In the world of gaming, betas, teasers and trailers can build more hype than the release of the full game itself. The 26th of October saw the release of a highly anticipated beta: The Finals. The Finals had an astounding uptake with 7.5 million players tuning in to the open beta version.
Here, we look at what exactly The Finals is, explore how the beta opening went and discuss the full version’s release – let’s get stuck in!
The Popularity of Betas
Releasing an ‘unfinished’ game version sounds like it might spell disaster, but open betas are some of the most anticipated events in the gaming industry. Typically, they are free to play and very much accessible to the general public, making them huge hits amongst gamers. Fun + free-to-play + easy-to-play is like a formula for success in gaming; you just have to look at the success of the best html5 games or even web browser games. It’s no surprise that betas tend to do well then, but this beta smashed it out of the park. Looking at the nature of the game might help us understand its magnificent popularity.
The Finals: Premise
The Finals is a combat-based game set in a bunch of different arenas. These arenas – the backdrop to the glorious warfare that you can engage in – are no average arenas that you might be used to, though. The uniqueness of The Finals becomes apparent in its map design; almost every detail in each map here is interactive. Burn whole areas to the ground, bring buildings crashing down on your opponents, and flatten entire landscapes in this epic game of survival and improvisation.
Players jump into these maps and enter combat-based tournaments where they must compete for victory – and everlasting glory. Engage in melee, long-range shooting or devious death traps to eliminate the enemy by any means possible – in this game, anything goes.
When can I play it for real?
The open beta of The Finals ran from October 26th until November 5th and, unfortunately, is now closed. Game developers revealed that it had been ‘an unforgettable week’ for the team, but it was time to hit the drawing board again to perfect the game before its ultimate release. Unfortunately, there’s currently no confirmed release date. A quick visit to Steam tells us that the game has been flagged as ‘Coming Soon’, which is as frustrating as it is ambiguous! While not confirmed, though, fans speculate that we might expect the game in December 2023, so the wait might be shorter than we think.
Final Thoughts
Betas are a crucial part of game development: they are essentially practical market research. Successful market research leads to successful product delivery, so we have high hopes for the final version of The Finals and we can’t wait to play it. In the meantime, entertain yourself with some other gaming news to whet your appetite.