THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:59, 25 February 2025

THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt (TFEE) is a long form Easter egg hunt ongoing since September 2022. It spans multiple levels and covers both external and in-game elements. The hunt is led by Embark Studios' Chief Content Officer and Co-founder, Robert Runesson, and assisted by Dusty Gustafsson, Embark's CX Lead.

The hunt began in September 2022, when a series of cryptic Easter egg clues started appearing in concept art released via the official THE FINALS Twitter account, and later the official THE FINALS Discord server. This initial puzzle became known as Level 1 - The Commence, and was followed by Level 2 - The Promise and Level 3 - The Hunt. Clues are usually presented via official artwork and renders, in-game Easter eggs, and messages from Rob and Dusty. The hunt itself operates via the official THE FINALS website, with several hidden pages containing clues, images, and password inputs.

Reminder

Remember to follow the rules and practice good hunting etiquette!

Overview

The first level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in September 2022, and ended in October 2022.

The second level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in October 2022, and ended in March 2024.

The third and current level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in April / August 2024.

Diamond Clues tie into the ultimate solution to THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt.

Guidance

Rules & Etiquette

Trying to brute force or break your way into password-protected webpages is not allowed as it can completely ruin the hunt for everyone involved.
Using AI programs such as ChatGPT to decode content or figure out connections, passwords, etc, is not allowed as it can similarly spoil the hunt.
The hunt is not about trying to bypass website or game security. All clues and Easter eggs are accessible by normal means. Do not share datamined content or try to exploit the game or Embark Studios' websites in any way.
The hunt does not require the use of glitches / exploits / out-of-bounds exploration. In-game Easter eggs may be difficult to find, but they do not require breaking the game.
Hunt-related pages can be found via clues. Do not try to discover hidden pages / URLs on Embark Studios' websites by exploitative or unintended means.
The metadata of images does not contain intentional clues, and so does not need to be accessed; Photoshop file history, layer names, etc.

If you're unsure about whether you might be close to breaking a rule, just ask!

Rob's Helpful Hints

'"Hi.! You are correct… Only look for clues in assets that we release in our channels where we can control naming, compression etc… don’t want you to fall down the wrong rabbit holes… ._."
"No we will never trick you (and you are too clever to be tricked). But it shouldn't be easy to solve puzzles like this... ._.
"Hi.! All passwords are lowercase… ._."
"Was going to comment on the discussion about 'password vs passcode'... I remember that discussion back on the Amiga BBS-era... so as long as it is in ASCII, it is a password, regardless if it is letters or numbers... ._. (but all passWORDS are lowercase regardless if it is letters, numbers or any other characters in the ASCII-table, hehe)"
"Hi.! Yes you CAN solve every EE (and level) with the first image, but, it’s hard… but the answer is there.! For every new image (or dusty text, hehe) we give you it becomes easier, and easier, and easier to solve each level… BTW you were actually really close already with the first image, I first thought TIER 1B was way too easy since you kind of mentioned the actual password (or is it a passcode @Giriko .?!) buuut then for some reason it went south… ._."
"Short answer is 'No, the images released during one level/tier are used to solve that level/tier'. However that said, there might be (and often are) clues and hints that potentially can (or will) be very useful (or obvious when you see the full picture in the end (or is it really the end, or perhaps just a new beginning))..."
"Everything is connected, but it's not THAT obvious... ._."
"Great puzzles need to be deep and complex to be fun and challenging, for this little EE-hunt there are always at least 4-5 connections between different clues on each level and often also multiple connections between both tiers and levels. That way the web becomes an intricate aventure, a beautiful painting and a puzzle that is much more satisfying to solve... after all don't we all want to honor Archimedes.?1"
"No, I’m only use standard ASCII, actually to keep the password very easy to figure out, I’ve made sure to only use lower case letters and numbers, for this level [Level Two] that is… ._."
"No spaces in psw in this ee-hunt… ._."

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Overview ==
+'''THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt''' (TFEE) is a long form [[Easter Eggs|Easter egg]] hunt ongoing since September 2022. It spans multiple levels and covers both external and in-game elements. The hunt is led by Embark Studios' Chief Content Officer and Co-founder, Robert Runesson, and assisted by Dusty Gustafsson, Embark's CX Lead.
-In early September 2022, after the Gamescom teaser trailer for THE FINALS was released (late August 2022), a series of related cryptic Easter egg clues started to be presented through concept art released via [https://twitter.com/reachthefinals THE FINALS Twitter account]. Several additional clues to help the community solve the puzzles were also posted exclusively on THE FINALS Discord. The initial Easter eggs (which, following it being solved, became known as Level 1 or 'The Geocache Easter Egg') indirectly prompted members of the community to add specific words to THE FINALS website URL, as a suffix, which was a way of providing answers to the puzzle to see if they were correct. From Level 2 of the Easter Eggs ('The Promise') onwards, prospective answers were input as passwords via a specific [https://www.reachthefinals.com/tfee-level2 password page] created by the Embark Studios art team, led by Embark's Chief Content Officer and [https://www.embark-studios.com/about Co-founder], Rob Runesson.
-== Level 1: 'Geocache' - A History Of Solving The Easter Egg ==
+The hunt began in September 2022, when a series of cryptic Easter egg clues started appearing in concept art released via the official [https://twitter.com/reachthefinals THE FINALS Twitter account], and later the official [https://discord.gg/thefinals THE FINALS Discord server]. This initial puzzle became known as Level 1 - The Commence, and was followed by Level 2 - The Promise and Level 3 - The Hunt. Clues are usually presented via official artwork and renders, in-game Easter eggs, and messages from Rob and Dusty. The hunt itself operates via the official [https://reachthefinals.com THE FINALS website], with several hidden pages containing clues, images, and password inputs.
-The [https://twitter.com/reachthefinals/status/1566849006503952386 first concept art image, posted via Twitter] in early September 2022, was of a Samurai breaking down a wall or door with a [[katana sword]]. The accompanying tweet text from the developers included dots and exclamation marks ("..!.!!!!") that represented the binary code "00101111" that converts to a forward slash ("/"). The forward slash binary clue was the indicator to the community that their answers to the clues in the puzzle should be input as a URL extension on THE FINALS website (seeing as the game was not yet released as a way to host any Easter egg puzzles).
-[[File:Dots and exclamation marks were used to produce a binary number that represents a forward slash.png|alt=Dots and exclamation marks in the Tweet text that accompanied the first Easter Egg concept image were used to produce a binary number that represents a forward slash.|none|thumb|455x455px|Dots and exclamation marks in the Tweet text that accompanied the first Easter Egg concept image were used to produce a binary number that represents a forward slash.]]
-[[File:THE FINALS Concept 002 Slash.jpg|alt=This image, titled 'Slash,' was the first in a series of images that included hidden Easter Egg-style messages, which began the main series of pre-release Easter Eggs.|none|thumb|452x452px|This image, titled 'Slash,' was the first in a series of images that included hidden Easter Egg-style messages, which began the main series of pre-release Easter Eggs.]]Two additional lines of binary code were discovered on the Samurai image and these converted to the word "devon" in the top right corner of the image, and "crossing" in the lower right. When "devoncrossing" was added to THE FINALS website URL it directed to a page with a large red X on it. THE FINALS Discord community could not agree if the red X meant the answer was wrong, or if it indicated that that part of the puzzle was complete.
-[[File:Binary code representing the word "crossing" found in the Samurai image..png|alt=Binary code representing the word "crossing" was found in the Samurai image.|none|thumb|455x455px|Binary code representing the word "crossing" was found in the Samurai image.]]
-[[File:The Red Cross on the Devon Crossing page of THE FINALS website.png|alt=The red cross on the Devon Crossing page of THE FINALS website when "devoncrossing" was added as a URL extension to the website address.|none|thumb|496x496px|The red cross on the Devon Crossing page of THE FINALS website when "devoncrossing" was added as a URL extension to the website address.]]
-Four days after the Samurai image, an image of yellow character statues was tweeted out by the developers. The image had barely-discernible pairs of numbers in each corner; 49 and 53, 54 and 52, 48 and 50, and 49 and 53.
-[[File:Character statues wallpaper with the numbers shown where they were located..png|alt=Character statues wallpaper with the numbers shown where they were located.|none|thumb|460x460px|Character statues wallpaper with the numbers shown where they were located.]]
-A similar image, of egg-mascot statues, was posted the following day, and that included the numbers 56, 54, 48, and 49 which converts from decimal to plain text as 8601, indicating the use of the ISO-8601 standard for dates. This enabled the numbers from the first statue image to be translated to the date of 15th of February, 1564. That is the birthdate of Galileo Galilei, who was born in Pisa, Italy and is most well known for his early astronomical observations through a telescope he built. The developers explained, after Level 1 was completed, that the Leaning Tower of Pisa was also another hint to a forward slash, indicating the use of a URL to answer questions. Adding the word Galileo to The Finals website URL leads to a red cross, exactly the same as that for "devoncrossing."
-The third part of the Level 1 clues was then provided through an image of a modern ninja character, with a katana sword at the ready, jumping over a teammate, while several barrels loom down on them from behind.
+{{User:Raid/Template:TempReminderTemplate
-[[File:BARRELLS.png|alt=A concept art image that included a mysterious can of beans attached to the back of one of the characters.|none|thumb|460x460px|A concept art image that included a mysterious can of beans attached to the back of one of the characters.]]
+|header=Reminder
+|image=Namatama_(2).png
-The image included two easter egg clues - the first, is a code below the words flammable liquid on one of the barrels, which reads 002F. This converts as Unicode to a forward slash - which, again, implied the need to use a URL for the answer to the clue.
+|text=Remember to [[#Rules_&_Etiquette|follow the rules]] and practice good hunting etiquette!}}
+== Overview ==
+{{InfoGridCards
+|header1 = [[Level 1 - The Commence]]
+|image1 = [[File:THE_FINALS_Concept_BarrelsBarrelsBarrels Cropped.png|link=Level 1 - The Commence]]
+|text1 = The first level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in September 2022, and ended in October 2022.
-Secondly, the OSPUZE-labelled food can attached to the back of the lower character, has "OG Beans" written on it. The Discord community struggled to read the "G" in "OG" initially, so the developers dropped a second image to provide a more detailed view of the can.
+|header2 = [[Level 2 - The Promise]]
-[[File:A rendered image of YamaTama holding the OG Can of Beans, so that it could be more easily seen by members of THE FINALS Discord community..jpg|alt=A rendered image of OSPUZE mascot, YamaTama, holding the OG Can of Beans so that it could be more easily seen by members of THE FINALS Discord community.|none|thumb|395x395px|A rendered image of OSPUZE mascot, YamaTama, holding the OG Can of Beans so that it could be more easily seen by members of THE FINALS Discord community.]]
+|image2 = [[File:THE_FINALS_Concept_005_Fire Cropped.png|link=Level 2 - The Promise]]
-The correct URL for the 'OG Beans' clue hadn't been resolved when Level 1 was fully resolved as follows:
+|text2 = The second level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in October 2022, and ended in March 2024.
-A Google search for "Devon Crossing" resulted in the discovery that there was a person named William Crossing who roamed the moorland of Devon, UK, in the latter part of the 19th century. William made extensive notes about the area, which he published as books, and in those notes, he mentioned a stone letterbox that is located in what is now the approximate center of Dartmoor National Park, at a location called Cranmere Pool. The letterbox was established in 1854 by a guide called James Perrott, with the idea that walkers roaming across the moorland could leave a note in the letterbox for the next walker to collect, and so on. This was, essentially, the very first type of recreational geocaching, and 'letterboxing' continues in the Devon moorlands and elsewhere to the modern day.
+|header3 = [[Level 3 - The Hunt]]
+|image3 = [[File:THE_FINALS_I_Want_to.png|link=Level 3 - The Hunt]]
+|text3 = The third and current level of THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt. Started in April / August 2024.
-THE FINALS Finals Discord community member Duhmeister, realized the relationship of 'letterboxing' to geocaching and added geocache as a suffix to THE FINALS website URL. This confirmed that Level 1 of the Easter Egg hunt was solved by producing a congratulatory message.
+}}{{InfoGridCards
-[[File:THE FINALS website showing the successful completion of the "geocache" easter egg.png|alt=THE FINALS website showing the successful completion of the "geocache" easter egg|none|thumb|621x621px|THE FINALS website showing the successful completion of the "geocache" easter egg]]
+|header1 = [[Diamond Clues]] [[File:Burrw.gif|thumb|380px]]
+|text1 = Diamond Clues tie into the ultimate solution to THE FINALS Easter Egg Hunt.
+}}
+== Guidance ==
+=== Rules & Etiquette ===
+# Trying to brute force or break your way into password-protected webpages is not allowed as it can completely ruin the hunt for everyone involved.
+# Using AI programs such as ChatGPT to decode content or figure out connections, passwords, etc, is not allowed as it can similarly spoil the hunt.
+# The hunt is not about trying to bypass website or game security. All clues and Easter eggs are accessible by normal means. Do not share datamined content or try to exploit the game or Embark Studios' websites in any way.
+# The hunt does not require the use of glitches / exploits / out-of-bounds exploration. In-game Easter eggs may be difficult to find, but they do not require breaking the game.
+# Hunt-related pages can be found via clues. Do not try to discover hidden pages / URLs on Embark Studios' websites by exploitative or unintended means.
+# The metadata of images does not contain intentional clues, and so does not need to be accessed; Photoshop file history, layer names, etc.
+If you're unsure about whether you might be close to breaking a rule, just ask!
-Subsequently, THE FINALS Discord community worked out that the Galileo clue related to the William Crossing geocaching clue as Galileo is also a GPS system that can be used for modern geocaching. The FINALS Discord community had noted that Galileo was a GPS system previously, but did not link this to the "devoncrossing" clue. Following a Google Search for "original can of beans" and "geocaching," the community discovered that "OG Beans" stood for "Original Can of Beans" or "OCB" which is a can of beans that was the very first trade item included in modern geocaching. Adding OCB to The Finals website URL provided the final X that fully completed Level 1 of the Geocache Easter egg.
+=== Rob's Helpful Hints ===
+# '"Hi.! You are correct… Only look for clues in assets that we release in our channels where we can control naming, compression etc… don’t want you to fall down the wrong rabbit holes… ._."
+# "No we will never trick you (and you are too clever to be tricked). But it shouldn't be easy to solve puzzles like this... ._.''
+# "Hi.! All passwords are lowercase… ._."
+# "Was going to comment on the discussion about 'password vs passcode'... I remember that discussion back on the Amiga BBS-era... so as long as it is in ASCII, it is a password, regardless if it is letters or numbers... ._. (but all passWORDS are lowercase regardless if it is letters, numbers or any other characters in the ASCII-table, hehe)"
+# "Hi.! Yes you CAN solve every EE (and level) with the first image, but, it’s hard… but the answer is there.! For every new image (or dusty text, hehe) we give you it becomes easier, and easier, and easier to solve each level… BTW you were actually really close already with the first image, I first thought TIER 1B was way too easy since you kind of mentioned the actual password (or is it a passcode @Giriko .?!) buuut then for some reason it went south… ._."
+# "Short answer is 'No, the images released during one level/tier are used to solve that level/tier'. However that said, there might be (and often are) clues and hints that potentially can (or will) be very useful (or obvious when you see the full picture in the end (or is it really the end, or perhaps just a new beginning))..."
+# "Everything is connected, but it's not THAT obvious... ._."
+# "Great puzzles need to be deep and complex to be fun and challenging, for this little EE-hunt there are always at least 4-5 connections between different clues on each level and often also multiple connections between both tiers and levels. That way the web becomes an intricate aventure, a beautiful painting and a puzzle that is much more satisfying to solve... after all don't we all want to honor Archimedes.?1"
+# "No, I’m only use standard ASCII, actually to keep the password very easy to figure out, I’ve made sure to only use lower case letters and numbers, for this level [Level Two] that is… ._."
+# "No spaces in psw in this ee-hunt… ._."