Is India Ready for The Finals?

What does it take to develop something revolutionary in the crowded first-person shooter (FPS) market, experimented with in countless ways, and starved of innovation over the last several years—Money? Innovation? Technology? Creativity?

The Finals by Nexon subsidiary Embark Studios, born in December 2023, might provide the answer. Backed by a substantial funding of about $300 Million, before starting work on the game the developers diverted time and investment to use advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and even proprietary technology such as advanced server-sided destruction, which helped in the creation of a completely destructible environment, an innovation the likes of which had never been achieved before in the FPS genre.

In terms of creativity, the team presented unique game modes and packaged everything in a way that made the players feel as if they were part of a futuristic, 'Hunger Games' like virtual reality game show. This fresh approach by The Finals was welcomed by millions of gamers worldwide who flocked to the game despite Embark indulging in minimal marketing for the playtest. As a result, it became the number one wishlisted game on Steam. Two weeks after launch, it scaled to more than 10 million installs, breaking into the top five most popular games on Steam.

Seven months and three seasons later, The Finals has rolled out plenty of timely updates, cosmetics, and battle passes, achieving a commendable 75.3% approval rating on Steam. However, the game’s player base has eroded and continues to dwindle, with the peak concurrent players on Steam declining by more than 90.5% since 242,399 in Dec 2023.