The Finals has cemented itself as the last big game of 2023. Thanks to a release during The Game Awards 2023 ceremony, the free-to-play shooter has kicked off what’s bound to be a long journey – and players are very much excited to be along for the ride.

The Finals dropped on PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S simultaneously, with full cross-play and cross-progression.

Though the launch was a surprise, anyone who took part in the most recent open beta could have easily figured out that the full release was imminent. This is The Finals’ first season, available alongside new content and a battle pass.

Looking at the Steam player numbers, The Finals seems to already be doing a bang-up job. At the time of writing, The Finals is sitting at number six on Steam’s top sellers despite being a free-to-play game. Since this chart is based on revenue, all of it comes from selling Multibucks – the game’s paid currency.

Things look even better when you see how popular the game is on Steam, despite releasing at a time where most players in Europe, the UK, and the Middle East were in bed – The Finals’ player numbers on Steam never stopped rising.

The peak concurrent is now over 146,000 players, easily landing it in the top ten on Steam’s most played, and just a few thousands shy from claiming the number five spot. Even as I write this, the figures keep growing. The Finals could very easily overtake its next two competitors: Naraka Bladepoint, and Apex Legends by the end of the day. If you’ve been keeping track, those numbers are quite close to the ones achieved by the game during the open beta, and it’s clear even those will be surpassed in due course.

Judging by the game’s Mostly Positive Steam review rating, things appear to be going smoothly so far when it comes to servers and connection quality, and player sentiment is certainly trending upwards.

The Finals is one of two games developed by Embark Studios, a team housing many DICE veterans. It’s a PvP arena shooter with a heist element, and a strong emphasis on environmental destruction. If you’re curious, all you need to do is download it and see for yourself.