The Finals is creating action like no other shooter out there. Using its futuristic setting to leverage vibrant maps, gadgets, and incredible arena destruction, it’s the rare breed of FPS game that is pushing the genre forward. Embark Studios continues to grow the game to new heights, but some player perceptions believe the game is dying. In a recent interview after the launch of Season 6, the developer set the record straight.
Speaking to a representative for Embark Studios after my The Finals Season 6 preview, I ask whether the developer can speak to the current health of the FPS game and how the team responds to claims The Finals is perceived as dying or struggling. I’m told that the studio is seeing “the discussions, but there’s no concern from our side; we will only repeat what we have said before: The Finals is here to stay.” Embark Studios already has the next two seasons locked in, with Season 8 marking a huge moment for The Finals: a $100,000 eSports Major.
“We have content planned for many seasons to come, and with our first esports Major happening later this year, we’re not going anywhere!” reiterates the studio. Looking at The Finals’ current seasonal offering, the developer tells me why Season 6 is a key opportunity to introduce vital quality-of-life improvements.
“This season, we really doubled down on it. There’s many reasons for this; among them is, of course, our journey towards eSports, where we need the game to be as much of a complete experience as possible. A great thing about these changes is that they benefit all our players, regardless of who they are and how they play.”
When Embark Studios launched The Finals in December 2023, the shooter attained an all-time peak of just over 243,000 players. In the following months, the game hovers around the 20,000 mark on PC. However, a message on the Embark Studios Discord server clarifies that the game’s health is doing fine. Community lead Dusty Gustafsson shares that “since launch, we’ve never dropped below 300,000 DAU (daily active users) with all platforms combined”.
The live-service game landscape is incredibly harsh right now. High-profile releases like Concord shuttered within weeks, while overhauled experiences such as Dauntless are also sunsetting. I still think about how great Hyper Scape could have been. Sigh. Whether you’re playing The Finals on Steam Deck or console, though, the arena isn’t closing its doors anytime soon.
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