It’s a fresh season in the multiplayer PvP FPS The Finals, and this time around it’s a battle of hackers versus a security force as the overarching theme in terms of both its gameplay and its latest new map.
This time around, players will have only two “sponsors” to pick from: the CNS hacker group aiming to unearth truth about MultiCo and run the titular game show on their own terms, and the VAIIYA security group that seeks to protect people from digital danger. Players will want to choose carefully, as their chosen side will be locked in through the entire season’s run.
This divide is also reflected in the new map, Nozomi/Citadel, which features CNS’s chaotic, glitched layouts on one side and VAIIYA’s clean, controlled architecture on the other. The map is also described as one with a lot of verticality that allows for new ambush tactics to be employed. Battleground destruction has also gotten an overhaul across the game as well, with improved physics, more chain reaction opportunities, and more realistic stress responses for buildings.
The system changes don’t stop at arenas being blown to smithereens, as the game now features several improvements to new player onboarding like a system that encourages veteran players to team up with new arrivals by offering both more rewards, reductions to the cost of gadget unlocks, and easier badge leveling.
Of course the season also brings its own new gadgets on top that include an SMG that lets players heal friendly targets by shooting them, a wall breach that also flashbangs targets on the other side, and a big chonky ball that emits a HoT field, though it could roll off of surfaces or be yoinked by enemy teammates.
Finally of note are battle pass changes that include a new ultimate tier of pass and the option to repurchase and earn goodies from passes from seasons 1-4, though anyone who bought a premium pass during those seasons will be able to cycle back to those passes at will. What’s more, later season passes will be added on as new seasons roll forth. There are also balance tweaks and bug fixes to read over.
