THE FINALS is still missing one crucial feature, and players can’t figure out why

Communication is key in any team-based multiplayer game, and THE FINALS is no different. Yet the game is seemingly missing one of the most basic ways of communicating with teammates—text chat.

On Jan. 4, THE FINALS player pointed out that not adding text chat to the game was unsatisfactory and an unjustified decision by the devs. There are times when players can’t use voice chat but still want to communicate to their team via text. Not being able to do so singles out players who can’t use voice chat, which is simply unfair.

“I play at nights when my wife and children are asleep. I can’t use the voice chat,” the original poster wrote, adding that they have to use the limited ping wheel instead.

One possible explanation for the lack of this feature is to reduce toxicity in the game. In many multiplayer games like League of Legends, text chat is often a place for toxic players to insult their teammates and opponents, ruining the experience for many.

That said, these players exist in almost every competitive game and are never exclusive to text chat. Through voice chat and even gameplay (add League’s question marks here), players can always find ways to be toxic, which is why if things get too unpleasant, there’s an option to mute an individual player or turn off chat entirely.

This is something THE FINALS fans want to see as well—both text chat and the ability to mute players. “Why not let US as the PLAYERS decide what we do or don’t want to hear, instead of forcing a blanket rule on everybody?” the OP wrote in the thread.

Many players agreed that if the goal is to lower toxicity, forcing people to use solely voice chat is “naive at best—and exclusionary at worst,” especially when it comes to those who are uncomfortable with voice chat or simply can’t use it. Regardless of what the devs are trying to achieve, refusing to add text chat isn’t the way to go, and it’s certainly not a good look for the game.