Last week, Ubisoft dropped the reveal trailer for its upcoming, 100-player battle royale title Ghost Recon Frontline. The trailer features gameplay footage and talking points from members of the Ubisoft Bucharest team, all of whom passionately speak on this project three years in the making. With games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and PUBG having already established substantial footing in the BR genre, fans were vexed at the announcement, so much so that Ubisoft subsequently delayed Frontline’s first closed test indefinitely.
The tweet from Ubisoft, posted today, is barebones, with sparse details regarding a new date for the test, the reason it’s been delayed beyond developers wanting to “create the best experience possible,” and is evidence of a growing problem with the latest titles coming from the behemoth game company.
Social media spaces — reddit especially — have become a meeting ground frequented by disgruntled gamers to voice their disdain, often ad nauseam, about anything in gaming. After Frontline’s reveal, the Ghost Recon subreddit lit up with posts highlighting “Ubisoft’s incompetence” and “disconnect” with their core player base. The negative ratio of likes to dislikes in their reveal trailer, and caustic responses to the delay announcement, capture the general consensus that players aren’t looking forward to a “hodgepodge,” battle royale project.
The early 2000s era of Tom Clancy games still reigns supreme for many of Ubisoft’s veteran players, with their Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon series releasing multiple crowd-pleasers. However, as of late, the Tom Clancy line has suffered from flops, like the issues with The Division 1 and 2 after their respective releases, as well as the commercial failure of Ghost Recon Breakpoint. While Frontline’s future suddenly remains uncertain, fans of the franchise are still holding out for a return to core game mechanics that resonate with their player base.
