The Finals’ Future Is Looking Bleak After Nexon Says It Performed “Lower Than Expected”

Highlights

The Finals disappoints as Nexon cites lower-than-expected performance, despite Season 2 updates and new content.
Nexon remains optimistic about The Finals’ future, planning Season 3 in June, but concerns loom over the FPS.
In the brutal world of live service games, underperforming free-to-play titles like The Finals face uncertain fates.

The future of Embark Studios’ free-to-play first-person shooter, The Finals, is looking bleak after its parent company Nexon said the title performed “lower than expected.”

After running multiple betas throughout 2023, The Finals received a full release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on December 7, 2023. The fast-paced shooter then released its Season 2 update back in March, which was filled with some fantastic new gadgets, weapons, and modes.

After getting to go hands-on with the new season, I thought the future was bright for this vibrant and entertaining FPS title. But now Nexon’s recent comments have me incredibly concerned for its future.

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As part of a Q1 2024 business update, Nexon said the company “delivered stronger-than-expected revenues, operating income and net income in Q1.” The company stated that this was primarily due to EA Sports FC Online, EA Sports FC Mobile, and Blue Archive. However, it also stated that these solid results were “partially offset primarily by lower-than-expected performance of The Finals.”

Later in the document, Nexon said, “The launch of Season 2 in March created a short-lived increase in player metrics but delivered lower-than-expected retention and revenue.” The company said that developer Embark was working with Nexon’s Korea-based Live Operations team to “understand and address the key issues.”

While Nexon clearly still sees The Finals’ future in a positive light, even confirming that Season 3 would be released in June, I’m worried for one of my favourite first-person shooters.

The video game industry is currently in very dark times. Just last week, Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, the studio behind the smash hit that was Hi-Fi Rush. Despite winning multiple awards and making it onto numerous game of the year lists, Hi-Fi Rush somehow didn’t do enough to prevent Tango Gameworks’ closure.

This was the latest in a long line of studio closures and layoffs. And when it comes to live service titles such as The Finals, there’s extra cause for concern.

In a short space of time, we’ve seen Knockout City, CrossfireX, Marvel’s Avengers, Anthem, and many more meet their demise. While The Finals does appear to be on a better track, a free-to-play title that underperforms can quickly be terminated.