The next instalment of the Ghost Recon tactical shooter franchise has been in the making for a while now, with players left waiting since 2019 for a new chapter.
Unfortunately for the Ghosts, it looks like that wait just got longer, as the game gets a sudden leadership change in the wake of development chaos.
According to an internal memo, as reported by Mike Straw of Insider Gaming, Ubisoft heads have grown discontent over the development of the new Ghost Recon (known internally as Project OVR).
Following missed deadlines for the internal alpha build, Ubisoft has pressed the big emergency button, dispatching its corporate ‘firefighters’ to assess and clean up the mess. The news marks yet another chapter in Ubisoft’s troubles, in a year that has already been difficult for Ghost Recon fans.
Ubisoft Goes Hands-On with Ghost Recon
Things are not going smoothly in the development of the new Ghost Recon, but that seems to be about the only thing the executives and developers agree on. Ubisoft’s response to the troubles has been a wholesale replacement of the team’s leadership.
Overall project management is now under the stewardship of senior producer Bruno Galet, who recently worked as production director for last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. He is now supported by Jean-Baptiste Duval (Vice President, Production) and Julien Sansalone (Vice President, Global Creative Office).
Ubisoft has pressed the big emergency button, dispatching its corporate ‘firefighters’ to assess and clean up the mess.
Per the source, Ubisoft has directed its envoys to be active “on a day-to-day basis,” which should ring some alarm bells. Periodic audits are all well and fine, and can help identify systemic issues with production. On the other hand, I can’t think of a single developer (or worker, anywhere, ever) who likes having some exec or middle manager breathing down their neck while they’re trying to get things done.
It opens a dangerous gateway to meddling, which will no doubt compound with existing developer complaints about project deadlines and “poor planning and management” within the core Ghost Recon team.
The current development crisis at Ghost Recon may well count as an existential threat to Ubisoft’s near-future success. Following massive layoffs and an equally ambitious and chaotic restructuring plan, Project OVR is the next big game in the company’s pipeline after Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is out the door.
Insider feedback on the game seems positive at the moment, praising its commitment to realism and a return to Ghost Recon’s roots. At the same time, there is a growing concern among developers that previously existing corporate meddling was getting in the way of realizing the project’s vision. This is only going to intensify after these changes, and at this point, I’ll be surprised if the core of Project OVR is there after its highly anticipated release, expected sometime next year.
