The Finals Is Adding AI Commentators That Know Your Name

Ever wanted an announcer to shout your gamertag mid-match? The Finals is about to make that happen.

Embark Studios is adding real-time AI commentary to its multiplayer FPS, and the big hook is that the game's two announcers, Scott and June, will start dropping player nicknames when someone pulls off something impressive. So instead of a generic "and that's a good headshot," you might hear "[Player] just scored a good headshot." Small change, but it could make big plays feel a whole lot more personal.

The devs showed off the feature in a short video explaining how it works. The key detail is that the list of recognized moments will start out pretty short, on purpose. "Keeping it narrow means we can curate what he actually says," said Carl Strandberg, audio director on The Finals. "Make sure it sounds good, and like the Scotty we all know and love." In other words, they're testing the tech in motion before opening the floodgates.

Now for the part some of you are already side-eyeing. This is all powered by AI, since the voice is essentially running an automatic text-to-speech function. The commentary already used this tech, and Embark caught some flak from fans a few years back when the community learned about it. Clearly, the team wasn't deterred.

There's also the obvious question of how this plays out in the wild. On paper it sounds fun, but let's be real: players love setting up accounts with, shall we say, creative usernames just to hear them read aloud. Whether that becomes a comedy goldmine or a moderation headache remains to be seen.

It's fair to say not everyone's thrilled about Embark doubling down on generative AI here. Some players question whether this is a necessary use of the technology, though plenty are open to being proven wrong once it's live. Either way, it's a notable step for a studio that's been making waves with Arc Raiders.

You won't have to wait long to judge for yourself. The feature arrives in the Prime Time update on October 20. Will you be leaving the AI commentary on, or is this an instant mute for you?