It is infrequent that I’d want to purchase merchandise directly from a developer, but Embark Studios is cooking differently with The Finals. Influenced by the studio’s experience with glossy Mirror’s Edge aesthetics and Battlefield action, dressing your character is surprisingly more involved than I initially anticipated. The game’s cosmetics are immaculate and I want The Finals merch to exist.
Finding good clothing based on my interests that isn’t completely cringeworthy can be challenging – especially if you love games. Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic independent/bootleg clothing creators designing shirts that can blend into almost any outfit configuration. Final Boss Cult and Blood Gulch are amid many doing great work. The simplicity of The Finals‘ core cosmetics blends clean and minimalist approaches seen across a variety of items.
Now, I wouldn’t say I’m a fashionista by any means. You won’t find me doing my best ‘Blue Steel’ from Zoolander, and I’ll continue dressing like a budget Dave Grohl until the end of time.
However, it seems to me that hoodies, sweatshirts, long-sleeve tees, and jackets are clearly influenced by ‘hypebeast’ aligned clothing brands. Whether it is the starkness of Supreme’s highly recognizable logo or the over 100 hundred-year legacy of Balenciaga, The Finals clothing somehow manages to generate appeal to a myriad of demographics. Though the game’s primary customization options lean into the idea of The Finals’ agile nature, the focus on sports-ready clothing makes each item feel like I could take it off the rack in a Nike or Adidas store.
I’m not particularly interested in the zanier aspects of The Finals battle pass cosmetics – well, not at least until a costume party or Halloween. But rocking a hoodie or tee with one of the fictitious sponsors or The Finals logo itself? Yeah, I can dig it. That’s because Embarks’s designers are managing to cultivate a tangibility around the in-game universe. As The Finals is packaged in a game-show-like fashion in the game’s lore, I can believe that viewers of each ‘episode’ or match would want to buy into it like any other sport on the planet.
It gets away from having a macabre aspect too, as you aren’t actually sending other players to a digital grave like Call of Duty, for example. Each team is essentially a digital avatar in The Finals, hence why you stylishly explode into tokens upon defeat.
Whereas outfits and skins seen in Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Modern Warfare 3 aim for crossovers or outlandish looks, the initial batch of clothing in The Finals feels lore-appropriate. Fortnite has collaborated with luxury fashion brands in the past, but if any new PS5 game or new Xbox game feels like a fit for them, then Embark Studios might want to make a few phone calls for fleshing out The Finals roadmap.
I love that the game’s logo and branding are efficient and lean, making it far easier to avoid the pitfalls of other gaming merch products out on the market. Recent examples that fall into that trap, in my opinion, include the range of Starfield-themed clothing available through Bethesda. A Constellation hoodie or jacket should be a home run, but I’m afraid the official run of Starfield merchandise just doesn’t have the juice. With over 10 million players trying to grab the Cash Out, the path ahead for The Finals is extremely fresh.
Merchandise, naturally, isn’t a top priority for Embark Studios right now. Yet, if there was ever a time I’ve ever actively wanted to own decent gaming merch, The Finals is firmly placing me in it.