THE FINALS is making a comeback, with Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund revealing that Season 12 has achieved the game’s highest concurrent player count since Season 2.
Despite ARC Raiders taking much of the spotlight recently, Embark’s free-to-play shooter is experiencing renewed interest. According to Söderlund, players are returning to THE FINALS and spending more time in the game following the latest seasonal update.
In Brief
- THE FINALS Season 12 has reportedly reached its highest concurrent player count since Season 2.
- Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund says returning players are staying longer.
- The developer focused on improving core gameplay systems instead of simply adding more content.
- Söderlund admits Season 11 didn’t meet the studio’s expectations, but Season 12 represents a major improvement.
THE FINALS Season 12 Sees Highest Player Count Since Season 2
Speaking in a recent interview with The Game Business, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund shared some encouraging news about THE FINALS.
“I think we had the highest CCU since Season 2.”
CCU refers to concurrent users, meaning the number of players online simultaneously.
Söderlund described Season 12 as one of the game’s best seasons in a long time, adding that its performance has been encouraging.
“People are coming back, playing it, staying longer,” he said.
The CEO also praised the development team for making some bold decisions that appear to be paying off.
While Söderlund didn’t provide an exact player count, public Steam Charts data shows that THE FINALS reached approximately 32,000 concurrent Steam players in October 2026, compared to around 19,000 in September.
These are Steam-only figures and don’t independently confirm Embark’s broader CCU claim.
Embark Focused on Improving THE FINALS Instead of Adding More Content
Interestingly, Söderlund believes one of the biggest reasons behind Season 12’s success is the studio’s decision to prioritize existing gameplay systems.
“It’s rather ensuring that what’s in the game works better than to just build more and more and more and more.”
Instead of constantly introducing new features, the team concentrated on improving what players already enjoy.
Season 12, titled Prime Time, launched on October 20, 2026, bringing several major improvements:
- A significant overhaul of the game’s destruction system.
- New Blast Waves and more dynamic environmental destruction.
- Arena reworks and visual improvements.
- A complete lighting overhaul alongside gameplay refinements.
These changes reinforce what makes THE FINALS unique, particularly its chaotic, physics-driven environments.
Embark CEO Admits THE FINALS Season 11 Fell Short
Söderlund also acknowledged that the previous season didn’t perform as well as Embark had hoped.
“Season 11 was not as good as we wanted, to be honest.”
However, he described Season 12 as a major step forward and credited the team for taking a different approach.
With players returning and engagement improving, THE FINALS appears to be gaining momentum again.
For Embark, which is simultaneously supporting ARC Raiders, the renewed interest is particularly encouraging as the studio continues developing both live-service games.
