The Finals‘ Season 9 kicks off Year 3 of Embark Studios’ arena shooter with its biggest structural overhaul yet. “Dragon Rising” pivots toward more freedom, more players, and more destruction. The new 8v8 “Point Break” mode leads the charge, alongside major updates to progression, sponsor systems, and class balance.
This guide covers everything you need to know for Season 9:
- All new content, including Point Break mode and Fangwai City
- Class rebalancing and meta shifts across Heavy, Medium, and Light
- Economy and Ranked updates, including Reward Coins and XP tuning
- Sponsor system overhaul and Battle Pass details
- Smooth Destruction tech, platform optimization, and UI upgrades
- Event timeline, shop changes, Twitch Drops, and roadmap teasers
Season 9 Highlights: All New Features at a Glance
- New Mode: “Point Break” (8v8 Attack & Defend).
- New Map: Fangwai City (China Mega City).
- Weapon Rework: The KS-23 ADS dispersion reduced significantly.
- Sponsor Freedom: “Lock-in” contracts are removed; swap sponsors freely.
- Progression: Ranked, World Tour, and Quickplay progression are now unified.
- Legacy Content: Season 6 Battle Pass returns as a secondary track.
- Tech Upgrade: “Smooth Destruction” server-side physics update.
- Balance: Substantial buffs to Heavy defensive utility; nerfs to Light mobility.
Point Break Mode Explained: 8v8 Attack & Defend
For the first time, The Finals moves beyond small-team tactical skirmishes to introduce large-scale warfare. “Point Break” raises the cap to 8v8, accommodating more players to change the fundamental rhythm of the game.
- Format & Structure: In this asymmetric mode, two teams clash on a linear front. One team is designated as Attackers, tasked with destroying nine Grand Vaults to push the frontline forward, while the Defenders must dig in and protect the line.
- Directional Combat: Unlike the 360-degree nature of Cashout, Point Break features a clearly defined frontline reminiscent of a large-scale battlefield. As attackers rush to arm explosives or destroy objectives, the battle zone physically shifts across the map. This creates a flow distinct from the three terminals structure seen in the vaulted Terminal Attack mode, focusing instead on continuous momentum.
- Resource Management (Shared Coins): The mode utilizes a “Shared Coin” respawn system. The visible points on the HUD represent a limited life pool shared by the entire team. This shifts the focus toward attrition tactics; players must understand that reckless deaths deplete the team’s collective resources.
- Strategic Density: Due to the high player density, chaos is frequent but controlled. Players must rely on high situational awareness as cover is dismantled more rapidly than in 3v3 modes.
Why It Matters
- Casual Entry Point: This mode works as a low-pressure queue for trying new builds depending on your playstyle.
- Objective Focus: It forces players to learn directional defense rather than the erratic “third-party” nature of previous modes.
- Destruction Showcase: The high player count maximizes the use of the new destruction physics engine.
New Map – Fangwai City Breakdown
The image of Season 9 is built on contrast, and the new arena, Fangwai City, embodies this perfectly. It is a dense, vertical environment set against a 1:00 AM clear night sky.
The Two Districts
- The Traditional District: Featuring lush temples, gardens, and ponds that reflect China’s ancient history. These areas offer open sightlines similar to Kyoto but are designed with stronger structural transitions to guide combat flow.
- The Modern District: Comprised of dense skyscrapers and neon-lit urban sprawl. Of course, this area emphasizes verticality, favoring movement classes and long-range engagements from rooftops.
Tactical Implications
Teams must adapt composition based on the sector. The Traditional District favors close-range breaching capabilities, while the Modern District rewards long-range suppression. Fangwai City is built entirely using the Smooth Destruction pipeline, similar to the updated Monaco map, ensuring massive structural collapses are physically grounded.
Progression Overhaul: Ranked, XP & World Tour Changes
The “metagame” of The Finals has received a substantial rework to unify the player journey and remove progression barriers.
The Unified World Tour & Quickplay
World Tour is no longer a specific game mode; it now encompasses the entire game including Quickplay. The old World Tour tournament playlist has simply been renamed to Cashout, so nothing is ‘deleted’ – it’s just relabeled under the new system. Whether a player chooses Quick Cash, Point Break, or Ranked, they can continue their World Tour progression.
Ranked Updates & The “Reward Coin” Store
Ranked play retains its own progression path but now simultaneously feeds into the World Tour.
- Reward Agency: The game has moved away from a linear reward track. As players rank up through the rounds, they earn “Reward Coins.”
- Ranked Identity: Ranked Reward Coins are once again explicitly tied to Ranked performance, reinforcing them as a mark of mastery.
- Expiration Note: Reward Coins must be spent by the end of Season 9. They expire after the season ends and cannot be banked for future seasons.
- Ruby Exclusivity: The Top 500 (Ruby) rank remains the only tier with exclusive rewards tied strictly to the Ranked playlist.
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Economy & XP Adjustments
- XP Smoothing: Progression curves for the Battle Pass and World Tour badges have been adjusted to account for the unified system across other modes.
- Match XP: Base match XP has been slightly increased for Point Break to account for longer match durations.
- Passive Funds: Sponsor currency is now earned passively across all modes, increasing the rate at which players can unlock cosmetics.
- Tier Split: Emerald rewards and Multibucks now come from World Tour rank, while Gold/Platinum/Diamond/Ruby Reward Coins are tied to your final Ranked league.
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Combat Balance & Meta ShiftsClass Balance Patch: Nerfs, Buffs & Meta Loadouts
While no new weapons were added, existing arsenals have been tuned significantly. The current patch is live on servers, showing a distinct shift in class viability.
Heavy Class: The Big Winner
- KS-23 Rework: ADS dispersion reduced by ~30%, making it dramatically more accurate in mid-range duels. In practice, it plays much closer to a precision rifle than before, especially on controller. Combined with tighter accuracy, it gives Heavies a massive advantage at range.
- RPG-7: Damage increased from 100 → 110, officially to make it better at clearing Goo. In practice, that also creates a breakpoint where a direct hit plus Quick Melee will delete a 150 HP Light in one sequence.
- Shield Buffs: Both the Dome Shield and Mesh Shield now block the Winch Claw, re-establishing them as vital counters. The Mesh Shield also received a +100 HP buff.
- Barricade: Can now clip through terrain, allowing deployment on uneven ground/rubble.
Medium Class: Refinements
- Model 1887: The tactical reload animation speed has been increased, reducing downtime.
- Dematerializer: Fixed a UI bug where the preview appeared before activation. Inputs are no longer lost, making the gadget feel more responsive.
- P90: Received a range increase.
- Dual Blades: The final hit of the combo now deals bonus damage.
Light Class: Scaled Back
- 93R: Damage lowered to ~24 per shot, removing the ability to “two-burst” opponents.
- Gateway: Range reduced from 70m to 50m; throw distance past max range reduced.
- Glitch Grenade: Charges reduced from 2 to 1; cooldown shortened to approx. 12 seconds.
- V9S: Received a significant range buff.
General Gameplay
- Goo Vulnerability: Goo now takes significantly increased damage from explosives (2.0x -> 2.25x multiplier).
- Double Jeopardy: In Cashout, if a team initiates a “Double Cashout” and fails to secure it, they lose 50% of their current cash total. Players should avoid initiating doubles unless they are certain of victory, as the risk now equals the reward.
Best Meta Loadouts for Season 9
Based on Day-1 stats and practical testing, the following compositions look strongest:
| Composition | Strategy | Key Weapons |
| H-H-M (Double Heavy) | Defensive Anchor. Use RPGs to clear Lights and Barricades/Shields to hold Point Break frontlines. | KS-23, Lewis Gun, Model 1887 |
| H-M-M (Sustain) | High healing output and revive potential. Relies on Mediums to keep the Heavy’s shield active. | SA12, FCAR, AKM |
| L-M-H (Pick Class) | Light focuses strictly on Glitch Grenade utility to break enemy shields for the Heavy/Medium to push. | XP-54, P90, KS-23 |
| L-L-M (Flank Pressure) | High aggression composition focused on isolating targets and utilizing the new V9S range buff. | XP-54, V9S, Glitch Grenade |
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Sponsor System Update: No More Lock-Ins
The restriction on sponsor contracts has been removed to prioritize player agency.
- Freedom of Choice: Players can sign with any sponsor and switch instantly without penalty. Progress is saved per sponsor and resumes where you left off when you switch.
- Sponsor Showdown: While contracts are flexible, a sponsor showdown-style World Tour event is expected later in the season where brand loyalty matters for limited rewards.
- New Sponsor – Volpe: Focuses on athletic dominance (Boxing aesthetic). Features multiple rarity tiers and pages of rewards including the “Shadow Boxing” emote.
- Expanded Sponsor – Ospuze: Adds Pages 5 & 6 to the reward track, featuring a “Street/Punk” aesthetic with tiger motifs and a Tiger-striped M60 skin.
Battle Pass & Cosmetics – All Rewards & Variants
The Season 9 Battle Pass features 106 levels of rewards, adhering to the “Dragon Rising” theme which blends Eastern mythology with corporate industrialism.
| Pass Type | Cost | Includes |
| Premium | 1,150 Multibucks | Base Battle Pass, standard progression |
| Ultimate | 2,400 Multibucks | +20 tiers unlocked, +25% XP bonus |
| Legacy | Earned via Show Tokens | Season 6 pass track, no Multibucks/pages |
Monetization Details
- Premium Pass: Cost remains at 1,150 Multibucks.
- Ultimate Pass: Cost is 2,400 Multibucks. It includes an instant 20-tier skip and a passive +25% XP boost for the season.
- Legacy Battle Pass: Season 9 brings back the Season 6 Battle Pass as a legacy track. It is progressed with “Show Tokens” earned in any mode. Legacy passes don’t grant extra Multibucks or bonus pages.
Battle Pass Structure
- Ultimate Variants: Select skins now evolve. For example, the Porcelain ARN rifle evolves from having two snakes to four snakes with light-emitting particles.
- Key Skins:
- Mythic Flamethrower: A Heavy skin that changes the flamethrower’s silhouette to resemble a massive, damaged mythical sword.
- The Food Launcher: A unique MGL32 skin replaces grenades with steamed buns.
- Jade SA12: A high-fidelity shotgun skin with gold inlays.
- Porcelain Throwing Knives: Clean, white ceramic aesthetic.
- Dragon Mask: A cosmetic helmet piece available in the later tiers.
Store & Customization
- Skin Randomizer: Players can now select multiple favorite skins for weapons/items, which will randomize between matches.
- Tablet Skins: For the first time, players can equip skins for the gadget tablet (Defib, Jump Pad), including Retro and High-Fantasy designs.
- Twitch Drops: A new “Calvin the Cube” companion and a Twitch-exclusive “Multi-Device” tablet skin are available via drops.
Upcoming Events: Holiday LTM, Double Jump & More
The new World Tour map UI provides a timeline for seasonal events. While exact dates are unconfirmed, historical precedent suggests:
- Holiday LTM: Based on previous years (Snowball Blitz), players can likely expect a winter-themed LTM mid-December.
- Mid-Season Event: A developer-teased “Double Jump” physics modifier event is likely to arrive later in the season.
- Weekly Shop Updates: Expected every Wednesday.
UI, UX & Audio: All Quality of Life Improvements
Several interface and audio updates have been deployed to support the new systems.
- Sponsor Tab: A completely redesigned menu allows for tracking progress across multiple brands simultaneously, setting the stage for the sponsor showdown between brands.
- World Tour Map: A new visual interface displays the seasonal timeline.
- Club Invites: Players can now invite squadmates directly from the in-game Club menu.
- MVP Screen: Post-match highlights now feature updated animations and stat tracking.
- Audio & Video: Improved directional hit markers and new video settings for replay controls (“Opt-in/Opt-out” options).
- Preview Improvements: Enhanced lighting for viewing stickers, sprays, and borders.
Tech Upgrades & Season 19 Roadmap
Smooth Destruction
Embark is rolling out a major physics update. “Smooth Destruction” ensures that collapsing buildings have real “knock-on” effects—debris physically interacts with the environment rather than clipping through. Multi-building collapse chains are now actually readable and traversable, not just visual noise.
- Availability: Launches on Fangwai City and Monaco.
Performance & Crossplay
- Platform Parity: Adjustments have been made to address stuttering on console platforms during high-density 8v8 moments.
- Physics Cleanup: A new “fallback debris” system helps lower-end hardware manage explosive spam without frame drops.
- Ragdolls: Behavior improvements to reduce ragdoll glitching in geometry.
- Optimization: This update reworks physics meshes and texture memory usage to reduce stuttering and memory spikes, especially in destruction-heavy moments.
Future Roadmap
Internal planning documents have confirmed content mapping through Season 19, reinforcing the studio’s long-term commitment. Additionally, developers have made a subtle comment teasing a “Swedish Cottage” asset, suggesting a future map set in the Swedish countryside.
Patch Notes: Bug Fixes & Community Reactions
Community Reception
- Positive: The “Point Break” mode is widely viewed as a necessary casual alternative to the high-stress Cashout mode. Fangwai City is being praised for its visual fidelity.
- Controversial: The buffs to the Heavy class (specifically the RPG damage threshold) have raised concerns on Twitter regarding a potential “Double Heavy” meta dominance in Ranked play following the launch.
Notable Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue where Barricades could not be placed on debris or uneven terrain.
- Resolved animation “clunkiness” during Model 1887 reloads.
- Fixed various clipping issues with the new “Smooth Destruction” debris.
- Addressed input buffering inconsistencies for Light melee combos (Phantom hits).
- Fixed Quick Melee rapid-fire exploit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s new in The Finals Season 9 update?
Season 9 introduces a massive overhaul: the new 8v8 “Point Break” mode, the Fangwai City mega-map, revamped class balance, sponsor freedom, and unified progression across all playlists. It’s the start of Year 3 and the biggest patch to date.
Is The Finals Season 9 worth playing?
Yes—this season functions like a full-scale refresh. Whether you’re returning or new, the addition of large-scale team fights, rebalanced weapons, and smoother progression makes it the most accessible and rewarding season yet.
What is Point Break mode in The Finals?
Point Break is a high-octane 8v8 mode where attackers destroy vaults while defenders hold the line. It features shared respawn pools, shifting frontlines, and intense pressure zones, making it ideal for chaos-loving players and casual squads alike.
How does Fangwai City compare to other maps in The Finals?
Fangwai City is a vertical, dual-district map combining ancient Chinese architecture with neon megacity skylines. It’s the most complex and destructible map so far, perfect for high-mobility builds and strategic breaching.
What’s the best class to use in The Finals Season 9?
Heavy is the top performer this season. Thanks to major buffs to the KS-23 and RPG-7, plus shield reworks, Heavy dominates both Point Break and Ranked. Expect to see “Double Heavy” setups with Medium support at high levels.
What weapons got buffed or nerfed in Season 9?
The KS-23 received a massive ADS buff, the RPG-7 now breaks Goo and kills Lights in one combo, and the P90 and V9S both got stronger. Meanwhile, Light gadgets like Gateway and Glitch Grenade were nerfed to slow hypermobility.
Can I still earn World Tour XP in Quickplay?
Yes. Quickplay, Ranked, and Point Break all now contribute to World Tour progression. You no longer need to queue World Tour separately—everything counts toward seasonal rewards and badge unlocks.
What are Reward Coins and how do you use them?
Reward Coins are earned by climbing Ranked divisions and can be spent on exclusive seasonal cosmetics. However, they expire at the end of Season 9—so don’t forget to use them before the season ends.
Did they remove sponsor lock-ins in The Finals?
They did! You can now freely switch sponsors with no penalties. Each sponsor tracks your progress separately and resumes where you left off, letting you chase cosmetics on your terms.
How long is the Season 9 Battle Pass in The Finals?
There are 106 total levels, including evolving “Ultimate” skins with animated effects. You can earn cosmetics themed around dragons, porcelain, and futuristic kung fu gear, with Premium and Ultimate tiers available for faster progression.
Can you still unlock older Battle Pass content in Season 9?
Yes, the Season 6 Battle Pass is back as a Legacy Track. You progress it using Show Tokens earned in any game mode. It’s a great way to get rare skins you might’ve missed the first time around.
What’s Smooth Destruction in The Finals?
Smooth Destruction is a backend physics upgrade that improves how buildings collapse—adding real debris, multi-structure chain reactions, and physical interaction with rubble. It’s live now on Fangwai City and Monaco maps.
What’s the best team comp for Ranked in Season 9?
The meta right now favors H-H-M (Double Heavy with Medium). It offers superior frontline pressure, shield control, and mid-range dominance. Other viable comps include L-M-H for shield cracking or L-L-M for flanking.
Are there Twitch Drops in Season 9 of The Finals?
Yes. Season 9 includes Twitch-exclusive rewards like the “Multi-Device” gadget skin and a companion called Calvin the Cube. You can earn them just by watching partnered streams during active drop campaigns.
Can I buy a boost to reach Ruby Rank or max my Battle Pass?
Absolutely. If you want Ruby-tier rewards, sponsor progress, or just a faster Battle Pass grind, our professional boosting service offers secure, fast options →
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