The Finals' ever-evolving C4 meta now has a 'snail nuke,' and what it lacks in speed it makes up for in firepower

A player from The Finals stands infront of a bright yellow wall
(Image credit: Embark Studios)

The Finals players are still trying to kill each other with nothing but C4 and explosives, now they've devised another method of doing just that: the 'snail nuke.'

Yesterday, January 17, The Finals took another swing at decimating the ongoing meta surrounding C4 - where players would forgo weapons and just use the explosive devices against one another. Not be deterred by the new nerf, Heavy players have instead come up with the 'snail nuke' method, which involves sending a gas canister creeping very slowly towards your opponent.

You can see the snail nuke in action just below. The player straps C4, explosive mines, and pyro mines to the gas canister, before giving it a hefty whack with a sledgehammer. This sends the weird creation off in the desired direction towards enemy players to eventually explode, albeit at an incredibly slow pace, hence the name.

I present the Snail Nuke. from r/thefinals

The snail nuke might not be fast, but what it lacks in speed it most definitely makes up for in explosive power. This, in theory, is more powerful than the standard 'nuke meta,' because it lets you slap as many explosives as you want onto the gas canister, instead of just lobbing one ordinary C4 at a player and hoping it hits home.

With well over 1,000 upvotes on the post after less than a day, the snail nuke is a hit. The only trouble will be actually finding the time to construct the slow-moving explosive in the very fast-paced matches. Standing there placing C4 and mines onto a gas canister is just asking to be shot in the back. 

Now all we need is a killcam so we can see this thing creeping towards a helpless player. 

The Finals just bodied Light players, and things are about to get even worse for players of the ailing class. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
A Helldiver holding a flag in a promotional image for Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2's Fallout-grade Ultimatum mini nuke has been nerfed, but maintains its "core identity as a powerhouse" because the devs are "huge fans of big booms booming big"
Helldivers 2 Ultimatum
Helldivers 2's new Fallout-grade mini nuke Ultimatum is a 4,500-damage delete button that's already got the community debating whether it's OP
Marvel Rivals Rocket Raccoon MCU outfit
Tragedy in Marvel Rivals as the calmest healer almost hits Celestial rank without dealing damage, but accidentally loses their pacifist cred: "I guess I'm 22DmgRocketNow"
Minecraft characters Alex and Steve riding in mine carts in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, being chased by Bowser Jr..
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate villain Minecraft Steve is the star of the "best Smash clip of all time," as genius player makes a literal Trojan Horse to destroy an unsuspecting opponent
A screenshot shows the green gator Monty in Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.
YouTuber reinvents the modern speedrun by chugging laxatives and shocking himself with a dog collar while playing Five Nights at Freddy's most disappointing sequel, and I can't stop watching
Marvel Rivals Rocket Raccoon MCU outfit
Famed Marvel Rivals pacifist support player begs devs to reverse the accidental 22 damage they inflicted, devs say "No"
Latest in FPS
halflife screenshot showing a headcrab jumping at a player
Half-Life devs worried Gabe Newell "promised things that they couldn't possibly deliver" for the iconic FPS, but "they just didn't know" that they'd be able to do it yet
Former Valve exec recounts the meeting where Half-Life's publisher almost killed the iconic FPS: "Half-Life would quietly die. I was stunned"
FBC Firebreak screenshot for GamesRadar Big Preview showing a character throwing an electric shock grenade in a crowded room
FBC: Firebreak may be Remedy's first live-service game but the Control creators are going about it the right way, confirming that all playable post-launch content "will always be free"
"Valve would never ship another game": Former exec forced Half-Life publisher's hand by saying Gabe Newell and the team would pivot away from game dev
Gordon Freeman
Valve literally gives Half-Life away now, but 27 years ago it was carefully crushing its angry pirates: "None of them had actually bought the game"
FBC: Firebreak gameplay trailer reveal in Future Games Show: Spring Showcase
With an impressive new FBC: Firebreak trailer at the Future Games Show, Remedy confirms a Summer 2025 release window for its co-op shooter set in the Control universe
Latest in News
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
fool me once
Harlan Coben’s new novel is set to be "more of a sequel" to the hit Netflix series Fool Me Once: "I don’t know any time that’s ever happened"