The Finals press kit image.
Image via Embark.

The Finals receives a surprise launch at The Game Awards

The Finals has finally arrived.

Open Betas of The Finals has been enough to turn this FPS into a very anticipated multiplayer game. As one of the biggest surprises of The Game Awards, Embark surprise launched the game on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Though we’ve gotten a sample of it prior, we’ll finally be able to see everything the adrenaline-filled shooter has to offer. With the launch of Season 1, you’ll get to play in the Las Vegas virtual arena that’ll leave you dazzled with its lights and even some unexpected features such as UFOs.

As Embark has explained, at its core, The Finals is a game show featuring arenas inspired by real-world locations. You’re given the freedom to create your own hero and vie for victory. It doesn’t hold back when it comes to mayhem-filled fun, and you can show off your skills in environments reactive enough for furniture to be destroyed and buildings to collapse.

Contestant in front of yellow wall in The Finals.
Image via Embark.

The hype behind The Finals

The game’s unique premise and gorgeous visuals attracted over 7.5 million players during its Open Beta. Though it was praised by critics and players alike, some technical issues slightly dampened the experience. Embark has acknowledged these hiccups and has paid attention to community requests when tweaking the final release.

If you’re new to The Finals, be prepared for something quite novel. As creative director Gustav Tilleby explains, “The Finals isn’t another battle royale, military sim, or tactical FPS – there are plenty of those out there. It’s an entirely new take on shooters.” It’s hard to argue against this, as while we’ve had FPS games with destructible environments before (looking at you BattleBit Remastered), the studio’s doing it on a scale that few others would attempt.

Embark is a relatively young studio, having been founded in 2019. If pulled off correctly, The Finals could be the title that puts the Swedish team on the map.


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Image of Smangaliso Simelane
Smangaliso Simelane
Staff Writer - Smangaliso Simelane is a writer with a passion for all things related to video games. He has been writing about video games since 2020.