During The Game Awards, Embark Studios took to the stage to reveal that The Finals, the studio’s ambitious debut game, is out now. It was a shadow-drop of sorts, as nobody knew that the first season would be released so soon. This follows the super-successful playout of the beta phase, which ran for a few weeks and racked up more than 7.5 million players – but attracted some cheaters, sadly. That’s it, though – The Finals is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC!

If you’re not familiar with this destructive, high-octane game, then read on. We’ll outline all the reasons why this team-based, competitive shooter is certainly one that esports fans should be keeping an eye on. It blends everything that makes a solid esports title, even if that competitive scene hasn’t originated from within Embark Studios just yet.

Reach The Finals

The Finals is an ambitious, energetic game that fuses cutting-edge visuals with more destruction than you’ve ever seen in an arena-based shooter. It looks fantastic on-screen and it plays remarkably well, boasting smooth, fluid movement and satisfying gunplay. It’s a challenging title, though. It’s designed to be played by teams, that much is certain – going off the beaten track and trying to be a lone wolf might not work so well in The Finals.

It uses a ‘hero shooter-style’ mechanic to introduce players to a range of characters that have different attributes and abilities. For instance, the more agile, slimmer characters can turn temporarily invisible and wield small-form weapons, while the heavy-set characters carry rocket launchers and can charge through walls. The base nature of The Finals accommodates a wide range of play styles, and its maps are designed to look like they’re housed in stadiums, with each match being watched by thousands of spectators.

Season One Is Available Now

In the latest trailer that was published to celebrate the sudden launch of The Finals, Embark Studios revealed the first season of the game. Right now, players can jump in and experience the newest map, which is a Las Vegas-themed spectacle that brings about new factions, characters, and abilities. It’s a sizeable update and there’s plenty more to come if Embark Studios’ roadmap is anything to go by.

Now that The Finals has been released, it’s expected that Embark Studios will start working more earnestly on its in-development extraction shooter, ARC Raiders. It’s yet another ambitious game from this studio that is still in its infancy, but regardless of that fact, is managing to create some fantastic experiences.

Will you try to reach The Finals?