Environmental Destruction & Manipulation

Learn to leverage environmental destruction in THE FINALS. Shatter walls and collapse structures to create new pathways and gain the offensive edge.

The defining characteristic of THE FINALS is its incredibly dynamic and destructible environment. Almost every wall, floor, and ceiling can be shattered, creating new lines of sight, opening up pathways, or collapsing entire structures. Mastering this aspect of the game is crucial for both offensive and defensive play.

Offensive Applications:

• Creating Entry Points: Need to get into a heavily defended building? Blast through a wall or floor with explosives or heavy weapons. This can bypass fortified positions and catch enemies off guard.
• Flushing Out Enemies: If an enemy team is camping inside a building, use explosives like the RPG-7 or the grenade launcher to collapse their cover and force them out into the open.
• Opening Sightlines: Destroying walls can create new vantage points for snipers or allow your team to engage enemies from unexpected angles.
• Strategic Demolition: Sometimes, the best way to secure an objective is to destroy the cover around it, making it harder for defenders to hold.

Defensive Applications:

• Fortifying Positions: While you can't rebuild destroyed structures, you can use the destruction to your advantage. For example, if a wall is destroyed, you can place a Barricade or use Goo Grenades to create temporary cover.
• Controlling Chokepoints: If an enemy is pushing through a specific doorway, you can collapse the ceiling above them or destroy the walls around them to create a kill zone.
• Creating Escape Routes: If your position is overrun, strategically destroying a wall can provide a quick escape route for your team.
• Denying Enemy Advances: If an enemy team is trying to push a cash-out, you can strategically destroy the floor beneath them, causing them to fall to a lower level and potentially taking fall damage.

Key Tools for Destruction:

• Explosive Weapons: RPG-7, Grenade Launcher, C4. These are your primary tools for large-scale destruction.
• Heavy Weapons: The M60 and other high-caliber weapons can also chip away at structures over time, especially lighter walls.
• Gadgets: Goo Grenades can be used to create temporary barriers or slow down enemies, indirectly manipulating the environment. The Demolition Hammer on the Heavy build is also surprisingly effective at breaking down weaker structures quickly.

Awareness is Key:

Always be aware of the structural integrity of the environment. A seemingly solid floor could be weakened by enemy fire, leading to a sudden collapse. Conversely, you can use this to your advantage by targeting weak points. Understanding how different materials react to damage will give you a significant edge.