18
Jul 19
Get ready for eight-player free-for-all action
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint is only three months' away, but Ubisoft has one last surprise up its sleeve before the next chapter in the online tactical shooter franchise arrives.
Ghost Recon Wildlands has been well supported by the devs since launching in 2017, introducing PvE modes as well as special events including an appearance from Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell) and the Predator from the cult movie franchise. As a 'farewell' before attention is drawn to Breakpoint's build-up and post-launch support, Ubisoft has today (July 18th) launched an eight-player free-for-all PvPvE gameplay experience called 'Mercenaries'.
A statement on the Ubisoft Blog said "Your support of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands since the launch has been truly incredible. Through strong PvE content, Ghost War, iconic character appearances, and community requested features, you’ve stood beside us through every step of the journey.
"With Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint coming this October, we want to send off Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands with one last major update as a thank-you to the community. The update will introduce a brand-new mode that is truly a unique experience.
"We’re proud to introduce you to Mercenaries. We’re excited to experiment with this concept to bring something new and different before we launch the next installment in the franchise."
What to expect in Ghost Recon Wildlands Mercenaries mode
Mercenaries mode is based around three phases for players to complete.
RECON
At the beginning on a match, the extraction zone is unknown and players begin with no weapons, gear, or items. You'll need to locate and activate radio transmitters to shrink the possible extract zone on your map.
Once three transmitters have been activated, you’ll reveal the exact position of the extraction point and gain one out of the five segments needed to fill your extraction gauge and board the helicopter.
HELICOPTER DEPLOYMENT
The helicopter will start flying to the extraction point and, when it lands, its location will be revealed to all players. Players who are yet to activate three transmitters can still continue to gather intel.
You can use intel to get better gear, reveal enemy player locations, or gather three transmitters yourself to begin filling your extraction gauge before reaching the helicopter.
EXTRACTION
To complete extraction, players will need to fill a gauge in order to board the helicopter. This gauge can be filled by staying in a set area around the chopper within the extraction zone.
You'll need to prevent other players entering the zone as the helicopter will not leave until the area is clear, so be sure to lay down some covering fire and prevent other players from entering.
Extras
Mercenaries will also introduce a new health and armor system based on the gear you pick up. An armor bar will appear, which will absorb a percentage of damage based on the penetration capability of your opponent’s weapon.
If any enemy hits you with a weapon that deals penetration damage, you’ll start to bleed, and gradually lose a percentage of your health. Medikit restores all health and stops bleeding, Bandages stop bleeding but will not restore health, and Syringes restores health but will not stop bleeding.
Buildings with destructible doors can hold precious loot inside, so be sure to give them a good punch/knife to gain entry.
Completing your first game will unlock the Walker Costume, with more rewards unlocked based on the amount of wins that players achieve.
- One win: Mercenary Patch
- Three Wins: Mercenary Pants
- Five Wins: Mercenary Heavy Vest
- 10 Wins: Jacket Army Mercenary
- 15 Wins: Mercenary Heavy Vest with Shoulder Pads
- 25 Wins: Mercenary Backpack
Additional support
Lastly, Ubisoft has made bug fixes and improvements throughout all game modes.
- (PVP) Sapper mines will now blink while activating, similar to the Trapper.
- (PVP) Fixed exploits in the Dust Town, Lithium Mine, Zinc Mine, and Institute maps
- (GUERILLA MODE) Fixed an issue in Guerrilla Mode where players would be rewarded with more Prestige Credits than intended.
- (GUERILLA MODE) Fixed an issue in Guerrilla Mode where a player would respawn in their "dead" animation when the revive is interrupted by the respawn mechanic.
- (PvE) Fixed an issue where the player would not receive Carzita's briefing video when entering Agua Verde.
- (PvE) Fixed an issue where Nomad would walk instead of crouching or crawling after picking up a dropped weapon.
- (PVE) Fixed a visual issue in the Itacua province.
