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“Substantial” new The Finals update could unleash teased 5v5 mode

The Finals’ next update could reveal this mysterious 5v5 game mode, as Embark teases major changes to the free-to-play PS5 and Xbox FPS.

The Finals update new game mode: An image of a contestant holding a spoon in The Finals.

We’re deep into The Finals Season 2, and Embark Studios still has plenty more surprises up its sleeve. Among the excitement of Power Shift and the recent Easter event, it appears that the studio has been crafting a brand-new game mode under our noses. Now, the developer teases a huge The Finals update coming to PS5 and Xbox very soon that might just reveal it.

In the latest patch notes for The Finals, Embark Studios begins to set the foundations for a larger update. Speaking on the state of the FPS game currently, Embark says that right now PS5 and Xbox players can expect “just a small patch to [push] live the new Store content” to be available, alongside fixes for recent server crashes. However, a more “substantial update” is in the works, and is due to drop next week. If you bear with us for a moment and pop your tin-foil hat on, we believe this update could see the launch of a new multiplayer game mode teased in the 2.4.0 update.

You may remember that recent instances of booting up the game briefly showed off the digital landscape of SYS$HORIZON, except it was covered in Tron-like grids and soaked in pink. Our favorite announcers, June and Scotty, suggest that in-universe hacker group CNS are up to no good. “A little change? They said they’re here to change the game? A new arena and a bunch of new equipment? Who knows what’s next?” Scotty exclaims.

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Instead of a Cash Out station, the video depicts what looks like a computer terminal in the center of SYS$HORIZON’s town square, with contestants defending it. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but it does seem to suggest that something fresh is being planned.

We know by now that Embark doesn’t exactly conform to the norm when it adds new game modes, and we reckon the same will be true with this mystery mode if it does drop next week. It certainly seems like a defensive mode, perhaps akin to Modern Warfare 3’s Hardpoint. Gameplay-wise, The Finals’ weighty, destruction-focused combat is far away from Call of Duty, so it’d be intriguing to see Embark give a tried-and-test format a refresh. Power Shift marked the debut of 5v5 skirmishes in The Finals, and this potential new mode looks set to continue that trend.

With Embark teeing up big changes, we’d also like to see the arrival of expanded cosmetics too. In our interview with the studio before Season 2’s launch, Embark teased that better character customization would be coming – including the likes of facial hair. We’ve seen a few new tattoo styles, face options, and haircuts over the course of Season 2, but there’s room for Embark to improve. It’s likely that The Finals Season 2 meta will be tweaked, and the reinstatement of Recon Senses might be on the cards too. With the recent nerf to Stun Guns, Light class players will also surely be looking for worthwhile changes.

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