Embark Studios has released Update 7.9 for The Finals, bringing the end-of-season event Head 2 Head, where teams face off in an intense 3v3 final round of Cashout. Players can earn free event rewards through Contracts, unlock VAIIYA and CNS-themed skins, and enjoy the new Gameshow Event, the Nedstrike. XP gains have been significantly boosted for the remainder of the season, with up to 200% XP on Daily Contracts and 150% XP and Fans from gameplay.
The patch introduces “Stay as a Party” functionality, esports Open Qualifier sign-ups for The Grand Major 2025, new Twitch Drops, and extensive bug fixes. Weapon balancing has been addressed for the 93R, Cerberus 12GA, Model 1887, Sledgehammer, and Sword, alongside changes to Cashout (World Tour), gadget cooldowns, and map improvements. Stability, rendering optimizations, and anti-cheat testing have also been implemented.
Full Patch Notes:
New Content & Events
- Limited-Time Mode: Head 2 Head – 3v3 final round Cashout with unlimited, faster respawns.
- Event Rewards – Complete Event Contracts for free rewards, including VAIIYA and CNS skins.
- New Gameshow Event: Nedstrike – Forces players to flee from a monstrous threat.
- XP Override – 200% XP for Daily Contracts, up to 150% XP and Fans from gameplay until season end.
- Stay as a Party – Option to remain with your team after a match ends.
- Esports Open Qualifiers – Registration open for The Grand Major 2025, culminating at Dreamhack Stockholm in November.
- New Twitch Drops – Broadcast Blaze equipment skins.
Balance Changes
- Goo Grenade – Cooldown increased from 20s to 30s.
- Cashout (World Tour) – Vaults/Cash Boxes no longer despawn at overtime start.
- 93R – Rate of fire reduced from 220 to 210.
- Cerberus 12GA – Tighter pellet spread, increased heat to ignite toxic gas clouds in one shot.
- Model 1887 – Max ammo increased from 6 to 7.
- Sledgehammer – Secondary attack damage increased from 154 to 175.
- Sword – Increased vertical aiming flexibility during lunges from 40° to 90°.
Bug Fixes & Improvements
- Animation – Fixed melee swing visibility, sprint animation errors, throwing knife screen obstruction, and Riot Shield desync issues.
- Audio – Improved announcer voice quality and reduced repetition.
- Contracts – Fixed missing damage recognition for certain objectives.
- Customization – Corrected Devourer eyes and CNS item prints.
- Esports UI – Updated for new tournament info and registration.
- Gadgets – Fixed aiming/elimination bugs for H+ Infuser, Healing Emitter, and Nullifier.
- Gameplay – Fixed missing kill hitmarkers, hit registration issues, and improved respawn statue collision.
- Maps – Numerous fixes across Bernal, Monaco, Seoul, Skyway Stadium, SYS$Horizon, and Nozomi/Citadel.
- Rendering – Added AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation, updated versions, optimized GPU performance, and fixed light leaks in fog.
- Settings – Fixed controller issues with Steam Input enabled.
- Social – Improved text chat scrolling, added Stay as a Party feature.
- UI – Corrected avatar display, game mode names, and outfit marker issues.
- Security – Technical test of Denuvo Anti-Cheat on Xbox for Windows; SteamDeck compatibility confirmed.
The Finals is a free-to-play competitive shooter developed by Embark Studios. Update 7.9 is now live across all platforms.
Have you noticed these changes? Share your thoughts in the comments!
