivy
  
  
• 
  Fixed z-fighting (where two textures are overlapping, causing them to flicker) between overlapping ground materials, including areas under a staircase, to improve visual clarity
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where objects in the CNS streets area could disappear when viewed from above
  

Monaco

• 
  Enabled Smooth Destruction on all buildings, allowing them to collapse into nearby structures to cause more realistic looking destruction
  
  
• 
  Refined destruction in the Cathedral area
  
  
• 
  Fixed a hole in the ground near the Cathedral that could appear after a wall was destroyed
  

Seoul

• 
  Fixed collision on a backdrop to prevent unexpected interactions
  
  
• 
  Fixed a misaligned occluder on the mall facade that caused visual glitches and allowed players to clip into the wall and fire from unintended angles
  
  
• 
  Adjusted geometry in the Under Construction variant to prevent players from clipping into a vent and firing from an unintended position
  
  
• 
  Fixed an occlusion issue on an apartment building that could allow clipping and unintended line-of-sight through walls
  

Bernal

• 
  The Hotel’s pool jump pad is now present in all variants and game modes
  
  
• 
  Fixed floating tree branches after destroying a stump in the Residential area
  

P.E.A.C.E. Center

• 
  Fixed floating sandbags after destruction
  

Kyoto

• 
  Adjusted cover and traversal options around Hillside, Pavilion, Training Quarters, Guest House, Entrance and Villa Compound to account for vegetation optimizations and readability improvements
  
  
• 
  Simplified basement layout of the Entrance building
  
  
• 
  Adjusted the map border in the Villa Compound (TDM) so it no longer cuts through a jump pad
  
  
• 
  Brightened materials for better lighting and optimized the bamboo backdrop for improved visual clarity
  
  
• 
  Cleaned up a small fence near the new central jump pads
  
  
• 
  Fixed incorrect wallpaper material in the entrance house
  
  
• 
  Fixed missing collision on the lake beneath the bridge in the Villa Compound area
  

Fangwai City

• 
  Added Fangwai City to the map rotation for Cashout, Ranked Cashout, Quick Cash, Head 2 Head and Team Deathmatch
  

Fortune Stadium

• 
  Fixed incorrect materials on some building modules
  

SysHorizon

• 
  Fixed a spot where players could become stuck on a campus rooftop
  

Performance

General

• 
  Instant Replays now use an updated download system that improves performance during playback
  
  
• 
  Improved performance by reducing redundant shader and state work during matches
  

Kyoto

• 
  Optimized physics to improve performance
  
  
• 
  Reworked vegetation around the Villa Compound storehouse to improve performance and readability
  
  
• 
  Reworked bamboo forest around the Entrance, Guest House and Hillside to improve performance
  

Rendering

• 
  Reduced flickering artifacts of ambient lighting, especially in movement on vegetation
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue that sometimes caused textures and meshes to flicker between higher and lower quality states
  
  
• 
  Adjusted streaming budgets on Xbox Series S, resulting in fewer blurry textures and low-poly models visible
  

Social

• 
  Added expanded privacy settings in Social options, including muting individual notification types or muting all notifications
  
  
• 
  Removed redundant "Join Their Party" option in the Social menu when already in a party
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where using a controller to report a player from the Blocked tab in the Social menu could prevent the Send Report button from being selected after entering text
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where accepting a Discord party invite on an unlinked account would not place you in the party
  
  
• 
  Console text chat: The virtual keyboard now stays open during HUD transitions and respawns, preventing messages from being cleared
  
  
• 
  Added the ability to invite Club members to your party directly from the Clubs screen, including a quick invite option
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the quick invite button could reappear on Player Cards before an invite expired
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue that prevented party voice chat from working and sometimes failed to show the voice chat icon next to teammates
  
  
• 
  Blocked players are now clearly marked in Clubs, and Invite to Party is no longer available for them in Clubs or the Player Info panel
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Private Match could appear locked for parties of 4 or 5, preventing lobby creation in World Tour
  

Specializations

Dematerializer

• 
  Fixed an issue where the wall preview would appear before the Dematerializer could actually be activated, causing some button presses to be ignored
  

Winch Claw

• 
  Fixed an issue where a player could be winched after teleporting with via the Gateway
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where, in certain scenarios, the Winch could pull players through walls, by reducing pull speed and making the Claw release the target if they become stuck
  
  
• 
  Reduced cases where the hook could connect to opponents behind cover by requiring recent line-of-sight to attach to targets
  

Spectator

• 
  Fixed a bug that prevented Spectators from switching between Contestants in Private Matches using Prev/Next inputs
  

Stability

• 
  Improved late-join behavior so map destruction is correctly synchronized when entering an ongoing match
  

UI

• 
  Fixed the new item marker for Appearance cosmetics to they now appear on the Appearance tab and clear correctly when inspected
  
  
• 
  Added team icons and a dedicated icon for team wipes in the elimination feed, visible to both players and spectators
  
  
• 
  Added a Specialization icon to player health bars and a setting to show or hide it
  
  
• 
  Added support for friendly opacity when the Enemy Color option is enabled, improving clarity of teammates on screen
  
  
• 
  Fixed Weapon and Gadget previews appearing offset in the Customization tab
  
  
• 
  Added a Favorites filter to customization items to make browsing favorited cosmetics easier
  
  
• 
  Reworked Motion Blur settings: added a new "Weapon Only" mode that applies blur only to the first-person weapon and hands, and a slider to adjust motion blur intensity
  
  
• 
  Updated tooltip descriptions for the Effects and Overall quality settings in Video Options
  
  
• 
  Fixed a rare issue where certain in-game HUD elements could disappear when skipping replays
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where SR-84 ADS did not appear in spectator view and Instant Replays
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where store tiles could display the wrong video or thumbnail after scrolling
  
  
• 
  Fixed a missing reload input hint for the Minigun when input hints are enabled
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Contestant tiles could briefly appear as black on the pack selection screen at match start
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue with controller where you could lose focus on the Loadout selection overlay when pressing the ping button
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where skipping an Instant Replay could leave the screen red until respawn
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where player and enemy outlines could display in red instead of the correct squad color
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Player Card backgrounds could reset when navigating back in the customization screen
  
  
• 
  Added quality settings to the RTXGI editor menu, including an option to toggle software global illumination
  
  
• 
  Fixed the APS Turret health bar not updating when shot and lingering briefly after the Turret was destroyed
  

VFX

• 
  Fixed an issue where destruction debris on Monaco could fall out of bounds when landing on indestructible ground
  

Weapons

Melee Weapons

Fixed an issue that allowed melee attacks to be animation-cancelled to attack faster than intended


Known Issues

Battle Pass

• 
  When purchasing the Premium+ and Ultimate Battle Pass, you may need to refresh by exiting and re-entering the Battle Pass Screen in order to see your 20 unlocked tiers
  

Security

A new season and a new update from the Anti-Cheat team.

As a result of rolling out Denuvo and Anybrain we've gained additional datastreams, resulting in a significant upgrade to our cheat detection capabilities. Perhaps one of the most significant upgrades since we started this journey.

As a result, detections related to input manipulation, aimbotting, anti-recoil, as well as hardware-assisted cheats have gone up significantly.

This uptick in detections has led to a string of community discussions where players feel they have been banned for no apparent reason. To address this we have conducted a series of investigations to rule out any false positives. It’s worth noting that some of our detections are conservative in nature. They gather data over time, minimizing the possibility of a false positive.

There are lots of moving pieces in this line of work and the cheating landscape is constantly evolving, but so are we.

As always, we are in it to protect you, our players!

///Magnum

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It’s the last update before Season 9! That’s when Dragons Rising starts and we begin year 3 of THE FINALS!

To everyone who attended The Grand Major 2025, watched from home, cheered us on, and supported the teams, we want to extend a huge thank you! We can’t wait for TGM26 and to lose our voices all over again screaming in the stands! Congratulations to NTMR on taking home the trophy!


STORE UPDATE | MISS ELIMI-LATTE SET


Picture this: the sound of coins falling, the sweet taste of victory blending with a warm pumpkin-spice latte… The Cashout is yours, Contestant. This week, let the competition know you cannot be bothered, and if they don’t understand, share your warmth by throwing your cup directly at their face. Sharing is caring, after all.


EVENT | SPONSOR SHOWDOWN


Two sponsors, only one winner, Sponsor Showdown has begun! Playing any game mode in THE FINALS will earn fans for your chosen sponsor. It’s time to show the audience what you’re made of as HOLTOW and TRENTILA are closely watching over the Arena.

PREVIEW EVENT | DECEMBER 8


There’s no better way to celebrate the 2 year Anniversary of THE FINALS than a streaming event to showcase Season 9! Tune in to your favorite streamer for a first look at the new season!

If you are a content creator and would like to be included in the Preview Event, sign up here for an opportunity to be invited!

Continue reading...

 

A NEW YEAR OF CONTENT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!


As we approach the end of Year 2, we’re kicking off the #RoadToYear3 with a roar: Season 9 | Dragon Rising. We’re very excited to reveal new features and updates, starting with today’s theme reveal!


Tune in daily on your favorite social platform for sneak peeks of what’s coming and don’t miss the full Reveal, live during The Grand Major 2025 this Saturday, November 29 at 8:30 AM ET / 2:30 PM CET on twitch.tv/thefinals!

Continue reading...

 

NEW CONTRACTS | BLAST OFF SOUR CORE



BLAST OFF SOUR CORE new contracts are now in! POP. POUR. PERFORM and get brand new OSPUZE to show off in the Arena.


This limited time event lasts up until the end of the Season.

STORE UPDATE | MYTHIC ITEMS AND A NEW SALE



This week's store update is bringing up an Arena’s Legend with the Ursa Set. Born from MultiCo’s Early-Talent Program, Ursa dominated the arenas for years, turning every match at every Grand Major into a spectacle.


Bring up the heat with the Flame Fusion Set, fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee with the Silent Sakura Set, and make the sponsors proud with the M.E.T.P Honors. Show off your skills with the P90 Motion Pack.


We’re also running a sale on a few favorite items: Noctovantage Set, The Aggressor, Rose Garden Set, HOLTOW Insurance Set, Jockoflorian, and Juggle Jam.


New countries are also joining the parade of nations: welcome Jamaica, Iceland, Philippines, and Croatia!

WORLD TOUR STOP | DEAD GO TOXIC


World Tour is deadlier than ever in the new Dead Go Toxic! A new twist on the classic Dead Go Boom, you better be careful in close contact! Upon elimination, contestants drop gas bombs that will trigger after a few seconds. Don't stay in the radius or get poisoned.

EVENTS | THE GRAND MAJOR 2025


Tomorrow is the biggest event THE FINALS has seen yet, The Grand Major 2025! 16 teams, 2 days of competition, only one Champion.

Take part of History in person at Dreamhack Stockholm, or join us virtually via Twitch and YouTube.

Join us Friday 28th, 12pm CET & Saturday 29th, 10am CET.


SPOILERS | SEASON 9


While you may have seen some teasers on our channels, the best is yet to come! Connect Saturday 29th at 2:30PM on the Dreamhack Stream for Season 9 reveals. Right on stage, Creative Director Gustav will be showing us some previews for the Season to come.


SEE YOU IN THE ARENA

Continue reading...

 

For almost two years now, THE FINALS has been a game shaped by the continuous love of the Embark team and its players. Every day we are grateful for the energy you bring to the Arena, and for the support that has kept us building, improving and evolving.


With our biggest event yet, The Grand Major 2025, our approaching third year anniversary, and the coming Season 9, our journey together continues, filled with passion, creativity, and the occasional destruction.


We'll be honored to celebrate this milestone with your support. Vote for us in the Steam Awards: Labor of Love 2025 before December 1st!

Continue reading...

 

STORE UPDATE | THRASH HARVESTER SET


You know TRENTILA for its real fruits, grown in the Transatlantic Landfill from postconsumer sediment, but now is the time to also gear up for the Arena. This week, TRENTILA is bringing only the best in terms of fashion and firepower. Make them taste the difference!


That’s not all, you’ve already met ÖRF and his friend Chubble, well it’s only fair we bring their third companion: Pip! Listen, there’s a lot we could say about Pip, but... We’ll let you figure that one out yourself.


And a warm welcome to India, Czechia and Peru, joining the rest of the Calling bundles!

TGM25 | THE GRAND MINGLE 2025

With only days separating us from the biggest event in the history of THE FINALS, how about we invite YOU to come meet US? We will be at the Quality Hotel Globe on November 27 from 6PM to 10PM CET, with some drinks and snacks. If you’re interested and you’re in Stockholm for the Grand Major, feel free to fill the form below, and we’ll see you there!

Sign up for the Meet-up is available here: The Grand Mingle 2025

Continue reading...

 

Welcome to update 8.9!

This week, we’re bringing some fresh content your way as well as a long list of bug-fixes, quality-of-life changes and performance improvements thanks to various engine-level optimizations. This update also includes a more robust Spectator mode, an essential feature for our community and the upcoming Grand Major 2025. Season 9 is right around the corner and the team has been hard at work, and we can’t wait to share more with you all soon.

Let’s take a look at everything Update 8.9 has to offer:


NEW LIMITED-TIME MODE | BLAST OFF SOUR CORE

Welcome to the BLAST OFF SOUR CORE! Enter a sour-apple flavored section of Bernal with your tuned-up CL-40, Jump Pad and Evasive Dash and take to the skies! With low gravity on and launch pads in every corner, you’ll do your best work in mid-air!

In this iconic 3 vs 3 Limited-Time Mode, movement is the key to victory. Keep your energy up and never let your guard down!

Out-blast the competition while enjoying a cold OSPUZE courtesy of our generous guest Sponsor! This event will run longer than usual, giving you plenty of time to complete contracts, earn up to 10 free rewards, and make sure your name shines on the top of the leaderboard!

POP. POUR. PERFORM.

STORE UPDATE | WILD POUR WEST SET

This week’s update is all power, no sugar, thanks to OSPUZE.

POP em’ faster than they can PERFORM with the Wild Pour West Set and if necessary, the Zestinator RPG is there to make your message extra clear. And so much more!

ESPORTS | GET READY FOR THE GRAND MAJOR 2025

In case you missed it, check out this hype trailer to get you ready for the Grand Major 2025! We’re getting closer to the big date now! We’ll see you in DreamHack, in person or on Twitch!

UPDATES | PRIVATE MATCH SPECTATOR

Private Match Spectator mode just got smoother and sharper. Hosts can now set separate squad colors for players and spectators, making it easier to follow the action. The team HUD now shows exactly who’s stealing a Cashout, so spectators never miss a clutch moment. We’ve also cleaned things up, the round counter is gone from single-round modes like Blast Off, and that pesky controller bug in the lobby navigation has been fixed.

STARTER BUNDLE | NEW CONTESTANT PACK + 1500MB

New Contestants who want to top up their Multibucks and their style now have the New Contestant Pack, a bundle that comes with OSPUZE gear and 1500 Multibucks. Pick up this one time deal today, Sofia is watching!


SOCIAL | VOICE MODERATION TEST

In an effort to improve the quality and safety of Voice Chat, we’re rolling out the testing of a voice moderation system to help keep conversations safe and enjoyable for everyone. To accommodate the new system, you’ll need to venture into settings and re-enable voice chat and voice moderation in order to participate in voice chat!

We’ll be monitoring this tool to see if it is effective in helping to combat abusive comms in game, hopefully making it safe and fun for more Contestants to enter the Arena with a mic! Your feedback will be an important part of this evaluation process.

EVENT | XP & FANS BOOST ENABLED

Need a hand finishing your Battle Pass or gathering some extra Fans for your Sponsor track? We’ve got you covered! Starting now, you’ll get 200% XP for Daily Contracts and up to 150% XP and Fans for gameplay all the way until the end of the season!


To celebrate the season, we’re calling this one MAJOR XP!


UPDATE | PLAYSTATION 4 SUPPORT

With each new Season of THE FINALS, our technology keeps pushing forward with recent features like Smooth Destruction and Instant Replays and major upgrades in performance and optimization. These improvements are shaping the future of the game, but they also demand more from the hardware that runs it.

As we continue to advance, it’s become increasingly difficult to maintain and optimize PlayStation 4 support, without limiting the features and gamemodes we want to create. Some of our latest systems simply aren’t compatible with the older generation’s technology, and ensuring an identical experience for our players across all platforms means making some tough trade-offs.

When Season 10 begins (18th of March, 2026), we’ll be retiring the PlayStation 4 version of THE FINALS and focusing our support on newer platforms. From that point on you’ll need to play on one of those platforms to keep enjoying the game (your progress and purchases will be stored in your Embark ID and will transfer to anywhere you choose to play). We’re finalizing the details now and we’ll share more information shortly.

Our focus now is on delivering the best possible experience across modern platforms where we can take full advantage of the tech that drives THE FINALS forward.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who’s been part of the PS4 community!


REWARDS | TWITCH DROPS

To celebrate the release of OSPUZE SOUR CORE in the meatspace we’ve got a brand new suite of refreshing Twitch Drops coming your way! Watch any of your favorite THE FINALS creators for a total of 4 hours to earn all three drops!

IMPROVEMENTS | QUALITY OF LIFE

Notable fixes in this update include the addition of Instant Replays to Xbox Series S! Never miss a play!

We’ve also fixed a very annoying bug that would prevent players from using Respawn Tokens after being revived while in the Loadout Change screen.

We’ve also been digging deep into performance this patch, identifying many of the in-game stutters that were caused by high memory pressure on the client side, which was caused by high memory pressure on the client side. This update brings major optimizations to help fix that including smarter shader caching (cutting precompiled shaders by 25% and PSO memory by 20%), leaner textures, graphics, and collision meshes, plus smoother replays and improved threading on lower-core CPUs. We’ve also tuned raytraced global illumination for better performance and cleaned up the Weapon and Gadget customization screen. In short, fewer hitches, faster loads, and a smoother ride all around.

Let’s dig into the details:

Content and Bug Fixes
Animation

• 
  Fixed a first-person visual issue where the Heavy body could briefly clip into view when sliding when looking down.
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the first-person arm could sweep across the screen when repeatedly picking up and dropping Arena Carriables
  
  
• 
  Fixed a brief distortion in the Recurve Bow charging animation when starting a shot immediately after attaching to a Zipline
  
  
• 
  Fixed a first-person animation issue that could make hands look distorted when inspecting the Pyro Grenade while vaulting
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the throwing animation could loop after firing the Recurve Bow and quickly swapping to throwable gadgets
  
  
• 
  Updated the sprint animations for Recurve Bow and Sledgehammer
  
  
• 
  Fixed a first-person animation issue where the left hand could jitter or clip when performing the Dagger Primary Attack, followed immediately by charging a Secondary Attack
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where C4 could visibly snap toward the hand when throwing while inspecting
  
  
• 
  Fixed missing animations in places such as self shadows, emoting, or using the Mesh Shield
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where animations could end up in a distorted state after teleporting through a Gateway
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Gadget throwing animations could play when vaulting
  
  
• 
  Improved jump/landing transition animations while winding up Grenade throws
  
  
• 
  Improved animation blending when inspecting during manual reload on ARN-220 and M26 Matter to prevent hand and finger clipping
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Throwing Knives of choice did not appear when thrown
  
  
• 
  Fixed cases where melee attack animations could fail to play after using a Gadget for Spear, Sledgehammer, Dual Blades, or Dagger
  

Audio

Cashout

• 
  Added more commentator voice line variations when a team is wiped
  

Customization

• 
  Fixed emote holograms overriding the props on gestures
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where performing actions like reload or inspect during an emote could reset the equipped weapon animation to the default animation
  
  
• 
  The Web Designer Pet now moves smoother
  
  
• 
  Fixed the rifle hologram in the Top Billing Emote from ALFA ACTA so it now renders correctly on player cards and billboards and appears as a proper hologram instead of a solid mesh
  
  
• 
  Fixed a visual issue where the left hand could briefly flash on screen while crouching or inspecting during the Model 1887 cycle action when using the Dough Wrangler or Eclipse Shade skins
  
  
• 
  Added description to heads and headwears that modify the Contestant’s voice
  

Gameplay

• 
  Improved destruction to reduce jitter and prevent buildings from ‘jumping’ during collapses by adding velocity limits and adjusting post-break impulse behavior
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where destruction updates could desync the strain system, causing structures to break excessively
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where Vanishing Bomb invisibility could persist after firing the last bullet of some Weapons
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where changing between crouching and standing during an interaction (e.g. stealing) could cancel it when near the edge of the interaction range
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where you couldn’t respawn with a token after being revived while the loadout screen was open
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the incorrect team would win in Powershift if Overtime was triggered while the platform was at the center of the map
  
  
• 
  Fixed and issue where the healing emitter would sometimes not starting healing after throws
  

Instant Replays

• 
  Added support for Instant Replays on Xbox Series S
  
  
• 
  Optimized the time it takes to transition in and out of Instant Replays
  

Map

SYS$HORIZON

• 
  Slightly adjusted some of the cubes around the voxel bridge connecting the two Library wings to remove some narrow unexpected sightlines between them and make climbing into the upper floors more intuitive
  

Fortune Stadium

• 
  Fixed Zipline rotation to ensure correct orientation
  

Kyoto

• 
  Fixed grass clipping through Jump Pads and improved their integration with better level dressing and guidance
  
  
• 
  Corrected in-world branding visuals
  

Las Vegas

• 
  Fixed some ladders and Ziplines around the ENGIMO building having the wrong color
  

Practice Range

• 
  Added the Heaven or Else leaderboard trophy
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Loadout selection overlay didn’t block background input
  

Performance

Dev Note: Various system memory optimizations are listed below. We have seen that high memory pressure can cause in-game stutters due to page faults. The goal of these optimizations are to reduce memory pressure and thus lower the risk of stutters during gameplay.

• 
  Optimized shader cache based on graphics quality. Reduces precompiled shaders by ~25% and PSO memory usage by ~20%.
  

Dev note: Note that changing Effects quality during gameplay may trigger shader compilation and cause brief stuttering.

• 
  Various optimizations to textures, graphics and collision meshes in order to lower memory usage
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue that could cause overly blurry textures and lowpoly meshes when running close to video memory limits
  
  
• 
  Rebalanced raytraced global illumination graphics quality settings to improve performance
  
  
• 
  Improved performance on the Weapon/Gadget customization screen
  
  
• 
  Improved performance by optimizing audio systems
  
  
• 
  Improved threading efficiency on CPUs with low core count
  

Private Match

• 
  Host can now set squad colors separately for spectators and players
  
  
• 
  Removed the round counter from the Choose Contestant Pack screen when a mode has only one round (e.g. Blast Off)
  
  
• 
  Spectators can now see which player is currently stealing a Cashout in the team HUD
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where navigating the Private Match lobby could move focus out of visible options and cause lost menu control when confirming with a controller
  

Social

• 
  Improved reliability and performance of rich presence to more consistently show player status to friends
  
  
• 
  Friends set to invisible/hidden on their platform no longer trigger “went online” entries in the event log
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Social menu didn’t update immediately. Requests, Recent, and Blocked tabs now refresh without needing to leave and re-enter the Social menu
  
  
• 
  We’re testing a new voice moderation tool, so all voice chat settings are turned off by default in this Update. Go into your settings to re-enable your voice chat by enabling voice moderation
  
  
• 
  Improved Discord friend presence updates: when a friend returns from Invisible/Offline, their status now refreshes correctly instead of appearing as Online Elsewhere or In Main Menu
  
  
• 
  Fixed a VoIP issue where leaving a match while in a party would mute both members, requiring them to re-enable voice chat
  
  
• 
  Fixed a bug where the Xbox icon was shown on the Xbox platform for Discord-only friends
  
  
• 
  The ‘join game’ functionality is no longer shown on your Steam profile. Now random friends will not be able to enter your party uninvited
  

Spectator

• 
  Improved spectator experience by making the spectator launch into the follow player view after the initial tunnel sequence
  
  
• 
  Improved spectator death camera: when spectating in first-person and the player you’re watching is eliminated, the camera now briefly tracks the killer before transitioning to their perspective for a smoother handoff
  
  
• 
  Added a spectator option to hide player names and health bars beyond 80m, with a toggle to control visibility at long distances
  
  
• 
  Added an option to hide all HUD elements in Spectator mode, including world icons and scoreboards
  
  
• 
  Spectator HUD:Team background color now covers the full bottom bar
  
  
• 
  Changed the default keybind for toggling ranged health bars from L to Y while spectating on Mouse & Keyboard to avoid overlapping inputs
  
  
• 
  Improved spectator team view with a gradient backplate and corrected horizontal alignment in the right-side
  
  
• 
  Added more fine-grained camera control
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where UI glitch/burst damage effects could persist on screen after switching from Follow Player to Free Camera while spectating in Private Matches
  

Stability

• 
  Resolved a rare crash that could happen when ending a private lobby session
  

UI

• 
  Fixed an issue where game mode specific Loadouts could not be re-ordered
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where newly purchased weapon skins and other customization items were not equipped after purchase when selecting equip
  
  
• 
  Clarified the Social screen by adding separate labels for muting and unmuting voice and text chat
  
  
• 
  Fixed multiple bugs where Fans earned at End of Round could appear negative
  
  
• 
  Added a confirmation dialog when creating a new Contestant from Playstyles
  
  
• 
  Removed non-functional Create Contestant button when at the maximum number of Contestants
  
  
• 
  Added mouse-over sounds to voice customization and expression lists
  
  
• 
  Restored missing compass in certain event modes
  

Ranked Tournament

• 
  Improvements on the tournament introduction and outro screen now more accurately represent the selected archetype and, in some cases, will show more customization options
  
  
• 
  The Windows activity bar will now flash to notify players of a started game
  

Team Deathmatch

• 
  We have now added Match Recap to TDM!
  

Cashout

• 
  The scoreboard now considers ongoing Cashouts when sorting teams
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the the distance to the objective was not visible on objective icons
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Cashbox distance marker could flicker when many world icons were on screen
  
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where, if an opposing team is in possession of the Cashbox when a squad respawns, the Cashbox icon could go invisible forever.
  

Clubs

• 
  Fixed an issue where the Clubs background theme showed incorrect colors or defaulted to red after viewing the end-of-round landing page
  

Weapons

Spear

• 
  Fixed an issue where the secondary attack could become unresponsive for a few seconds if it was interrupted by the Winch Claw
  
  

Security

Updates from the Anti-Cheat team!

Denuvo rollout is now complete and is working almost beyond expectations.
Anybrain rollout is also complete and has proved to be a valuable tool for us in detecting Xim and Cronus Zen like devices.

We are constantly improving our detections and investigating new capabilities to ensure we keep THE FINALS fair and secure for our players. It’s full steam ahead and we’re getting pretty warmed up!

Finally, we’d like to take the opportunity to advise against using third-party tools like Cheat Engine. Depending on how it is used, it could lead to warnings or a direct ban.

/Tom and Magnum

Continue reading...