Understanding and adapting to The Finals’ dominant Medium build meta after Patch 1.5
The Medium Class Takeover
Following the implementation of Patch 1.5, The Finals has experienced a significant meta shift toward Medium builds, creating widespread discussion within the player community about game balance and competitive viability.
The latest update has firmly established Medium builds as the dominant force in The Finals, leaving many players concerned about class diversity and strategic variety. This weight category provides such comprehensive capabilities that teams frequently default to multiple Medium compositions to maximize their competitive advantage.
The core design philosophy of The Finals emphasizes coordinated team play, where three participants select from distinct character classes to formulate winning strategies. Since the game’s December launch, extensive community discussions have highlighted the complex balancing challenges Embark Studios encounters with the three distinct builds.
Meta Evolution and Key Factors
Continuous community debates have examined each class’s perceived strengths and weaknesses, with specialized abilities creating distinct gameplay approaches that frequently tip the balance scales.
Post-Patch 1.5, the global player base has redirected attention toward what many consider the new pinnacle of competitive builds—the versatile Medium class configuration.
Even before this update, player opinions increasingly favored Medium builds due to their apparent lack of significant weaknesses. Powerful assets like Recon Senses and the unexpectedly potent CL-40 grenade launcher emerged as stealthy meta-defining selections.
Competitive teams additionally recognized the tremendous value of defibrillators compared to standard revival mechanics, particularly when pairing a dedicated healing beam user with two Recon specialists for maximum intelligence gathering.
Practical Tip: When facing Medium-heavy compositions, focus on breaking their information advantage first. Destroying sonar grenades and avoiding Recon Senses tracking can significantly reduce their tactical superiority.
Current Meta Analysis
Since Patch 1.5 deployment, Medium composition prevalence has dramatically increased, with most competitive lineups typically incorporating two or three Medium specialists.
The fundamental issue stems from Medium builds offering virtually every capability a team might require, creating self-imposed disadvantages for those not fielding multiple Medium operatives.
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“Medium operatives possess every conceivable tactical advantage: gas mines for area denial, sonar grenades for intelligence, automated turrets, Recon Senses for enemy tracking, defibrillators for instant revives, medium-to-long range dominance with FCAR or AKM rifles, and protective trophy systems,” explained one community member responding to gameplay footage.
Common Mistake: Many players attempt to out-range Medium builds, but their weapon versatility makes this ineffective. Instead, use close-quarters ambushes and environmental destruction to disrupt their positioning advantages.
Game Balance Challenges
This meta situation has prompted extensive community brainstorming regarding potential balance adjustments, though implementing effective changes proves considerably more complex than suggesting them.
Player opinions diverge significantly regarding solution approaches, with some advocating for strengthening alternative builds while others prefer direct nerfs to Medium capabilities. However, consistently buffing underperforming items risks triggering “power creep”—a problematic consequence where overall game power levels inflate uncontrollably.
As previously noted, Embark Studios confronts substantial balancing difficulties, as each fresh update appears to disproportionately advantage certain playstyles over others.
Optimization Tip: Advanced players should master environmental destruction against Medium teams. Removing their cover and creating new attack angles can neutralize their ranged advantages and force unfavorable engagements.
Adaptation Strategies and Counters
Success in the current meta requires understanding both how to leverage Medium compositions and how to counter them effectively. While the class appears overwhelmingly powerful, strategic weaknesses exist that skilled opponents can exploit.
Effective Counter-Compositions: Heavy classes with shield domes and explosive weapons can break Medium formations, while Light builds with cloaking and mobility can disrupt their backline support. Mixed compositions with one Heavy, one Medium, and one Light often provide the best balance of durability, utility, and disruption.
Target Priority: Focus elimination on Mediums running Recon Senses first, as removing their intelligence gathering cripples team coordination. Healing beam users should be secondary targets, followed by damage-focused Mediums.
Equipment Counters: Pyro grenades counter gas mines, while flashbangs disrupt Recon Senses users. RPGs and C4 can quickly eliminate trophy systems and turrets that Mediums rely on for area control.
Positioning Strategies: Force engagements in tight spaces where Mediums’ ranged superiority diminishes. Use verticality and unexpected angles to bypass their defensive setups.
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