The Finals will fly to Mexico next season, with a new map as well as a Heavy Rifle with "intense stopping power".

The Finals was launched in a surprise launch at The Game Awards last year. It quickly became one of the most played games on Steam. Embark, the developer, is celebrating The Finals first anniversary with a new map, additional toys, a clan system and visual updates for existing maps.

The new map for season 5 is set in Bernal, Mexico. In an interview with PC Gamer Embark said that Bernal will not be as much of a departure as Kyoto 1568, the urban map style from The Finals.

"There's lots of roof gameplay," said Gustav Tilleby, creative director. "There's lots of cover and gameplay up there. But you can also run into the buildings below or duck into the streets." I think that it has a familiar feel, but also feels fresh at the same.

The Bernal map completes what is shaping up to be an exciting update. Here's the full season 5 schedule:

Bernal map Two guns: ShAK-12 rifle (Heavy), Cerberus 12GA incendiary shotgun (Medium)
Two gadgets : Lockbolt Launcher and Gravity Vortex (Light).
Clubs A system of clans that can support up to 50 players
New battle pass
Playlists : Customize Your Menus with Music from Past Seasons

The new ShAK-12 rifle has a lot of potential as a Heavy Main. Embark did not go into great detail, but stated that it has "immense braking power", 20 rounds in its mag, and fires unique rounds containing 2 bullets per shot. The ShAK is the first traditional rifle to be available in the class. However, it will only work at medium-to close ranges. I'll be curious to see if this rifle can compete with the Dual Deagles that have become the most popular Heavy weapons in my lobby.

The triple-barrel Cerberus is another interesting first. It's the only gun in The Finals to have incendiary ammunition and it also doubles as a utility. Fire is a key tool in The Finals for melting goo walls and denying space. Most squads ensure that at least one player has a fire grenade or an incendiary bar nearby. But bringing a weapon that can fill that role allows you to use your loadout on other useful tech.

Tilleby is eager to hear what players think about the Cerberus' unique feature: "We are always interested in adding dynamic features to the game, and of course fire is one of those dynamic features. So we'll see what happens."

Season 5 has fewer Light goodies, but the Gravity Vortex gadget is a nice addition. Embark describes it as a throwable that can be detonated remotely and pulls players and objects to its center.

"It is really cool because it can be used in many different ways," said Mikael HOGSTROM, animation director. "You can use this as a trap and capture a player, or you can use a cashout box or cashout station to pull the cash out away from an enemy or suspend it in mid-air if the building falls apart."

I'm going ahead and guess that its most popular use is to deny cashout steals. The Finals' most popular defensive strategy involves hiding gas mines or C4 around cashout boxes to disrupt steals, without having to be present in the same room. The gravity vortex is a more brutal (and manual) option for distracting squads as the timer ticks.

It was difficult to imagine the Lockbolt Launcher without actually seeing it in action. It sounds like a RPG that can chain together loose objects and anchor them to a central point, limiting or suspending their movement. Embark gave the example of a cashout container being chained to a moving platform, then pushed off the ledge so that it hung in midair. It was virtually unreachable unless the anchor was destroyed. The Lockbolt can also be used on players.

I can't believe the chaos that will ensue. The Finals Season 5 begins on 12 December.