If beta phase is an indicator of future success, then Ghost Recon Wildlands has it all figured out.
Ubisoft revealed that more than 6.8 million players joined the beta stage (open and close) of the upcoming open-world tactical shooter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands. The number made it the biggest ever in Ubisoft's history, breaking the 6 million record that For Honor had. The open beta phase ran from Feb. 23 to Feb. 27.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands will launch on March 7 for Windows, Xbox One, and PS4.
Beta Phase Intel By The Numbers
Ubisoft broke the news about the record-breaking number via its Ghost Recon blog. The company's previous record was 6 million players, held by the just-released medieval fighting game For Honor.
Ubisoft also broke down the numbers in an infographic style. These 6.83 million "unique" players played for a total of 34 million hours. The average time by a user was seven hours. Players indeed explored the vast open world, netting a total of 77 million miles driven — on land. On air, base jumping proved to be a favorite, as players logged over 12 million jumps.
Combat-wise, over 1.2 million Santa Blanca cartel henchmen were killed by players who shot from an average shooting distance of 725 meters (793 yards). More than 60 percent of players played with friends via Co-Op mode. No one got left behind if we are to factor the 43 million teammates saved during operations. Speaking of operations, battles in the dark proved to be an option, as players spent 169 million minutes on Night Vision. Last but not the least, the Ghost Recon Companion App was downloaded by 100,000 players with 10 million resources sent via the app.
Ghost Recon Wildlands Beta Says 'Thank You'
The closed and open beta phases allowed the players to get a firsthand experience of the game. Though limited to two of the 21 provinces in the main game, the world was still big enough for players to explore and complete missions. These two provinces: Itacua, a lush green area in the mountain regions; and Montuyoc, a dry snowy desert in Altiplano.
These beta stages are not only meant to test the game's technical capabilities (e.g., bugs, glitches, connectivity, and other issues), but these are also meant to gauge the player's reception of the game. The community feedback will prove valuable for the developers to further improve the game before and after the launch.
As a token of appreciation, Ubisoft will give beta players a reward. They will receive access to the Unidad Conspiracy mission pack. This includes three exclusive missions set in a new place: Media Luna, one of the lairs of the Unidad army. This mission pack will be available for download upon launch on March 7.
