In anticipation of the game’s October follow-up, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ubisoft is bringing one final free update to Ghost Recon Wildlands. Ghost Recon Wildlands: Mercenaries is a new, eight-player, free-for-all, PvPvE mode. Players start with no weapons, gear, or items, and are tasked with escaping the map via helicopter extraction. Mercenaries launches tomorrow, July 18.
Ubisoft detailed the Mercenaries mode in a post on the Ghost Recon website. When the match begins, the extraction point is unknown, so players will have to find and activate radio transmitters to continually narrow down the possible extraction zone on their maps. Transmitters are found by locating intel, which also lets players see the position of other players for a limited time, the position of rare items, or the position of a vehicle.
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Gaining access to intel and transmitters will involve facing off against other players and NPC soldiers. Once a player finds three transmitters, the exact extraction point will be revealed to them. The extraction helicopter will then begin heading to the extraction point, which will be revealed to all players once the helicopter lands there.
At this stage, the match becomes an all-out fight for the helicopter. Players will battle to remain by the helicopter, which will fill an extraction gauge over time. Once a player’s gauge is full, they can board the helicopter and successfully complete extraction but not until all other players are downed or otherwise forced out of the extraction area.
Ghost Recon Wildlands: Mercenaries seems to be inspired by the success of battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG. While the goal is not to be the last player alive and the mode allows for only eight-player matches, Mercenaries‘ new mechanics scream “battle royale.” Players start with nothing and must loot their way to power, destroying destructible doors to enter loot-filled structures.
The mode will also include a brand new PUBG-like armor and health system, with armor pick-ups, bleeding that causes health loss over time, med kits that restore health and stop bleeding, bandages that stop bleeding but don’t restore health, and syringes that restore health but don’t stop bleeding. Unlike most battle royales, though, players respawn after death, and the match continues until a player has been successfully extracted.
Players who complete at least one game of Mercenaries will receive the Lone Wolf costume, and other cosmetic items are available for players who complete certain Mercenaries match win milestones.
