The Finals Failed to Join Party [FIXED]

The Finals building-breaking FPS experience can quickly go downhill if the failed to join the party error prevents you from joining your friend’s party. This error is mostly caused due to your in-game crossplay settings not being configured but it can also be caused due to the servers being down.

Check the Server Status

The first thing I suggest you try is to check the server status. If the servers are offline and you try to invite your friend the failed to join party error will show up. That is why you should check their official Twitter for announcements regarding server maintenance so you don’t waste your time trying to play the game when the servers are down.

Thanks for being so patient with us as we sorted out a few hickups! 🫶

THE FINALS Open Beta is now LIVE on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5! Gear up, team up, and #REACHTHEFINALS! pic.twitter.com/2lTS1quffX

— THE FINALS (@reachthefinals) October 26, 2023

Adjust Crossplay And Matchmaking Settings

If the servers are fine then to fix the Finals Failed to Join Party Error enable crossplay in-game if it isn’t already. If you and your friend are on a different platform like PC and PS4 or Xbox then you won’t be able to join your friend’s party. Players online also found this fix helpful.

That is why you should make sure it is enabled. To do that perform the following steps:

1. Open Settings by pressing the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Go to the Gameplay tab.

   

3. Under the “NETWORK” heading, set Crossplay to “On” if you and your friends are on different platforms.
4. Also, set the Matchmaking Region to Automatic.

Restart The Game And Create A New Party

This seems like a pretty ordinary fix but this is actually what helped me to get past the failed to join party error. Sometimes the game can simply glitch out and the invites will stop working. 

Other times, the party system itself can bug out. Creating a new party essentially reboots this system, giving it a fresh start and potentially resolving any underlying conflicts within the current party configuration.

Restarting the game acts as a clean slate, clearing any cached data or processes that might be causing the issue. That is why you should try restarting the game, creating a new party, and then inviting your friend.

Allowing The App Through The Firewall

The Windows Firewall can sometimes block multiplayer access in games if it detects them as a threat. Firewalls act as security guards for your computer, monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic. They can block suspicious connections that might be carrying malware or trying to steal your data.

Some games, especially online ones, might use ports or protocols that the firewall mistakenly flags as risky, leading to blocked connections. This can lead to the Finals failed to join party error appearing. That is why I recommend allowing the Finals through the Firewall.

Whitelist The Finals Install Folder In Antivirus

Antivirus software scans for and blocks malicious programs that could harm your computer. However, overzealous protection can sometimes lead to unintended errors, like the dreaded “failed to join party” error in The Finals.

Antivirus programs rely on identifying patterns and signatures to flag potential malware. In some cases, these patterns might incorrectly match legitimate game files, leading to misidentification and blocking.

If your antivirus detects the game as a threat it might block the connection, leading to the Finals failed to join party error popping up. That is why I recommend whitelisting the game folder in your Antivirus software like Windows Defender or Avast.

Verifying The Game Files

If the failed to join party error pops up after the last fix, try verifying your game files. If your game files are corrupted or if your game is not updated to the latest version the error can pop up. 

Games frequently receive updates to fix bugs, introduce new features, and ensure compatibility with servers. If your game files are outdated, they might not align with the server’s current version. This leads to mismatched versions of the game with the server and stops you from joining your friend’s party.

That is why I suggest verifying the game files to make sure that your game is updated to the latest version and also doesn’t have any corrupted files. If it does have corrupted files they can be recovered by verifying the game files.

Accept The Invite From The In-Game Notification

If you are playing on Xbox or PS4, accept the invite through the in-game notification for the party invite rather than the invite coming through Xbox/PS4. In some cases, accepting the Xbox/PS4 invite can lead to the failed-to-join party error occurring.

That is why I recommend accepting the invite from the in-game notification if the Xbox/PS4 invite doesn’t work.

My Thoughts On The Finals Failed to Join Party Error

The Finals is a game that makes you feel like you are in a game showing yourself with your friends, trying to cash out on a big prize. The fun can be ruined pretty quickly if you sit down after a long day and are met with an error.

The error can be a player-side issue or a server-side issue. The error can be easy to fix if changing the crossplay and matchmaking settings fix it but it can be annoying to fix if the servers are down and they don’t come back up quickly.

People can be seen talking about the error on forums like Reddit and Steam. Some people also took their concerns to Twitter.

PLEASE FIX FAILED TO JOIN PARTY BUG. We can’t join our friends

— KAI 🌒 (@TheKaiSenpai1) November 2, 2023

This has led to the developers taking action and addressing problems related to party functionality in their patch notes but this particular bug has yet to be addressed since it is either a server-side issue or a player issue.

This goes to show the developers care about their community and are fixing any bugs encountered by the players if they are directly at fault. Games like these go a long way when their developers care about what their community has to say.