Development (2020-20--)
“"...6 Embarkers on the 6th floor for 6 months..." That's how THE FINALS started (Or "Project Discovery", back then) - Rob Runesson”
Teases Before Announcement (2020-2022)
In early November 2020, Embark Studios gave a update on the development of their games, ARC Raiders(Project Pioneer), THE FINALS(Project Discovery), and the Creative Platform. They announced they had started development of a team-based PVP shooter earlier in the year, and puts dynamism, physicality, and destruction front and center. It also included our first view of some of the character concepts for the game.
In late December 2020, Embark Studios shared a image for their yearly holiday wishes that included characters from all 3 games
Embark Studios shared a short clip of THE FINALS on their twitter celebrating their Third Year of operation. It shows various cosmetics, items, and abilities, and mechanics; some of which have not appeared in any of the Alpha/Beta(s) yet. Wrecking Balls, Vehicles, and Fire Extinguishers.
Playtests(2022-20--)
Embark Studios has hosted a number of playtests for THE FINALS during the game's development. The main purpose of these playtests is to get feedback from players so that developers can stay on track and in touch with the community. These playtests also generate awareness for the game and the studio developing it, attracting more players and media coverage.
Closed Alpha
The first playtest for THE FINALS was a Closed Alpha held from September 29th to October 3rd in 2022. Two days before the Closed Alpha, on September 27th, a Pre-Alpha trailer was posted on the YouTube channel for THE FINALS. During this playtest, the players had to request access to the game, and were under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Embark, meaning that they could not record footage or take screenshots of gameplay. Because of this, not much is known about the early stages of the game as far as gameplay except the information that Embark themselves have given to the community. On November 1st, 2022, an infographic was posted in the Discord for THE FINALS, giving a summary of what the community had achieved during the Closed Alpha.
Closed Beta 1 (CB1)
After the Closed Alpha ended, on November 11th, 2022, a larger beta test was announced for early 2023. Anyone interested in the beta was encouraged to request access on Steam so that they could be potentially picked to be part of the next playtest. On February 23rd, 2023, the trailer for the Closed Beta was released, and a date was given for the playtest to start, March 7th.
On March 7th, 2023, the Closed Beta servers began to open, and players were slowly given access to the playtest through Steam keys given to them via email. Now that the game was in its beta phase, new players were not required to be under NDA, so screenshots and gameplay footage were being shared online. Additionally, beta playtesters were encouraged to give feedback through the Discord server, and a ranked leaderboard was also introduced.
Changes from the Closed Alpha included balance changes, new cosmetics, and a new map: Seoul. Balance changes and bug fixes were also introduced while CB1 was still live, showing the community that Embark cared about the players and listened to feedback. This playtest also gave contestants the chance to earn permanent cosmetics through the Battle Pass, where rare, beta-themed rewards would be tied to the player's account forever.
CB1 ended on March 22nd, 2023.
Closed Beta 2 (CB2)
After the end of CB1, players were left wondering what would come next for THE FINALS. No one was sure whether there would be more playtests, or if the game would soon be fully released. The only information about a release date for the game was that it would be before the end of 2023. After nearly three months of waiting, a second Closed Beta was announced on June 12, 2023. CB2 would last for 6 days; from June 14th to June 21st. In this playtest, players who played in CB1 would automatically gain access to the game without having to request access on Steam.
Similar to the first Closed Beta, there were changes from the last playtest. The game had been improved, polished, and balanced, and new cosmetics had been added. New weapons were added: the XP-54, FCAR, and Lewis Gun, and some existing weapons were renamed. This playtest also introduced the Quick Cash game mode and the unranked Tournament mode, as well as a new Game Show Event, Orbital Laser. A separate ranked leaderboard was introduced for CB2, and contestants were now eligible to earn rewards based on their rank at the end of the beta. Just like the first beta, players were able to earn permanent cosmetics by completing the Battle Pass.
After the second Closed Beta ended, as a token of Embark's appreciation to the players, a community highlight video was posted on THE FINALS' YouTube channel . This video includes highlights that were uploaded to the official THE FINALS Discord as part of a request from Embark themselves. In the video, the clips are shown alongside THE FINALS themes and branding, and even includes custom voiceovers from the in-game announcers, Scotty and June.
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Infographic for Closed Alpha -
Infographic for Closed Beta 2
