After months of waiting and numerous beta tests, The Finals was finally released last week after 2023’s The Game Awards. However, Embark Studios confirmed to the press during a closed preview that there’s no detailed roadmap right now, which means we don’t know when we’re getting any more content. Although, that’s not a bad thing at all.
For those unaware of what a roadmap is, it’s usually a post-launch plan for any new PS5 games and new Xbox games that will receive consistent content. While this usually applies to live-service titles, some games like Call of Duty MW3 have roadmaps with each season to give players an idea of what to expect. The Finals doesn’t have one for the time being, despite the game being a live-service title with the expectation of future content.
For fans of one of the best FPS games right now, Embark Studios confirmed during a closed preview to MP1st that the team wants to “build a game we want to play and that you guys love to play”, instead of making promises that the developer can’t keep. For a live-service game like the Finals, that may sound risky, but it’s far from a bad thing that Embark is keeping its cards close to its chest.
Firstly, a lack of a roadmap means that Embark Studios can be reactive instead of proactive. As the honeymoon period for the game starts falling apart, there will be fans who have feedback for the developers to take into consideration. If the future content on a roadmap is the focus, developers may not have time to fix problems that players have with the core experience.
And while new content is usually a great thing, it’s not the be-all and end-all of a game. Titles like the classic Call of Duty games weren’t live service, but they’re still played to this day. Perfecting the gameplay loop of The Finals, as well as fixing any glitches, bugs, exploits, or performance issues, is much more important than consistent updates.
There’s also the fact that games like Fortnite, one of the best free shooting games and best battle royale games around, don’t deliver a roadmap for fans. Fortnite is refreshing thanks to the fact that the developers not only produce new content every season but also fine-tune the gameplay to be the best it can be. The surprise of each season is exciting, and a roadmap takes all of that excitement away.
So, while a lack of The Finals’ roadmap may seem like a bad thing at first glance, realistically it’s actually a good thing. Of course, there’s nothing like knowing where a game may be headed in the future with upcoming content, but it isn’t necessary for success. In fact, The Finals’ player count is already over 200k concurrent players on Steam alone, so a roadmap isn’t detrimental to Embark Studios.
So, if you’re enjoying one of the best Xbox FPS games and best PS5 FPS games right now, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to The Finals’ roadmap or a lack thereof. If anything, you should pick up one of the best Xbox controllers and best PS5 controllers and simply enjoy the experience, and hope that the new (and surprising) content will keep things fun.