After shadow-dropping at The Game Awards 2023, The Finals drew in a legion of fans, reaching an all-time peak Steam playerbase of 242,619. Unfortunately for Embark Studios, The Finals has been hemorrhaging players ever since, with only 40,000-50,000 in-game at any given time, according to SteamDB. Although that measurement doesn’t include console players, it represents a definite decline in overall interest. That’s worrisome considering its promising launch. With survival-crafting game Palworld drawing so much of the world’s attention, what is Embark Studios doing to win players back? And will it be enough?
Can a Lesson from Palworld Help The Finals Save Its Playerbase?
Palworld and The Finals have something in common: a desire to disrupt the conventions of their genres by adding game-changing mechanics. For Palworld that meant adding guns, crafting, and even slavery to the creature-collecting sim foundation. For The Finals that meant adding highly-destructible environments, allowing players to transform the map one grenade and sledgehammer blow at a time. Both have been successful in their own way, although nothing compares to the runaway success that Palworld has seen. A direct comparison of the games would be nonsensical since their genres and target audiences are so different, but one can still shed light on the other.
The Finals is doing everything in its power to bolster its playerbase by adding and updating content. Embark has tried meta shakeups, class tweaks, and the addition of a single-player free-for-all mode. Nothing has staunched the bleed. The abrupt addition of single-player content is perhaps the most telling, as the entire game was previously balanced around teamwork and a mix of Light, Medium, and Heavy characters. Trying to pivot in this way isn’t necessarily bad, but straying so far from the game’s initial concept is a gamble. Palworld has demonstrated the power of following through with one’s vision. It’s too early to say whether that’s the best course for The Finals as well.
The Finals is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
