Last updated on May 13, 2026
The Finals has always felt like a game built for competition. Destructible arenas, team-based chaos, high stakes. The bones were there from day one. What was missing was structure. Embark Studios just fixed that.
In a social media post that spread quickly through the community, Oscar “Schnobben” Lundberg confirmed the creation of an internal, dedicated esports team at Embark Studios. His role has changed alongside it. The former Community Lead is now Competitive Operations Lead, and he is joined in the new division by his colleague Janice.
“Cat’s out of the bag, my friends,” Lundberg wrote. “We’re serious about the future of THE FINALS, and esports has a real place in it. This is the start of an internal, dedicated team to support that.”
What Actually Changed
Until now, the competitive scene around The Finals grew organically. Community enthusiasm, grassroots tournaments, and the energy of a playerbase that clearly wanted something more. Embark supported it, but without anyone whose full-time job was to build the infrastructure around it.
That changes with this announcement. Having dedicated staff means someone is thinking about tournament formats, qualification pathways, broadcasting standards, and game balance as it relates to competitive play, not as a side project but as their entire focus.
Lundberg was quick to reassure the community that his new role does not mean disappearing from his old one. “I’ll still do our weekly community streams, hang out on Discord and Twitch, talk to you, enjoy the memes, take the feedback, and do my best to represent all of you.” The dual focus, competitive infrastructure and grassroots community, seems deliberate.
The Grand Major 2026 Is the First Real Test
The timing of the announcement is not accidental. All of this is building toward TGM26, The Grand Major 2026, which takes place at DreamHack Stockholm from November 27 to 29.
Last year’s inaugural event welcomed sixteen of the world’s best teams to Stockholm. NTMR Gaming won the title. The crowd was packed, viewership was strong, and Lundberg himself called it “year 0 of THE FINALS esports.” This year is meant to be the step up from that foundation.
The prize pool has doubled. TGM26 carries a total of $200,000, with $150,000 awarded at the Grand Major itself and $50,000 distributed across the qualifying Online Series cycles. That is a significant financial commitment for a game that is still growing its competitive ecosystem.
How to Qualify
The road to Stockholm is open to anyone. The TGM26 Online Series, hosted on FACEIT, runs across three regions: AMERICAS, EMEA, and APAC. Sign-ups are already open.
The season is built around four competitive cycles. Each cycle gives teams an entry point into the scene, and points accumulated throughout the season determine seeding going into The Grand Major. A team that wins two cycles can skip the others and still earn a direct path into the closed qualifiers. Teams that miss the regular season entirely still have a shot through the Open Qualifier, which keeps the door open until the very end.
Sixteen teams will compete at DreamHack Stockholm. Three days of competition. The format mirrors the Cashout Tournament mode, with teams qualifying from the bracket each round until five have earned their spot in the finale. The first team to three crowns wins the title.
Why This Matters
The Finals was released in 2023 and has been building its audience steadily since. The competitive instinct in the community was there from the beginning, but organic growth has its ceiling. A dedicated internal team, a structured global season, and a flagship event with real prize money is how a game moves from “has a competitive scene” to “is a competitive title.”
Embark has made its intentions clear. The esports side of The Finals is no longer a side project. It is a pillar.
Whether the scene can scale to match that ambition is the question 2026 will answer. Stockholm in November is where we find out.
I’m passionate about books and video games. These two great passions represent, for me, a boundless universe where I can “escape” from reality whenever I need or want to. There are so many stories, worlds, and landscapes where I can instantly teleport that I don’t think a whole lifetime would be enough to explore them all (though it would be my greatest dream to be able to).
