If you didn't know, Embark Studios is made up of talent from EA DICE, the same studio helping shape Battlefield 6 alongside Ripple Effect Studios, Criterion Games, and Motive Studios. While the developer is busy supporting The Finals and preparing to unleash ARC Raiders on October 30, 2025, I catch up with creative director Gustav Tilleby to talk about getting recognition from streamers like 'MoistCr1TiKaL' and players favorably comparing The Finals' destruction to DICE's forthcoming shooter.
EA DICE's DNA weaves itself into The Finals a lot, but it never feels derivative. The gorgeous hues and minimalist nature of Mirror's Edge coat themselves over maps like Fortune Stadium and Seoul. It's bombastic action that revels in chaos that only people with hands-on Battlefield experience know how to create. There isn't anything else on the level of its destruction right now in the FPS game space, standing tall as one of the few large-scale multiplayer offerings that utilize Unreal Engine 5 well. It's so well optimized The Finals Steam Deck battles are possible.
However, comparisons can be brutal for shooters, as it's only natural that Battlefield 6's take on destructible environments is compared to the free-form nature of The Finals. I asked EA executive vice president Vince Zampella about this at the Battlefield 6 preview I attended in Los Angeles. You can see what he said over at our friends at PCGamesN, but when I speak to Tilleby about this, he's happy players are responding to Embark's mission to deliver its chief goal for The Finals: dynamism.
"Dynamism is one of our core pillars, and destruction is a big part of that. It's not about comparisons for us, but about realizing our vision of player-driven emergent gameplay, and it extends way beyond just destruction. With that said, making our destruction work has been a huge technical challenge, and it's something we're very proud of. Hearing players respond so positively is amazing and very rewarding! Battlefield 6 looks amazing, and we can't wait to play it," Tilleby says.
It isn't just players commenting on The Finals' unique action, either. In recent weeks, the game's popularity has found an audience with high-profile YouTubers and streamers. I'm curious whether this is having a tangible impact on the game. Tilleby tells me that "it's always great when players, any player, really gets the experience and what it offers, just as we hoped they would. It's been a huge positive for the team to get amazing feedback from people like Charlie [MoistCr1TiKaL] and Kelski."
MoistCr1TiKaL continues to climb up the game's Ranked and World Tour modes, streaming his wins and losses regularly. Tilleby is seeing what creators are doing and adds that "the fantastic content they've created has definitely helped more players to discover The Finals, which we of course really appreciate. As devs, there's nothing more satisfying than having more people find, play, and have fun in the games we've created."
The Finals Season 8 is live right now, bringing fresh weapons to the table, as well as a whole new battle pass to complete. I'm heading into Platinum on my World Tour grind right now, putting me well ahead of my troubles with the Riot Shield in Season 7. I just hope a possible The Finals Nintendo Switch 2 port rears its head down the line.