Update 1.5.5 hits 'The Finals': balance tweaks, crash fixes

The latest update 1.5.5 for The Finals, a first-person shooter from Embark Studios, has arrived, bringing notable balance changes, crash fixes, and store content enhancements. Key updates include reduced invulnerability periods post-revival and adjustments to weapon dispersion and damage fall-offs. The patch also addresses tournament matchmaking to ensure skill-based pairing and corrects the crossplay settings issue for more reliable party play. Additionally, the developers are currently reworking the Recon Senses ability for the Medium build due to community feedback with plans to release further changes in an upcoming update. The Finals continues to be a popular title on Steam and has been praised for its innovative environmental destruction and competitive gameplay. Nevertheless, the game has faced criticisms for its use of AI-generated voiceovers and a struggle with cheating, issues which the developer has addressed in communications and previous updates.

The balance changes in The Finals update 1.5.5 mainly focus on reducing the invulnerability period after a player is revived from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds, tweaking weapon stats like bullet dispersion, player damage output, and damage fall-off for several weapons including the .357 Revolver and the FCAR, and altering the health of the Guardian Turret.

Embark Studios, the developer behind The Finals, is a company formed by veterans from the Battlefield franchise, known for their expertise in creating expansive, destructible environments and intense multiplayer experiences. The studio's focus with The Finals seems to center on those strengths, aiming to provide a dynamic and engaging free-to-play shooter that has managed to draw significant attention in the competitive gaming scene since its launch.