The Finals Update Removes Frustrating Game Event

The Finals Update Removes Frustrating Game Event

• Developer Embark Studios disabled the “Dead Go Boom” game mode in The Finals due to players’ frustrations with its punishing mechanics.
• The disabling of Dead Go Boom reflects Embark Studios’ responsiveness to player complaints, as they previously adjusted another ability in the game based on player feedback.
• The reaction to Dead Go Boom’s departure was mostly positive, with some players celebrating the disabling and proposing tweaks to potentially bring it back with less frustrating effects.

Developer Embark Studios has announced that it has disabled a game mode in its hit multiplayer shooter The Finals, as part of the game’s latest update. The in-game event, called “Dead Go Boom,” frustrated many players of The Finals with its punishing mechanics.

When it debuted in December 2023, The Finals made a big splash among players, with more than ten million people downloading the free-to-play game within its first few weeks. Players were attracted to The Finals’ high-quality visuals and lively game show framing, and many stayed after experiencing its emphasis on teamwork and spectacular environmental destruction mechanics.

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The Finals Player Count Has Dropped Dramatically

Despite getting out to an impressively fast start, The Finals player count has been dwindling since its launch less than two months ago.

Embark Studios disables Dead Go Boom in The Finals

One such tweak was included in the version 1.7.0 update to The Finals, which went live on February 8, 2024. That update, among other things, included a note that the infamous “Dead Go Boom” game show event would be disabled. According to the dev note, Dead Go Boom was proving too hard on players who prefer melee attacks and very close-range combat. As such, Embark Studios decided to shelve the mode temporarily pending a rework of its mechanics.

Dead Go Boom is a game show event that causes recently defeated players to explode violently. Such explosions can have frustrating consequences for any players who are too close to someone that gets killed. The temporary disabling of Dead Go Boom falls in line with Embark Studios’ responsiveness to player complaints. Late in January, Embark adjusted the Recon Senses ability in The Finals, reducing its effective range and giving players detected by it a warning indicator.

The reaction to Dead Go Boom’s departure in The Finals player community was mostly positive. Some players celebrated the disabling, with a commenter on the game’s subreddit calling Dead Go Boom “the worst thing about this game.” Others noted that the shelving was only temporary, and proposed tweaks that could see it brought back to The Finals with less frustrating effects. For example, one proposal suggested lowering the damage a Dead Go Boom explosion does to players while increasing the damage it does to buildings, allowing it to still cause chaos in line with the massive destruction mechanics The Finals offers without feeling unfair. Another even requested that an opposite version of Dead Go Boom be added, called “Dead Go Goo,” where recently killed players become Goo, a substance that can form new cover points and block bullets and projectiles.

Other changes in the 1.7.0 update included a new UI element allowing partied players to quickly queue for a new match, as well as adjustments to in-game voice chat to encourage more team play. For progression, the XP amounts for contracts and other activities was increased, which should make it easier for players to level up and unlock new weapons in The Finals.

The Finals

Framed as a game show, The Finals is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that also supports melee combat. Embark’s FPS emphasizes destruction along with teamwork.

Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, PCReleased2023-12-08Developer(s)Embark StudiosPublisher(s)Embark StudiosGenre(s)FPSMultiplayerOnline MultiplayerESRBT For Teen Due To ViolencePlatforms That Support CrossplayPC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S