Team shooter phenom The Finals just keeps climbing since its surprise Game Awards launch, recently crossing over 240K concurrent players on Steam. But developer Embark Studios is already rallying the squad for improvements via a new matchmaking-focused hotfix aimed at closer skill matchups.
As Embark’s Steam update explains, they’ve tuned The Finals’ algorithms to prioritize pairing players by skill rating first and foremost. So while matchmaking queues may see slight delays as a result, actual run-and-gun showdowns should feature tighter competition overall. No more bronze squads obliterated by esports aspirants!
Other tweaks double down on quality-of-life upgrades, like resolving a pesky Steam login ban bug and limiting mid-match drop-in replacements to preserve match integrity. Players in the popular Bank It mode especially should encounter fewer abrupt backfills throwing off critical money deposit strategies. Less 11th hour chaos means more last laugh potential.
Consider it an admirable commitment to competitive balance from Embark this early in The Finals life cycle. Before launch, a sizable November beta built major community momentum that’s clearly carried over in spades judging by the ongoing top 10 Steam numbers.
Our own editor-in-chief rated it a genuine multiplayer revelation too, calling the frantic yet tactical squad action “the most fun I’ve had in a shooter all year.” So momentum seems red hot for this unconventional sport-styled take on captures, respawns and territ
If finely tuned matchmaking and common sense changes translate into further viral growth, The Finals gold medal future looks increasingly assured. Here’s to many more high score-chasers getting their shot at glory, one skill-appropriate gunfight at a time! After all, pulling off epic team victories is all the sweeter when opponents play fair and square.