Ghost Recon Wildlands’ final major update brings with it a new game mode, called Mercenaries. Learn how the game’s three phases break down in our guide.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands has received its final major update, which developer Ubisoft calls “a thank-you to the community.” The update adds a new mode called Mercenaries, a last-player-standing game type that functions like an 8-player mini-Battle Royale with some exciting twists.
The Battle Royale comparison comes from the way that players have to scavenge most of their gear during each match, and only one player can win it all. Unlike a Battle Royale, though, victory in Mercenaries comes from being extracted by a helicopter rather than killing all the other players. Players will also respawn if they’re killed, though they’ll lose any loot they collected during the match.
Phase One: Recon
Ubisoft breaks the mode’s matches down into three distinct phases. The first phase, Recon, tasks players with not only equipping themselves for the fight to come but also finding transmitters guarded by AI-controlled enemies. At the start of each match, players will only have a melee weapon to work with. Looting gear will grant armor, a new mechanic in Mercenaries mode, which absorbs a percentage of incoming damage. Players can also find pickups that restore health or stop bleeding, which is caused by being hit with weapons with penetration, which also bypasses a portion of the armor.
Activating a transmitter can reveal either the position of other players, the location of important items, or the location of a vehicle. It will also start to narrow the potential evacuation zone for the incoming chopper.
Phase Two: Helicopter Deployment
Once any player finds three transmitters, the Helicopter Deployment phase begins. The player who activated all three transmitters will see the exact extraction point and fill one of the five segments of their extraction gauge needed to win the game. Once the helicopter lands, everyone will be able to see its position, but other players can keep activated transmitters to get the bonuses they grant.
Phase Three: Extraction
The third and final phase is Extraction. When a player is within extraction range of the helicopter, their extraction gauge will start to fill. Once a player fills all five segments of their gauge, they can board the helicopter to win the game, but only if there are no other players around. If other players are in the area, a player with a full gauge will have to kill them or drive them away from the extraction zone to win.
Rewards for Playing Mercenaries
Just playing Mercenaries will grant players the Lone Wolf costume, and new Mercenary cosmetics can be earned by winning matches.
1st Win: Mercenary Patch
3rd Win: Mercenary Pants
5th Win: Mercenary Heavy Vest
10th Win: Jacket Army Mercenary
15th Win: Mercenary Heavy Vest with Shoulder Pads
25th Win: Mercenary Backpack
Ubisoft has announced that Ghost Recon Wildlands will be part of its upcoming Uplay+ service when it launches on September 3, as well as Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
Published: Jul 18, 2019 05:06 am