THE FINALS‘ latest patch is packed with Christmas cheer, from gifts and a map makeover to anti-cheat updates and balancing changes.
Patch 1.4.0 went live on Dec. 20 and contains several festive additions to the game. The one players will be excited about the most is almost certainly the free Christmas bundle in the store, which contains a Ho Ho Hat headwear, Stocking Stuffer charm, Festive Firepower frag grenade skin, and Deck the Halls sticker. The bundle will be available to claim at any time until Jan. 3.
Apart from the free bundle, there’s also a new paid Christmas bundle in the shop that allows you to become the embodiment of Christmas wearing an ugly Christmas sweater for 1,000 Multibucks. Players can take all these cosmetics to an updated Monaco map, which is now filled with snow, Christmas decorations, and lights. It’s the perfect place to go when you’re in need of a holiday spirit boost.
But not all gifts have to be Christmas-themed. Patch 1.4.0 brought “major changes” to the anti-cheat detection system, a true Christmas present from Embark. Cheaters have been the biggest issue in THE FINALS since the release, and according to the developer, there was a “technical issue” that prevented it from effectively banning cheaters. It’s unclear if that issue has been resolved completely with today’s patch, but the player experience should be better either way.
Finally, multiple balancing and quality-of-life updates have come to the game, featuring weapons, gadgets, gameshow events, and specializations. While there are quite a few, the most notable changes were reduced damage and damage radius of RPG-7, added arming timers to mines, and a slight nerf to the SA1216 shotgun. Heavy build got hit hard with these changes, but we all know it deserved a bag of coal for being so strong.