The Finals Closed Beta 2 Patch Notes 1: Fixes and Balance Changes

The second Closed Beta for The Finals is entering its third day, and developers Embark just released a patch with some fixes and changes for the game. After the Closed Beta suffered some technical glitches, the fixes are sure to improve things, but one seemingly innocuous balance change may shake up how the game is played. Here are all the details.

My initial impressions of The Finals are very positive, and the quick turnaround on fixes and changes signals to me that developers Embark are committed to making their game a new player on the multiplayer FPS stage. The game's explosive action and unique, objective-based gameplay set it apart from the Battle Royales and Extraction Shooters that have grown in popularity over the past several years.

The Finals Closed Beta 2 Patch Notes: Fixes and Balance Changes

As announced on the game's official Twitter page, an update went live this morning for The Finals. The list of fixes includes general performance enhancements, matchmaking improvements and patches for several annoying bugs that hindered gameplay. Here's a full list:

• Performance improvements
• Repaired an issue causing players on Asian servers to have issues with matchmaking and stability.
• Fixed an issue where players who join a Cashout round already in progress occasionally have fewer respawn coins than they should have.
• Removed an issue that incorrectly showed items in the Character customization menu as new.
• Repaired a setting that prevented players from accessing the game from VPN and IME plugins.
• Fixed the issue that prevented the Heavy build from using ADS on distance weapons and firing gadgets.
• Repaired an issue that occasionally caused web browser crashes on game shutdown.
• Added a permanent tag to the Nama Tama Halo Sticker that can be earned via the Battle pass.
• Added sharper contrast to the afternoon lighting in Monaco for a more beautiful and clear experience.

Finally, the developers made a single balance change:

• Bumped up the time to steal an extraction by one second.

This last change seems minor, but in practice could have a huge effect on how games of The Finals are won. A consistently winning strategy in The Finals is to steal Cashout stations from opponents at the very last second (often literally), clutching up a tight game and delivering a comeback win. If Cashout theft is longer by one second, it becomes that much more difficult to pull off one of these turnaround steals. That extra second could mean a defender can kill an enemy before they steal, or allow for a grenade of explosion to go off, disrupting the stealing process.

It remains to be seen what the effect of this balance change is, but some games will almost certainly swing one way or another based on that crucial extra second.