Ubisoft's Ghost Recon franchise is approaching its 25th anniversary, and ahead of a dedicated showcase on August 6, details have emerged regarding a significant upgrade for the 2017 title, Ghost Recon: Wildlands. The PlayStation Store appears to have prematurely revealed a free current-gen update that will enhance the game's visuals and performance.
The reported upgrade includes graphical improvements to 4K resolution and a 60fps frame rate, alongside faster loading times enabled by the console's SSD. Players can also expect support for 3D audio and new haptic feedback features utilizing the DualSense controller. In addition to these technical enhancements, a new story expansion titled "Last Rites" is expected to launch with the update, accompanied by various quality-of-life improvements.
While the leak specifically mentions PlayStation, it is highly probable that PC and Xbox Series X|S versions will also receive similar enhancements, given the game's original multi-platform release. This potential upgrade follows recent speculation in July regarding a Ghost Recon: Wildlands current-gen update. At the time, Ubisoft indicated that future plans for the franchise would be shared during the anniversary celebrations.
The Ghost Recon IP is now under the purview of Creative House 2, a newly formed division within Ubisoft focused on competitive and cooperative shooter titles such as The Division and Splinter Cell. Ghost Recon: Wildlands was a commercial success for Ubisoft, a stark contrast to its successor, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Breakpoint struggled to gain traction with critics and players, partly due to a controversial implementation of NFTs. Despite receiving substantial post-launch content, support for Breakpoint concluded by 2022.
Ubisoft also confirmed in July that development is underway on a new Ghost Recon game. Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet described this upcoming title as a "first-person-shooter-type" game, marking a notable shift from the predominantly third-person perspective that has defined the series since 2006's Advanced Warfighter.