THE FINALS Season 3 World Tour Loadout Rankings

New Arena, New Weapons, New Competition

Season 3 of THE FINALS introduces the World Tour mode, transforming the virtual combat landscape. This seven-tournament gauntlet kicks off with the ENGIMO Open, offering contestants unprecedented opportunities for fame and fortune.

Kyoto 1568 takes center stage as the new arena. This feudal Japanese setting features destructible Shoji walls and towering pagodas, creating a dynamic battlefield that showcases THE FINALS' commitment to environmental interaction.

The Season 3 update also brings new weapons and gadgets that significantly change how contestants approach combat:

1. Dual Blades: These swift melee weapons allow contestants to deflect incoming bullets, adding a new defensive option to close-quarters combat.

2. Spear: A melee weapon with extended reach, the spear lets contestants strike from a safer distance and execute powerful combos.

3. Recurve Bow: This precision weapon rewards accuracy with high damage, but punishes missed shots with a long draw time.

4. Thermal Bore: This gadget lets contestants destroy walls, floors, and even sniper perches like cranes from a distance, dramatically altering the battlefield mid-match.

5. Winch Claw: This unique Heavy specialization can pull Cashout stations or even the revive statues of fallen teammates, creating unique strategic opportunities.

The new weapons and gadgets in THE FINALS expand tactical options, giving contestants innovative ways to interact with the environment and challenge rivals. However, the most impactful change in Season 3 comes from the overhaul of the Cashout mode.

Patch 3.6 has significantly altered Cashout dynamics. Eliminations now award $500, up from $200, incentivizing aggressive play. The cashout process has been restructured: 30% of a cash box's value is awarded upon deposit, with the remaining 70% upon completion. This replaces the previous $2000 flat rate for initiating a cashout.

Additionally, the removal of cash loss penalties for team wipes and the increase in cashout steal time from 6 to 7 seconds have shifted strategic considerations. These adjustments, along with updated vault spawning logic, aim to reduce excessive third-party engagements and extended team confrontations.

These bold changes from the developers at Embark, seek to enhance the gameplay experience in the virtual arena. The new ruleset, implemented for the VOLPE Championships, marks a significant evolution in the game show's core mechanics.

As contestants progress through the World Tour's seven tournaments, potentially sponsored by names like DISSUN and Holtow, they'll need to adapt to both the new equipment and this reimagined Cashout strategy.

Given these comprehensive changes, let's examine the potential shifts in Season 3's competitive landscape. We'll analyze each build type and assess their viability in this revamped version of THE FINALS.

Light Builds

Light builds emphasize speed and agility, allowing contestants to outmaneuver and outsmart opponents, rewarding quick reflexes and precise aim.

This season has given Light builds one new weapon and one new gadget: the Recurve Bow and the Thermal Bore. The addition of the Thermal Bore allows Light builds to destroy walls and floors from a distance, and doubles as a gas & goo clearing gadget with its burning properties, creating new strategic playstyles for Light builds in this new season.

All-rounded Hitscan (Light)

This staple loadout is perfect for players who prefer a balanced playstyle, focusing on consistency in engagements.

Weapons like the XP-54 and M11 are excellent choices, offering high accuracy at short to medium ranges with some of the best DPS in this category.

The previously top-ranked LH1 is a viable alternative even after it experienced a significant nerf after the start of the season in Patch 3.1, knocking it from its top spot in the Light Hitscan category.

The V9S, while not as popular, is also a solid contender, offering a good balance of damage and accuracy.

See the full tier list by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - LIGHT All-Rounder

www.opentierboy.com

Projectile (Light)

For contestants who prefer projectile weapons, the classic Throwing Knives or the newly added Recurve Bow are great options.

Buffed at the end of Season 2, the Throwing Knives are now a viable competitive option for Light builds. The Recurve Bow is a new addition to the projectile category and offers a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

The Throwing Knives are great for close-quarters combat but is highly ineffective at longer ranges, while the Recurve Bow is most effective at medium to long ranges.

Both projectile weapons have the ability to one-shot Light builds. The Throwing Knives can one-shot Light builds with a headshot and a body shot (it throws two projectiles per shot), while the Recurve Bow can one-shot Light builds with a fully-drawn headshot.

See the full tier list for projectile loadouts by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - LIGHT Projectile

www.opentierboy.com

Sniper (Light)

The Sniper loadout for Light builds, featuring the SR-84, offers a unique playstyle in World Tour, rewarding precision and tactical positioning.

The benefits of running this Sniper loadout are the ability to cover long sightlines and the potential to one-shot other Light builds at range. If played right, this loadout can pose a significant threat to opposing contestants, forcing them to alter their game plans.

In close-quarters combat, which dominates many World Tour engagements, the SR-84's one-shot combo potential can be surprisingly effective in skilled hands. However, it requires exceptional aim and quick reflexes to maximize its impact in these situations.

The main challenge of this loadout is its vulnerability in sustained close-range firefights, common in World Tour matches. Success with the Sniper loadout often depends on team coordination and smart positioning to mitigate these weaknesses.

For contestants who enjoy a high-risk, high-reward playstyle and aren't afraid to specialize within their Light build, the Sniper loadout offers a path to stand out in THE FINALS.

See the full tier list of compatible equipment for this loadout here:

THE FINALS S3 - LIGHT Sniper

www.opentierboy.com

Melee (Light)

While niche, Light builds have Melee loadouts that can be effective in the right hands.

Most notably, the Sword is the most effective melee weapon for Light builds in the current season. It has animation cancels that can be used to deal high bursts of damage in a short amount of time. While contestants debate whether the animation cancels are intended or considered as exploits, we have seen them used by many contestants rocking the Sword loadout and dominating entire lobbies.

The Dagger on the other hand, is a lot less effective than the Sword but has the unique backstab mechanic that deals high damage when attacking an opposing contestant from behind.

A unique outlier in the Melee category is the SH1900. While it isn't a melee weapon, this dual-barrel shotgun is most effective at melee distances. It's incredibly effective at hit-and-run tactics and can be used to quickly burst down contestants of any build type, and also works well with the Cloaking Device!

We also include the Throwing Knives and SR-84 in this category as they could be used as "melee-ish" weapons in close-quarters combat.

See the full tier list for melee loadouts by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - LIGHT Melee

www.opentierboy.com

Medium Builds

Medium builds are versatile, offering a balanced approach to engagements. Medium builds can be more supportive with the Healing Beam specialization, control zones with the Auto-Turret, or get creative with the Dematerializer.

This season has given Medium builds one new weapon: the Dual Blades, and reworked the Glitch Trap which tags nearby enemies with the glitch effect, significantly improving its viability and usefulness, causing it to rise up the rankings.

All-rounded Hitscan (Medium)

Similar to the Light loadout, the Medium All-Rounder Hitscan loadout focuses on consistent engagements at all ranges.

The most popular and competitive weapon choices are the AKM and the FCAR. The AKM has a higher magazine size and good damage at all ranges. The FCAR offers holographic sights and a higher DPS, but lower magazine capacity paired with faster reload times than the AKM. Both are great options and are very effective with good recoil control.

For specializations, it's primarily up to the contestant's playstyle and team composition. The Healing Beam is great for a more supportive role, while the Auto-Turret is great for controlling zones and the Dematerializer is great for creative plays. We recommend trying out all three specializations to see which one fits your playstyle the best.

See the full tier list by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - MEDIUM All-Rounder

www.opentierboy.com

Turtle (Medium)

The Turtle loadout is a fun defensive loadout that focuses on controlling zones and providing support to the team.

While not as effective as the All-Rounder build with the recent nerfs to the Healing Beam, the Turtle loadout is still a fun and viable option for Medium builds.

The philosophy and role of this loadout is to support teammates by healing them with the Healing Beam, while staying alive.

This loadout is most effective with Heavy builds, as they can take more damage and can be more aggressive. Running this loadout with poor team synergies such as Light builds can be miserable for both you and your team.

There are many weapon choices for this loadout, but the more unique playstyles for this loadout are with the Dual Blades and the Riot Shield. Choosing the AKM and FCAR will always work, but it's arguably no longer considered a Turtle loadout, unless you can resist the temptation of shooting opposing contestants.

See the full tier list for the Turtle loadout by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - MEDIUM Turtle

www.opentierboy.com

Heavy Builds

Heavy builds are the tanks of THE FINALS, boasting high health pools and powerful weapons. They have the most destructive potential, easily leveling entire arenas with the right loadout, and the most defensive potential, being able to deploy many defensive options.

Season 3 has given Heavy builds one new weapon, the Spear, and one new gadget, the Winch Claw. The Recon Sensor has also seen a rework similar to the Glitch Trap, making it significantly more viable.

All-rounded Hitscan (Heavy)

The Heavy All-Rounder Hitscan loadout focuses on consistent engagements and is suitable for contestants who prefer a more familiar playstyle.

The previously highly ranked Lewis Gun has seen a dip in popularity due to recent nerfs, while the M60 has emerged as a strong contender. The M60 features a massive magazine size and a recoil pattern that stabilizes after an initial jerk.

See the full tier list by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - HEAVY All-Rounder

www.opentierboy.com

Close Quarters Combat (Heavy)

The Heavy Close Quarters Combat (CQC) loadouts focus on close-range engagements and are highly competitive loadouts for Heavy builds. While they are weak at longer ranges, they excel at close quarters combat and are perfect for both controlling zones and playing aggressively.

SA1216 CQC Loadout (Heavy)

One of the more popular and competitive weapon choice for CQC loadouts is the SA1216 which boasts a quad-tube magazine. This means four shots, short delay, rinse and repeat. Some of the more competitive loadouts run the Mesh Shield to cover the delay between shots besides protecting them against long ranged engagements.

In this tier list, we focus solely on the compatible equipment for the SA1216 CQC loadout with the exception of the KS-23 ranked as a weaker but fun alternative. See the full tier list of compatible equipment for this loadout by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - HEAVY SA1216 CQC

www.opentierboy.com

Winch Claw CQC Loadout (Heavy)

The Winch Claw CQC loadout is a unique loadout that focuses on pulling in enemies, and controlling objectives. Besides the popular SA1216, this loadout offers more unique viable options such as the Sledgehammer and the Spear.

Besides being able to pull in enemies, a major unique advantage of this loadout is the ability to move the Cashout stations which is rarely available to other loadouts. Moving the Cashout station allows contestants to create advantages for their team while simultaneously creating unexpected scenarios for the opposing teams. The Winch Claw and the two viable melee weapons for this loadout can displace Cashout stations and interact with the environment.

• The Sledgehammer can destroy the environment, such as walls and floors, allowing contestants to drop the Cashout station at the opportune moment, or to create strategic defensive environments.
• The Spear can launch objects and move the Cashout station with its secondary fire.

See the full tier list of compatible equipment for this loadout by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - HEAVY Winch Claw CQC

www.opentierboy.com

Overall Tier List

Finally, we conclude with the overall tier list for all builds in THE FINALS Season 3 World Tour. It is hard and perhaps even wrong to rank everything in one list, because every build and equipment has its own strengths and weaknesses, and work well under different scenarios, synergies and playstyles. However, we think that this can hopefully give a sense of what the meta is like in the current season.

See the full tier list by visiting the link below:-

THE FINALS S3 - All Items

www.opentierboy.com

Conclusion

Season 3 of THE FINALS has thrown a wrench into the meta, and we're loving it! The new Melee Weapons and Winch Claw have opened the door to a whole new world of wild playstyles. The Cashout changes have also turned the game on its head, pushing contestants to embrace their inner adrenaline junkies. Hats off to Embark for keeping things fresh and unpredictable! We can't wait to see what crazy strategies emerge as contestants adapt to the new rules of the game.

Disagree with our takes on the new meta, or have you crafted some ingenious loadouts of your own? Don't keep those strategies to yourself — craft them with OpenTierBoy and share them with the community!

References

• The Finals News
• The Finals Wiki

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read our analysis of THE FINALS Season 3 World Tour. Your support and enthusiasm mean the world to us.

Stay tuned for more and see you in the arena!

---

Craft, rank and share with OpenTierBoy.