The Finals began its PRIME TIME season on October 20, 2026, with what Embark Studios calls the biggest destruction upgrade since launch, a new Light playstyle, a solo mode and three remastered arenas, the studio announced in a Steam post and its Update 12.0 patch notes. It also removes VRs, a currency in the game since launch.
The Details
Destruction. Embark says it has “rebuilt the very heart of the show”: structures now take gradual damage and collapse dynamically, explosions push the world around with new Blast Waves, debris piles up, and smoke and gas behave better.
The Infiltrator. A new Light specialization brings three tools: True Sight, which reveals enemies through smoke and even sees cloaked or disguised players; the Mimic Device, which disguises you as a scanned object; and the Translocator, which swaps your position with a marked object.
Solo Showdown. A new mode, in beta, for 12 solo players over three rounds. The four players with the least Cash are eliminated each round, and every round is picked at random from eight mini-modes, such as Sniper Standoff and Winch Wars.
Arenas and interface. Monaco, Seoul and Skyway Stadium have been remastered with new layouts, traversal and destruction, and a game-wide lighting overhaul touches every arena. The HUD and menus are redesigned, and announcer Scotty can now call out standout plays by name, a feature launching in beta.
Progression. A new Sponsor Journey adds challenges and free rewards, and World Tour Ranks are now earned through Fans instead of World Tour Points. A new Battle Pass launches with an Ultimate tier that is only available until the end of the season.
What This Means for Players
The VR change is the one to understand. Embark says most players “simply maintained the maximum amount” once early unlocks were done, so the currency is gone. Items now unlock with their parent playstyle through Playstyle Tokens, or unlock automatically. Light players also get a new kit to learn, and the remastered arenas mean old routes and hiding spots may no longer work.
The Finals comes from Embark Studios, the team behind ARC Raiders, and both games are getting TV series and movies. For the studio’s extraction shooter, see our ARC Raiders guides and Embark’s move to permanently ban every ARC Raiders cheater.
When and Where
- PRIME TIME: live now, as of October 20, 2026.
- Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox.
- Price: free to play; the Battle Pass and new bundles are paid extras.
- Also new: the Frights Galore Halloween event.
Source: Embark Studios, “Welcome to a New Era of THE FINALS,” The Finals on Steam, October 20, 2026.