This Open World Shooter Is Hoping For A Second Chance This Weekend

Ubisoft is offering Ghost Recon: Breakpoint for free from Jan. 21, 2021 to Jan. 25, 2021, which may help to bring new players to the latest installment of the franchise.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint was a highly anticipated addition to the Ghost Recon franchise, but it was a flop. Fans and critics alike weren't happy with the game, and scores for the PC version were especially poor. The game was released back in October 2019, and Ubisoft has been updating the game since. Yearly passes were also created for the game as a way to roll out DLC and new content for the game. So far, there's only been one pass for players to purchase. Since the game's release wasn't received well, Ubisoft may be using this promotion to try to entice players to try it out. The game will also be marked down until Jan. 27, 2021, so players that enjoy the free weekend can buy the game at a whooping 85% off after trying it for free. Even better, player progression from the free trial will carry over to the purchased product.

Fans found several issues with Breakpoint upon release. Initially, fans were upset because of a botched looting system that resulted in the same items being found with massive differences in stats. This was similar to other loot and shoot type games, such as Destiny, according to Youtuber THEGRAVEDIGGER02. When Ubisoft added AI teammates to the game, they were found to be severely lacking in intelligence. Ubisoft has tried to update the game and give players what they want, and the company even performed a community study to understand exactly what needed to be improved from the base game.

These results led to massive changes aimed at giving players what they wanted. In March 2020, Ubisoft announced the release of a new immersive mode called The Ghost Experience. In the release blog, the update was described as "A brand-new experience of the game that removes gear level and tiered loot entirely, and offers a bunch of new tactical options." 

Although the initial release of Breakpoint left fans and Ubisoft disappointed, this may be a chance for the publisher to turn things around. Now, with the newer features that were added in for fans and a free-to-play weekend, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint might get the attention that Ubisoft was originally hoping for.