A new The Finals update today adjusts how aim assist works. The Finals patch notes 1.4.1 are here, in a “small but mighty” update that developer Embark Studios says follows “an in-depth review of how aim assist works.” As with any multiplayer FPS that employs crossplay (and even many that don’t), there’s been plenty of discussion among The Finals community about the level of aim assist offered to players using a controller, and whether it correctly balances out the added challenge of playing with a controller versus using a keyboard and mouse.
The Finals has been an exciting addition to the roster of multiplayer FPS games since its surprise launch at the end of 2023. Mixing the Battlefield-style gunplay you’d expect from developer Embark Studios, many of whom previously worked on the EA series, with the fast-paced movement and abilities of Apex Legends, the 3v3v3 team shooter has relit my spark for competitive multiplayer.
There’s been a lot of discussion since launch about whether the game’s controller aim assist is too strong, which would effectively give controller players too much of an advantage, especially given the long time-to-kill in The Finals, which means you’re almost always required to track your enemies as they dart about the environment. Today’s update, patch 1.4.1, aims to adjust this, which should make it slightly tougher for controller users to keep a bead on you as you move.
“These changes are the result of an in-depth review of how aim assist works,” Embark explains, calling it “something we’ve only been able to validate with a player base as large as ours.” The changes see ‘camera magnetism’ lowered, “making player aim less sticky and lowering controller accuracy.” There’s also a cap to ‘zoom snapping angular velocity’ that Embark says will prevent “unintended, rapid 90-degree turns.”
The zoom snapping time has been reduced slightly, but it’s been removed from several The Finals weapons – the SR-84 Sniper Rifle, Revolver, LH1, and all Shotguns – “as it buffs them more than other weapons.” In addition to this, the bug that caused aim assist to activate on invisible players has been fixed, and players using key remapping programs on PC should no longer have the ability to use aim assist, a feature that was being exploited in certain cases.
The Finals patch 1.4.1 is out now on Steam. You’ll need to download it to play, so be sure to start it as soon as possible if you’re planning to hop on. Fortunately, it isn’t too big by modern standards – our download clocked in at 991MB. Developer Embark says “It’s a small but mighty patch and you can expect an even bigger one next week, so stay tuned.”
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