The Finals is On the Brink of Death – Here’s How to Save It

If The Finals doesn’t fix its biggest issues within the next few weeks, it could be dead by summer.

The Core Problem: Mismanagement and Player Fragmentation

Right now, The Finals has seven different game modes despite only having 15,000 peak players. That means matchmaking is spread too thin, leading to long queue times, unbalanced matches, and some modes being completely unplayable during off-peak hours. Instead of fixing the real issues, the devs are adding Team Deathmatch—a mode that completely changes the game’s core design—when they should be focusing on retention and onboarding.

Why This Will Kill the Game Quickly

• Too Many Modes, Too Few Players

  • The player base is too small to sustain seven different playlists.

  • Players will be stuck in long queue times or dead lobbies.

  • Off-peak matchmaking will become completely broken.

• Too Many Similar Modes, No Real Reason to Play Some of Them

  • Tournament and Ranked serve almost the same purpose, yet Tournament is limited to only four rotating maps, making it feel stale quickly.

  • Quick Cash is chaotic and arguably when the game is at its best, but there’s no real reason to have both Bank It and TDM on top of it.

  • The game could benefit from consolidating or rotating redundant modes instead of keeping all of them active at once.

• People Leaving Mid-Match & Slow Repopulation

  • Players frequently quit mid-match, leading to frustrating 2v3 or 1v3 situations.

  • The system takes too long to repopulate teams, meaning matches are often ruined before new players even join.

  • There needs to be a faster system to replace missing players or at least provide better incentives for staying in a match.

• The Game is Brutal for New Players

  • No proper tutorial.

  • No bot matches or low-rank protection.

  • New players get stomped by high-skill opponents and leave.

  • Weapons & Gadgets Lack Clear Explanations – There are no detailed descriptions explaining the best situations to use each weapon or gadget, making it even harder for new players to adapt.

• The Finals is Complex, and That’s a Good Thing – But It Needs Better Onboarding

  • I love this game. The fast pace, destruction, and high-level strategy make it unique in a sea of shooters.

  • The player base loves the complexity, the need to think rather than just run and gun.

  • However, this same complexity makes it hostile to new players, and right now, those are the players who need to be catered to most.

  • Without a strong onboarding process, the game will keep bleeding new players who get frustrated and leave before they even understand what makes The Finals great.

• The Struggle of Bringing in New Players

  • We've all been there—getting a friend excited to try The Finals.

  • They hop into their first game, and within minutes, they’re confused, overwhelmed, and frustrated.

  • They don’t understand how to use gadgets properly, get destroyed by veterans, and feel like they’re just running around without impact.

  • We tell them, “Trust me, it gets better,” but they don’t come back.

  • This is the biggest problem right now—without a way to ease in new players, the game won’t grow. Instead, it will stagnate and die.

• Misplaced Priorities from Devs

  • Instead of fixing matchmaking and onboarding, they are adding more modes that dilute the player base.

  • If they keep adding new features without fixing existing problems, players will quit faster than they can attract new ones.

How to Fix This Before It’s Too Late

The devs don’t have months to figure this out. They have weeks before player count drops so low that the game becomes unplayable. Here’s what needs to happen:

• Cut or Rotate Game Modes

  • Reduce the number of modes so matchmaking is fast and healthy.

  • Consider rotating secondary game modes weekly instead of keeping them all live.

  • Consolidate similar modes instead of offering multiple variations of the same concept.

• Fix New Player Onboarding

  • Add a proper tutorial (or at least guided bot matches).

  • Create a new player queue with relaxed matchmaking to help them learn.

  • Reduce the skill gap between newbies and veterans.

  • Add Clear Weapon & Gadget Descriptions – Each weapon and gadget should have a detailed tooltip explaining when and how to use them effectively.

• Improve Matchmaking and Retention

  • Fix SBMM so players aren’t instantly thrown into sweathouse lobbies.

  • Improve communication on game objectives so casuals don’t feel lost.

  • Give players better progression incentives so they stay engaged.

  • Faster Mid-Match Repopulation – If a player leaves, the system should quickly replace them or adjust match balance dynamically.

The Community Needs to Speak Up

The devs might not realize how serious this problem is, but if we make enough noise, they have to listen.

Here’s how you can help:

• Share this post on Twitter, Reddit, and The Finals Discord.

• Tag content creators & community managers—they have the reach to get this in front of the devs.

• Discuss this issue anywhere The Finals is being talked about.

This game is incredible, and it deserves to succeed—but only if the devs make the right choices now.