The Finals uses a skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) system that algorithmically evaluates player skill to create balanced matches, with independent skill ratings per game mode.

Embark confirmed SBMM in The Finals and adjusted it as early as December 2023 (hotfix 1.2.3) "to ensure better-quality games." Each game mode maintains an independent skill rating. Developers described it as "relatively relaxed SBMM" compared to games like Counter-Strike, likening it more to Overwatch or battle royale matchmaking. The specific algorithms are not publicly disclosed, and it is unclear whether the system uses traditional Elo/Glicko-style ratings or ML-based approaches. Some community members have speculated about Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMM), but this is unconfirmed player speculation. Embark also contributed to the open-source Quilkin (UDP proxy for game servers, built with Google Cloud) and referenced Open Match (Google's open-source matchmaking framework) in their GitHub repos, suggesting their matchmaking infrastructure leverages these tools.