Things continue to change with the next mainline Ghost Recon game at Ubisoft. After exclusively reporting that the new Ghost Recon title, known internally as Project OVR, was struggling due to what those working on the game called “unrealistic deadlines and poor planning and management”, Insider Gaming has learned more about what’s happened in recent months.
Since the previously reported memo was sent to the team in mid-April, Ubisoft has held what were described as “silent layoffs” at its Paris location.
Things Aren’t Going Well For Ghost Recon
VP of Production Jean-Baptiste Duval and VP of the Global Creative Office Julien Sansalone, who were brought in to be more present with the game’s development, are said to be acting as overseers on the project. Their presence, I was told, hasn’t changed the general day-to-day work, aside from layoffs.
Sources who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that the scope of the game “has been cut and greatly reduced, with many features stripped from the project”. Though specific features weren’t mentioned, it was said that they were a mix in terms of size.
Earlier this spring, Project OVR failed its Alpha test, leading to major changes on the project. Sources tell me that it wasn’t surprising the game failed alpha, with many saying that the game is in a “terrible state” and “isn’t stable at all.”
Currently, Ubisoft is targeting November for Project OVR to enter beta. With a timeline like that, developers working on the game are worried that “long days of crunching are ahead”. And with the recent layoffs, it means more work for those remaining at the studio.
Ubisoft has not responded to requests for comment.
What do you think of what’s going on with Project OVR and the Ghost Recon franchise? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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