THE FINALS is a free-to-play first-person shooter developed and published by Embark Studios. The porting and development assistance was provided by Pingle Game Studio.
The game takes place during the early 22nd century in a virtual gameshow known as THE FINALS. It is the most popular gameshow in the world with a large following. Contestants in THE FINALS are in search of fame, fortune, and the favor of Sponsors. They participate in the show through hyper-realistic virtual reality without actually exposing anyone to real danger. Arenas are based on iconic locations around the real world and have various configurations, day and night versions, and different weather conditions.
The game's main gamemode is Cashout. It puts four teams of three players against one another as they race to make the most Cash before the timer runs out. Players obtain Cash either by killing other players or by taking a vault to Cashout Stations. Cashout Stations award a large amount of Cash once collected, emphasizing their importance, denying is key to winning the game. The game's primary mechanic is Destruction. It allows players to destroy almost anything in an arena. This adds a level of uncertainty to gameplay, pushing players to develop strategies and take advantage of the environment to tackle any situation, you are able to explode walls to breach and give enemies unexpected times. Health management also plays a major factor in the game. When a player is killed, a pile of coins will explode from their body and they will be turned into a small statue. Players must interact with this statue for a few seconds before the respawn timer ends in order to revive their teammate. To increase the likelihood of a successful revive, players can pick up or throw the statue to a safer location and then revive their teammate. Should teammates fail to revive a player or they choose to respawn, a Respawn Coin will be used. Each player has four respawn coins. Should a player use all of their Respawn Coins, they will be unable to spawn for the remainder of the match. This makes teamwork and strategizing essential to succeed.
The game features a casual playlist known as Quick Play as well as a ranked playlist known as Tournament. A Practice Range is also available to test out equipment and abilities outside of matches. Playing the game will award players XP towards their Career Progression which unlocks cosmetics and weapons. Contracts are challenges available that will award additional XP once completed.
Players can choose between three classes: Light Build, Medium Build, and Heavy Build. The class chosen will determine the health and movement speed a player will have as well as their playstyle. The Light Build has low health but high movement speed and specializes in close-quarter combat and stealth. The Medium Build has a balanced health and speed and specializes in support and defense. The Heavy Build has high health and slow movement speed and specializes in defense and demolition. Each class as has access to their own unique specializations, weapons, and gadgets. While a wide range of options are available for each build's loadout, only one specialization, one weapon, and three gadgets are able to be selected at a time. Players may only edit their loadout before the start of a match. A Reserve Loadout is also available but it can only be used in the Tournament playlist.
The game features a variety of customization options. These include Weapon Skins and Charms for weapons, and Styles, Poses, and Emotes for builds. Cosmetics can be purchased in the in-game store with the game's currency, Credits. Items in the store are added at a regularly basis. Cosmetics can also be obtained by leveling up a player's Career Progression as well as through the Battle Pass. Every few months, a new season will be available and offer new cosmetics for players to unlock.