We already knew that Embark, the new studio created by former Battlefield developers, was working on a new competitive shooter called The Finals. And today, at The Game Awards, the studio announced its debut project is finally available on PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PlayStation 5 with the launch of Season 1.
Announced in August 2022 at Gamescom Opening Night Live, The Finals has previously been described as "a shooter wrapped in a game show format" where players will compete for fame, money, and the opportunity to get sponsorships as they compete on this fictional combat-centric game show.
“We started Embark to re-imagine how games are made and what they can become. The Finals is our first game to release, and a great embodiment of that vision,” said Gustav Tilleby, Creative Director. “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 been amazing and humbling to see the response from the community over the past year of testing. Now that the game is live, we’re laser-focused on ensuring a great experience for our community, with many surprises along the way.”
Embark was previously under fire after it was revealed that it was using AI voiceovers in The Finals. However, the studio stated that its "end goal" was not to replace actors with artificial intelligence.
Prior to its full release, Embark held an open beta in late October, where it was revealed after its conclusion that 7.5 million people played in the beta.
IGN previewed an earlier build of The Finals earlier this year, where we said: "The Finals is a fast-paced first-person shooter that focuses on arcadey game styles and game-show mechanics. What makes it unique is that everything, and I mean everything, can be destroyed. It's a lot to take in, but after playing a bunch of it, all of the elements manage to work really well together when the game isn't stuttery and buggy."
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.