Ghost Recon Frontline is a free-to-play class-based battle royale FPS

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Ghost Recon Frontline, revealed today during a livestream marking Ghost Recon's 20th anniversary, is a free-to-play PvP shooter that supports up to 100 players in team-based combat across a large, open battleground. That's right—it's a battle royale game, although its main mode has an extraction twist in the vein of Hunt: Showdown.

Frontline takes Ghost Recon back to its FPS roots—more recent additions to the series, like Wildlands and Breakpoint, are third-person shooters—and promises an "advanced class system" that enables players to customize and upgrade characters. Different classes will be able to pursue unique skill paths, and will also have access to a range of deployables like auto-turrets, barricades, and smoke screens. And unlike most battle royales, Frontline characters—contractors, as they're known—can be swapped on the fly, so you can more readily adapt to whatever situation presents itself.

The "flagship" mode in Frontline, called Expedition, will see 102 players in teams of three working to complete objectives, gather intel, defend it from opposing players, and then escape from the map. The process of extraction is noisy and very visible, and a perfect opportunity for other teams to swoop in while you're waiting for your ride. Other modes promise a more "casual" experience: A Ubisoft rep said Frontline will also have a Control mode at launch, although details on that haven't been revealed just yet.

Some screens:

Three classes will be available in the first closed beta test:

  • Assault Class - The go-to class for close-up fights.
  • Support Class - Their fortification abilities make them excellent for holding ground.
  • Scout Class - Reveal enemies and pester them from a distance. 

Frontline will evolve across multiple seasons, with new modes, maps, characters, tactical tools, and other content added during each new season. It will also support full crossplay at launch between PC, consoles, and streaming services.

A launch date hasn't been set yet, but the PC-exclusive first closed beta test—unfortunately limited to players in Europe—will run October 14-21. You can sign up for that and future tests at ghostreconfrontline.com, and you can catch the full Ghost Recon 20th anniversary presentation (with the Frontline-specific segment starting at 17:00) below.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On
TOPICS
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

Read more
rainbow six siege sledge
After holding out for 10 years, Rainbow Six Siege is finally going free-to-play (kind of)
rainbow six siege x dual front mode
Rainbow Six Siege is getting its first permanent mode in 10 years, and it throws every Siege rule out the window
PUBG: Blindspot key art - A bunch of people with guns
PUBG's top-down tactical shooter spinoff Project Arc now has an official title, and a demo is coming to the Steam Next Fest later this month
Exoborne promo image - guy wearing power armor and a baseball cap, packing a big gun, charging a church or something
Vertical extraction shooter Exoborne holds its first playtest soon, and you can sign up now
Rainbow Six Siege year 9 season 2 key art - two Rainbow Six Siege operators facing each other
'Siege 2 was never on the table': Rainbow Six Siege X director explains why the 10-year-old FPS doesn't need a sequel
rainbow six siege sledge
Ubisoft announces the 'biggest transformation in Rainbow Six Siege's history' for later this year, so big they're adding an 'X' to the name—But don't call it a sequel
Latest in Third Person Shooter
Storm trooper hero
Another live service shooter is getting shut down, this time before it even launched on Steam
Marvel Rivals characters - Hulk with his hands out as if he's grabbing the camera.
Marvel Rivals' growing roster of heroes scares me, but the game's director seems sure that all is under control: 'Everything is progressing smoothly'
Titus in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 reveal promo image
Praise be to the Omnissiah! Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is officially in development
Marvel Rivals characters - Captain America running towards the camera.
All Marvel Rivals characters - current and upcoming heroes
Marvel Rivals Human Torch
Marvel Rivals is carrying on the tradition of chaotic patches after buffing two of the most annoying heroes, but I main one of them, so I'm not complaining
Mech in dry dock with person standing on catwalk underneath
How long can a live service game last? Theoretically, 'forever,' says Mecha Break developer: 'The last game I was in charge of has been alive and well for 16 years'
Latest in News
Three sheep with big guns in Palworld.
It was 'super popular to hate Palworld' after launch, says community manager: 'A lot of companies might crumble under the threats, under the pressure'
Palworld Ancient Civilization Parts - Grizzbolt with a minigun
'It was a very depressing day': Palworld community manager reveals studio's reaction to Nintendo lawsuit
CS 1.6 remade in CS: Legacy.
A gorgeous ground-up remake of Counter-Strike 1.6 is on its way to Steam, and one of the game's original creators says 'it really gives me old vibes'
Portal P3 pinball table
There's a new Portal game and it costs $12,500
MrBeast posing in front of a stack of cashing, promoting Beast Games season 2
Beast Games opens casting for season 2: MrBeast lost a ton of money on season 1 but apparently not enough that he won't do it again
Ark: Lost Colony teaser still.
Ark 2 is still on: The next Ark expansion 'leads into the events of Ark 2,' says Studio Wildcard