The Finals
Officially THE FINALS
Embark Studios free-to-play team-based FPS (Dec 7, 2023 PS5/Xbox/PC) — 3v3v3v3 cash-grab game show with destructible environments. Set in virtual reality game show. 500k+ peak Steam concurrent; ESL World Tour esports circuit 2024.
What is The Finals?
The Finals is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter developed by Swedish studio Embark Studios (founded by former DICE Battlefield veterans) — published by Embark itself, released December 7, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam). Set in a near-future virtual reality game show where contestants compete for cash prizes. Signature gameplay: 3v3v3v3 (four teams of three) or 3v3 modes on destructible environments using Embark's proprietary Ghost engine — walls, floors, ceilings, entire buildings can be blown apart. Objective modes: Cashout (steal + defend cash vaults), Bank It (collect coins), Power Shift, World Tour. Three character 'Contestant' classes: Light (fast, low-HP, cloaking), Medium (balanced, healing gadgets), Heavy (slow tank, big weapons, shields). Loadout customisation with class-specific weapons + gadgets. Peaked 500,000+ concurrent Steam players in launch week; ESL World Tour esports circuit 2024. Praised for destruction physics + team-strategy depth; criticism for matchmaking + balance issues at launch. Ongoing seasonal content (Season 5+).
Quick facts
Category
Esports
Type
Team sport
Players
6–12
Duration
~15 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇸🇪 Sweden
Estimated origin
Released Dec 7, 2023 for PS5/Xbox Series/PC by Embark Studios
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Steal + secure cashout vaults (Cashout mode) or coin-total mode; last team standing / most cash wins.
Match structure
3v3v3v3 (4 teams) Cashout Tournament: 3-round bracket. Or 3v3 Ranked Tournament. Or non-tournament World Tour + Bank It + Power Shift.
Rules
Basic rules
Steal cash from vaults, hold cashout station
Break vault → carry cashbox → deposit at random cashout station → defend for full duration.
Destructible environments
Buildings, walls, floors — everything can be destroyed; creates new sightlines + routes.
3 classes: Light / Medium / Heavy
Each class has distinct HP, mobility, and gadget options.
Advanced rules
Rez pads + coin respawn
Killed teammates respawn if pickup up their coin token in time OR by Rez pad.
Cashout station timer + steal window
Attacking team can steal in-progress cashout in final 30 sec.
Ranked Tournament format
4-team bracket per round; top 2 advance; final 1v1 for round win.
Scoring
Cash + coins collected + banked wins round.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Cashout secured | $10,000 |
| Coin banked | Coin value |
Win condition · Team with most cashouts secured (or coins banked) wins round; tournament bracket eliminates losers.
Equipment
PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Cross-play across all platforms; PC has M+KB advantage but heavily cross-play balanced.
Standard controller or M+KB
PC dominates competitive; console cross-play supported with input matchmaking.
Positions & roles
Light / Medium / Heavy Contestant
×3Class-based loadouts within 3-player squad.
Officiating
Automated matchmaking + report-based moderation.
- Anti-cheat + report system
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Team wipe
Team eliminated for the round until respawn timer + coin pickup.
Griefing / stream sniping
Reportable; ban tiers per Embark policy.
Strategies
Class synergy: Light + Medium + Heavy
Standard meta squad: 1 Light (roam/flank), 1 Medium (heal/support), 1 Heavy (siege/tank).
Destructible cashout defence
Blow floors + walls around cashout to create funnel kill zones; deny enemy vertical assault.
Steal window opportunism
Wait until enemy is 90% through cashout, then aggressive steal push in final 15 sec.
Terminology
- Cashout
- Objective vault-stealing + deposit game mode
- Vault
- Cash storage to break open
- Cashout station
- Deposit location to score cash
- Contestant
- Player-character avatar in virtual game show
- Light/Medium/Heavy
- 3 character classes with distinct HP + mobility
Major competitions
ESL The Finals World Tour
annual (multi-stop tour) · worldwide · since 2024
In-game Ranked Tournament seasons
ongoing seasonal · global · since 2023
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Embark Studios
Founded 2018 · Stockholm, Sweden
ESL Gaming (World Tour)
Founded 2000 · Cologne, Germany
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- ESL The Finals World Tour teams + top ranked players from Season 1-5
Records
500k+ peak Steam concurrent
Embark Studios — Peaked 500,000+ concurrent Steam players in launch week Dec 2023 (2023)
ESL World Tour 2024 launch
ESL — ESL launched official The Finals World Tour esports circuit in 2024 (2024)
Embark ex-DICE Battlefield veterans
Embark Studios — Founded by Patrick Söderlund + core Battlefield DICE veterans — first game from the studio (2023)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Bank It + Power Shift casual modes
Learn shooting + movement fundamentals.
intermediate
- 1
Cashout Ranked queue
Learn Cashout objective play + class synergy.
advanced
- 1
World Tour + Ranked Tournament climb
Compete in ESL World Tour or high-Ranked Tournament brackets.
Frequently asked
Is The Finals free to play?+
Yes — fully free-to-play with cosmetic monetisation (battle pass + skin store). All gameplay content, weapons, and modes are free.
How does destruction work in The Finals?+
Embark's proprietary Ghost engine allows near-total destruction of buildings — walls, floors, ceilings, entire structures can be blown apart. This creates dynamic sightlines + new routes mid-match, distinguishing it from static-map shooters like Counter-Strike or Valorant.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — The Finals— Wikipedia