Search targets: "the finals pc" / "the finals pc download" / "the finals system requirements" / "the finals best settings" / "the finals performance pc" = 800K–3M+/mo combined (Embark Studios F2P shooter Dec 2023, peak 260K concurrent Steam, now stable community post Season 5-6 content updates)
What Is The Finals?
The Finals is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter developed by Embark Studios (founded by ex-DICE veterans — the Battlefield franchise creators) and published by Nexon. It launched in full release on December 7, 2023, following a hugely successful open beta. The game is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The Finals's defining feature is its fully destructible environment technology — built on Embark's proprietary Destruction Engine, which surpasses most industry benchmarks. Walls, floors, ceilings, and entire buildings can collapse dynamically during matches. Combined with its cashout-focused objective gameplay, The Finals creates emergent scenarios impossible in any other shooter: ambush by collapsing a floor beneath an enemy team, drop a vault through a ceiling, or bring an entire skyscraper down as a flanking distraction.
The game is F2P with a cosmetic-only business model and a seasonal Battle Pass structure.
System Requirements
| Tier | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel Core i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | NVIDIA GTX 1080 / AMD RX 5700 | 12 GB DDR4 | 50 GB SSD |
| Recommended | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X | NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super / AMD RX 6700 XT | 16 GB DDR4 | 50 GB SSD |
| High (60+ fps 1440p) | Intel Core i7-10700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6900 XT | 16 GB DDR4 | 50 GB NVMe |
| Ultra (4K) | Intel Core i9-12900K / AMD Ryzen 9 7900X | NVIDIA RTX 4080 / AMD RX 7900 XTX | 32 GB DDR4 | 50 GB NVMe |
Key notes:
- 12 GB RAM is the hard minimum — the destruction engine keeps geometry state in RAM during matches; 8 GB causes frequent dropped geometry and crash-to-desktop.
- SSD is mandatory. The Finals streams destroyed geometry chunks dynamically — HDD cannot keep pace.
- The destruction technology is more GPU-intensive than most UE5 titles at equivalent settings.
- GTX 1080 minimum is higher than most games — destruction physics require modern GPU async compute.
How to Download The Finals on PC
Via Steam
- Open Steam → search "The Finals" → click Install (Free to Play).
- The game is ~46 GB — install on SSD.
- First launch: create or link an Embark account (or use Steam login).
- The game runs a GPU benchmark on first launch to set default quality. Let it complete.
- No additional downloads after initial install — seasonal content is included in patches.
Via Epic Games Store
- Open Epic Launcher → search "The Finals" → Get (Free) → Install.
- Same Embark account requirement.
Cross-Play and Account
Progress (Battle Pass, cosmetics, level) is account-bound. Your Embark account works across PC and console. Cross-play is enabled by default — PC players matchmake with PS5/Xbox Series players in casual modes.
Best PC Settings for Performance
The Finals is uniquely CPU + GPU demanding due to real-time destruction physics. The CPU load spikes sharply when large sections of geometry collapse — a fight that destroys an entire building can temporarily bottleneck even modern CPUs.
Graphics Settings Table
| Setting | Recommended (High FPS) | Max Quality | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | Native | Native | — |
| Resolution Scale | 100% | 100% | Use upscaling instead of lowering scale |
| Global Quality | Custom | — | Set individually |
| Texture Quality | High | Epic | VRAM-limited: 8 GB → High; 6 GB → Medium |
| Shadow Quality | Medium | High | #1 FPS lever. Medium vs High = +10–20 fps on mid-tier cards |
| Destruction Quality | Medium | High | #2 FPS lever. Controls geometry detail on destroyed surfaces |
| Foliage Quality | Low | High | Low visual impact outdoors; barely visible mid-fight |
| Ambient Occlusion | SSAO | RTAO | RTAO (ray-traced AO) cuts FPS 15–25%; SSAO is near-identical visually |
| Screen Space Reflections | On | On | RT Reflections: RTX 30/40 only; significant FPS cost |
| Motion Blur | Off | — | Disabling improves target tracking in destruction chaos |
| Chromatic Aberration | Off | — | No FPS cost; cleaner image |
| Anti-Aliasing | DLSS Quality / FSR Quality | DLSS Ultra Performance | See upscaling below |
| V-Sync | Off | — | Use driver V-Sync if tearing appears |
| Frame Rate Cap | Uncapped | — | Cap at 3× monitor refresh if GPU hits 95°C+ |
Upscaling — DLSS / FSR / XeSS
The Finals supports all three upscalers:
- DLSS 3.5 (NVIDIA RTX 20+): Quality mode. Frame Generation available for RTX 40 series — use it at 1440p/4K, disable it if latency matters in competitive play.
- FSR 4 (AMD RX 6000+, works on NVIDIA too): Quality mode. Frame Generation: RX 7000+.
- XeSS (Intel Arc + all GPUs): Quality mode. Softer in motion than DLSS but better than TAA.
At 1080p on an RTX 3070, DLSS Quality mode delivers 10–30% FPS improvement with minimal visual cost. Recommended unless you have a GPU comfortably above the recommended spec.
NVIDIA Reflex
Enable NVIDIA Reflex (Boost mode) in the settings. In a fast-paced shooter with 30–60ms destruction physics calculations, reducing system latency by 5–15ms is meaningful.
Game Modes
| Mode | Teams | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cashout (Quick Cash) | 3v3v3 | Three teams of 3 fight over vaults; deposit cash to win rounds |
| Bank It | 3v3v3 | Elimination + banking earned coins from kills |
| Power Shift | 5v5 | Push a platform across the map; fully destructible terrain throughout |
| Tournament | 4 teams × 3 | Multi-round knockout, increasing stakes per round |
| Ranked (Cashout) | 3v3v3 | Competitive Cashout; placement matches → Platinum/Diamond/Master tiers |
| Ranked (World Tour) | 4 teams × 3 | Competitive Tournament mode |
| Practice Range | Solo | Aim training, weapon practice, destruction sandbox |
Cashout is the core mode. Master it before ranked — the vault deposit + defend timing is the heart of the game's strategy.
Classes (Builds)
The Finals uses a loadout system based on three body types ("builds"), each with a different HP pool and movement profile:
| Build | HP | Speed | Role | Signature Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 150 | Fastest | Flanker / Assassin | Grappling Hook, Cloaking Device, Glitch Grenade (disables enemy gadgets) |
| Medium | 250 | Medium | Support / Anchor | Healing Beam, AED Defibrillator (revive), Jump Pad (team mobility) |
| Heavy | 350 | Slowest | Tank / Destruction | Sledgehammer (melee + structure breaks), Goo Gun (wall seal or flood), Charge N' Slam |
Each class has access to a pool of weapons and gadgets. You unlock more through progression (XP-based, free — not paywalled).
Team composition: One Medium (healer) + one Heavy (frontliner) + one Light (pressure/flank) is the competitive standard in Cashout. Deviating works, but the Medium's healing beam is almost irreplaceable at mid-to-high levels of play.
Destruction — How to Use It Offensively
Environmental destruction is not just a visual effect — it's a weapon. Key mechanics:
Breaking floors:
- A Heavy with Sledgehammer or C4 charge can collapse floors beneath enemy teams.
- Before breaching upstairs, check if enemies are standing on wooden or plaster floors (breakable) vs. concrete/metal (harder to break).
- The vault sits on a breakable floor? Drop it a level to create an inaccessible position for enemies or a faster banking route.
Collapsing ceilings:
- RPG-7 / M60 (Heavy weapons) can punch holes in ceilings from below — shoot through to hit enemies holding high ground.
- The Finals's maps have destructible support pillars; enough damage to the structure causes partial collapse.
Sealing entries:
- Heavy's Goo Gun fires an expandable foam that fills doorways. Use it to temporarily seal a flank or slow a pursuing team.
Cashout vault movement:
- The vault can fall through collapsed floors. Intentionally break the floor to move the vault to a lower-story position that's easier to defend.
- Vaults can be thrown by Heavy builds — use this to reposition them outside of enemy sightlines.
Cashout Mechanics — Deep Dive
Cashout is won by depositing the most cash across all vault rounds. Here's the flow:
- Locate the vault. It spawns at a marked location on the map.
- Open the vault. Stand near it for ~8–10 seconds (interrupted by damage).
- Carry the vault. The carrier is slowed and cannot use weapons. Teammates must protect them.
- Reach a cashout station. A terminal at various map locations.
- Deposit. The cashout takes ~30–60 seconds. Any team can contest it — defend or steal.
- Steal. An enemy team can interrupt your cashout at 50% completion and claim it as their own.
Key strategy: The team with the best vault defense wins, not the team with the most eliminations. A 3K wiped team still loses if they never deposited.
Seasonal Content & Battle Pass
The Finals runs 8-week seasons with seasonal cosmetics (skins, weapon wraps, banner cards) and a Battle Pass:
- Free tier: Earnable by playing (XP-based). Contains basic cosmetics.
- Premium Pass: Purchased with Multibucks (premium currency). Contains higher-tier skins.
- No Pay-to-Win: All gameplay-affecting unlocks (weapons, gadgets) are earned through free progression.
Season themes rotate — past seasons included "The Finals: Open Beta Sponsor," city-themed arenas, and crossover events. Season 5+ brought the Monaco and Seoul arenas.
Beginner Tips
- Always bring a Medium. If your trio has no healer, your comeback potential in multi-team fights is near zero.
- Listen for footsteps and destruction sounds. The Finals has excellent directional audio — collapsing walls tell you where an enemy Heavy is moving.
- Use the grapple or jump pad to reach vault early. Speed to the vault = more time to defend it.
- Don't stand in doorways. They're the first thing a Heavy destroys. Instead, hold a position covering the doorway from an angle.
- Revive matters more than kills. A Medium using AED to revive a teammate during a 2v3 situation often swings the fight better than one more kill.
- Watch the bank. In Bank It mode, kill-farming without banking is wasted effort — bank after every 3–4 kills.
- Use Goo Gun defensively. A Heavy sealing the cashout station's three entry points with goo buys 15–20 seconds during deposit.
Troubleshooting Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Failed to Connect to Server" | Server outage or firewall | Check The Finals status page; whitelist UDP 7000-8000 in router |
| Low FPS during destruction events | CPU bottleneck on physics calc | Lower Destruction Quality to Low; close background apps |
| Stuttering at match start | Shader compilation | First-match stutter is normal; improves after 2–3 matches as shaders cache |
| Crash on map load | RAM under 12 GB or corrupted cache | Verify game files in Steam; confirm 12 GB+ RAM free |
| Black screen on launch | GPU driver conflict | Update to latest driver; add -dx12 or -dx11 launch flag to test |
| High ping in matches | Server region mismatch | Settings → Network → Server Region → select nearest manually |
| Account progression lost | Account not linked | Ensure Embark account is linked; check embark.com support |
| Mouse input feels sluggish | V-Sync causing latency | Disable V-Sync in game; use NVIDIA Reflex instead |
The Finals vs. Rivals (Apex / Warzone / Marvel Rivals) — Quick Comparison
| Factor | The Finals | Apex Legends | Warzone | Marvel Rivals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genre | Hero/class 3v3v3 shooter | Battle royale | Battle royale | Hero shooter 6v6 |
| Destructible environments | Full (best in class) | None | Limited | Full (UE5) |
| Team size | 3 | 3 | 3-4 | 6 |
| Business model | F2P, cosmetics | F2P, cosmetics | F2P, cosmetics | F2P, cosmetics |
| Ranked mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Objective focus | Cashout (vault) | Survival | Survival | Payload/zone |
| Cross-play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is The Finals free to play? A: Yes. Completely free on Steam and Epic Games. All three class builds and their base weapons are available to everyone. Only cosmetics are sold.
Q: What is the file size of The Finals? A: Approximately 46–50 GB on PC. Seasonal patches add 2–5 GB each.
Q: Does The Finals have cross-play? A: Yes. PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S players are in the same matchmaking pool by default. You can disable cross-play in Settings if desired.
Q: Is The Finals on Steam Deck? A: The Finals has "Unsupported" status on Steam Deck due to anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) compatibility issues on Linux. Community workarounds exist but are unofficial and may result in bans.
Q: How does ranked work? A: Ranked mode unlocks at player level 10. Placement matches determine starting rank (Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → Master). Seasons last 8 weeks with a soft rank reset at the end.
Q: Can I play solo? A: All modes have solo queue. Casual modes place you with two random teammates. Ranked solo is harder but possible — communication via quick comms is essential.
Q: Are there microtransactions? A: Yes, cosmetics only. The in-game Multibucks currency is used for Battle Pass and skin bundles. No gameplay advantage can be purchased.
Q: Does The Finals have controller support? A: Full controller support on PC. Aim assist is present and functions correctly with DualSense / Xbox controllers. Most competitive PC players use mouse/keyboard.