Hannan Mundia 
The Finals had its first big ban wave meant to reduce the number of cheaters plaguing the game, but it seems some players and streamers who were not cheating have received bans as well.
Embark Studios’ free-to-play FPS game, The Finals, had the attention of the masses even before the game’s official release due to its multiple beta periods. After launch however, the game’s player count surged past that of Modern Warfare 3 and other popular AAA titles. It isn’t all sunshine and roses though, as the studio deployed its first big ban wave and accidentally hit innocent players with the ban hammer.
No one was safe from the bans, as many streamers and everyday players had their accounts suspended. Since this happened less than a month after the game’s official launch on December 7, players are now left to wonder how this will affect the game’s future.
Did The Finals have a cheater ban wave?
In addition to banning several cheaters, the biggest ban wave of The Finals since its launch also hit a number of seemingly innocent players.
Despite The Finals’ player count hitting 10 million only 15 days after its launch, fans noticed that the game had a huge problem with cheaters, making it difficult to enjoy many games. While Embark Studios acknowledged the problem, it shot down the idea of region-locking The Finals, instead stating that the game’s anti-cheating measures would be upgraded after a “technical issue” was solved.
With the technical issue seemingly fixed, The Finals’ studio deployed its first big ban wave, which accidentally resulted in many innocent players being banned as well. A number of the game’s fans have gone to social media to vent their frustrations, but the studio has not commented on the unwarranted bans.
Not all is awry, however, as many undeserving bans have reportedly been reversed, indicating that Embark is aware of its mistake and is working to remedy it.
Which streamers were banned in The Finals?
Several streamers, including popular Valorant streamer Jingggxd and Destiny 2 streamer Gigz, had their The Finals accounts banned. Gigz posted on X stating that he was unbanned from The Finals less than an hour after his initial post in which he detailed his account being banned.
Jinggxd, a professional Valorant player for the Southeast Asian esports organization Paper Rex, has not followed up on whether his account was unbanned.
Other notable streamers and pro players may also have been affected, either without remarking on it publicly or without even realizing it initially.
