With its latest round of testing now having come to an end, it’s been revealed that 7.5 million players signed in to test their skills in the free-to-play shooter, The Finals, during its open beta test. The test was available on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S and provided players with a chance to try Embark Studios’ fast-paced, destruction-focused shooter ahead of the game’s release.
Embark Studios announces that 7.5 million people played The Finals during its open beta test
According to a Twitter post by developer Embark Studios that went up just hours after the latest round of testing wrapped up, 7.5 million players took part in The Finals’ Open Beta test. While the test got off to a somewhat rocky start as some Xbox and PlayStation 5 players experienced repeated client crashes, the issues were quickly resolved, and most players were able to access the beta without issue. Although Embark Studios had previously held closed alpha and beta test sessions on Steam, The Finals’ open beta marked the first time that console players had an opportunity to take part in testing.
Released on October 26, The Finals Open Beta included three maps and four game modes for players to enjoy. The free-to-play shooter pits three-person teams against each other in either tournament-style or casual-focused matches, with a premise that sees players taking part in a futuristic game show where they fight for both their lives and massive cash prizes. One of The Finals’ biggest selling points is its destructible environments, with the game’s multiplayer matches allowing a level of damage to in-game buildings rivaling that found in EA’s defunct Battlefield: Bad Company series. But while many players of the open beta praised The Finals for its fast-paced gameplay and impressive destruction mechanics, complaints about rampant cheating soured the experience for some.
It remains to be seen whether Embark Studios, which was founded by former EA exec Patrick Söderlund, will have a hit on its hands when The Finals releases in late 2023. But, judging by the impressive player count for the game’s open beta, it’s clear that the unique shooter is now on many gamers’ radars. And in an era where it can sometimes feel like a new multiplayer shooter is releasing each week only to disappear days later, drawing in such a large number of players ahead of its official release could bode well for The Finals’ future.
