Bolivia Is Not Pleased About Its Depiction In Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Bolivia is not exactly thrilled about the country's depiction in Ubisoft's new shooter Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Reuters reports today that the Bolivian government has filed a formal complaint over the country's portrayal in the game as an "area controlled by drug traffickers."

"Interior Minister Carlos Romero said Bolivia had delivered a letter to the French ambassador and asked that the French government intervene, adding that Bolivia reserved the right to take legal action," Reuters reported.

"We have the standing to do it (take legal action), but at first we prefer to go the route of diplomatic negotiation," Romero said.

In a statement shared with GameSpot, Ubisoft stated that Wildlands is a "work of fiction, similar to movies or TV shows."

"Like all Tom Clancy's games from Ubisoft, the game takes place in a modern universe inspired by reality, but the characters, locations, and stories are all fantasies created solely for entertainment purposes," it continued. "Bolivia was chosen as the background of this game based on its magnificent landscapes and rich culture."

The game has not tried to hide its connections to the drug trade, as you play as a special forces operator trying to take down a fictional cartel. Bolivia is reportedly the world's third-largest producer of coca leaves, which are used to make cocaine.

"While the game's premise imagines a different reality than the one that exists in Bolivia today, we do hope that the in-game world comes close to representing the country’s beautiful topography, and that players enjoy exploring the diverse and open landscapes it moved us to create," Ubisoft said.

It remains to be seen what kind of legal action Bolivia could take. Keep checking back for more.

GameSpot has followed up with Ubisoft in an attempt to get more details. Get the full story here at Reuters.

The betas for Wildlands attracted 6.8 million players, setting a new Ubisoft record. The game launches in full on March 7 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.