The Finals stops players taking unfair advantage from controller aim assist

The Finals has a new patch and though it's not a big one, it's arguably a substantial set of changes. Specifically, update 1.4.1 addresses various issues with aim assist and zoom snapping - features designed to support those who play with a controller whether on PC or console.

"These changes are the result of an in-depth review of how aim assist works — something we’ve only been able to validate with a player base as large as ours," says the patch notes.

Like many modern shooters, The Finals supports crossplay, meaning PC players with a keyboard and mouse are sometimes playing against console players using a pad. Those with a pad get the balancing benefit of aim assist - although exactly how powerful that aim assist is versus the entirely manual mouse and keyboard is up for debae. This update intends to make it less effective.

• Since they're brief, here are the full patch notes:
• Zoom Snapping Angular Velocity now has a max cap, preventing unintended rapid 90-degree turns.
• Camera Magnetism will be reduced to 35% from 50%, making player aim less sticky and lowering controller accuracy.
• Zoom Snapping Time will be reduced to 0.25s from 0.3s.
• Zoom Snapping will be removed from the SR-84 Sniper Rifle, Revolver, LH1, and all Shotguns, as it buffs them more
• than other weapons.
• Aim assist will ignore invisible players, fixing a bug with the existing system.
• Clients running key re-mapping programs on PC will not have access to aim assist.

The final two (that's a pun) seem like the most significant.

One of The Finals' special abilities lets light-class players turn invisible when they're stationary, and only somewhat visible when moving unless they attack. Enemy players being able to use aim assist to shoot these invisible players is a substantial bug and I'm glad it has been fixed.

I'm equally glad re-mapping programs no longer provide an unfair advantage. These pieces of third-party software let players use mouse and keyboard while tricking the game into think they're using a controller, meaning they get the benefit of a mouse's precise controller and of the game's aim assist. Those cheaters - or rule skirters, at least - will no longer get that benefit.

I've played The Finals for forty hours at this point and I don't seem to be stopping any time soon, for reasons I explained in my The Finals review.