The FINALS devs ban cheaters, accidentally ban non-cheaters, too
2024 is here, and if you were looking forward to seeing in the new year with Embark Studio's level-destroying FPS The FINALS, you may have been met with a surprise error message.
"Due to certain behavior that is against our Code of Conduct, your account has been banned" is a message tied to the game's first wave of bans for cheaters, but it also appears those playing the game legitimately are being affected, too.
The FINALS ban wave hits players and streamers
The rollout has affected streamers like PRX Jingg, too, who posted the following on X/Twitter:
The message, as shown above, seems to have hit plenty of players not using cheats, including Twitter user Viscose.
Their footage actually shows them performing the corresponding mouse movements with their hand on the side of the screen, seemingly confirming they aren't cheating and were banned regardless (thanks, GamesRadar).
Viscose's footage was sent to Embark, and the developer has retracted the ban, suggesting reaching out to support might be your best option if you want to play the game after being hit with the error message.
A few weeks ago, Embark posted a message in the game's Discord saying it was "nearing a solution" to an issue that "prevented us [Embark] from banning cheaters efficiently". From what we've seen so far, however, the solution may have gone too far in the opposite direction.
The FINALS cheaters caught by banwave
While cases like these aren't ideal for genuine players who aren't using hacks or cheats, there are certainly a bunch of less-than-honourable players within The FINALS - despite the game only launching last month.
We recently covered the community's request for action, with blatantly obvious cheats like this user firing shots into the air and somehow racking up the eliminations.
With 10 million players in just over a fortnight since launch, The FINALS is off to a promising start. Here's hoping it continues that trajectory, sans cheaters.
After all, in our glowing review, we said:
"With a core gameplay loop that stands solid and a decent foundation to build upon, Embark Studios is all set to support a shooter that can finally rival the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield."
