THE FINALS’ open playtest was a massive success with 7.5 million players jumping in to try the game out. While everyone eagerly awaits the full release, there’s something you should prepare for—microtransactions.
On Nov. 13, players highlighted the playtest may have set up poor expectations for microtransactions in THE FINALS. They brought up the current industry standard for in-game cosmetics from games like Overwatch 2, VALORANT, and Apex Legends where players spend over $20 for a skin bundle.
The prices won’t come as a surprise to those who often play live-service games, but it’s the pricing we should expect when THE FINALS launches later this year along with seasonal battle passes.
During the open playtest, the game would give every player 10,000 of premium currency to spend on cosmetics and everyone could dress up the way they wanted. It’s highly unlikely the game will do the same with the full release and the 10,000 coins might cost at least $100.
THE FINALS players fear the game will have Nexon monetization, which is “the worst in the industry” and includes pay-to-win mechanics. But while Nexon invested in the game’s developer, Embark Studios, and is a majority owner, THE FINALS is still solely developed and published by Embark. This means it will unlikely be affected by Nexon’s practices.
Regardless, the microtransactions will be there when the game launches and that is completely normal—it’s what we expect from a free-to-play game. The paid items are purely cosmetic so how much you decide to spend is entirely up to you. “There’s a limit of how much I’ll spend,” one player wrote, agreeing that $100 is a cap for their microtransaction budget.
The best (and worst) part about the skins in THE FINALS is they look really good, and because it’s a game show, any outfit fits the aesthetic in one way or another. Knowing my spending habits, including spending over $400 on VALORANT, I may end up going completely broke.
