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Ghost Recon Breakpoint Not Making Political Statements, Ubisoft Insists Despite Obvious Themes

"We're creating a game here, we're not trying to make political statements in our games."

24 Comments

Ubisoft has received criticism in the past for not tackling the political issues its games touch upon. And now, despite the newly announced game Ghost Recon Breakpoint bearing the Tom Clancy branding and featuring some heavily political topics, the company's stance remains unchanged.

Breakpoint's story focuses on a silicon valley genius who develops advanced AI and drones to help humanity and save American lives. The tech giant and its drone army are hijacked by a group of rogue US soldiers, and the game's reveal stream states the drones assassinate an election candidate. Despite all this, lead developer Sebastien Le Prestre says Ubisoft isn't trying to make any particular point.

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Now Playing: Ghost Recon Breakpoint Impressions - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

"We're creating a game here, we're not trying to make political statements in our games," he told GameSpot. "We've rooted ourselves in reality, and you'll get what you get out of your playthrough--everybody will get something different out of their experience. The story might make you see different situations, but we're not trying to guide anybody or to make any sorts of statements. It's a 'What if?' scenario, it's Tom Clancy, it's purely fictional."

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Community developer Laura Cordrey elaborated by telling us Ubisoft is "always inspired by what's happening around us, and it's always our goal to stay authentic ... but the story does remain fictional."

Many Ubisoft games touch on political topics, such as The Division 2's defence of the White House in Washington DC or Far Cry 5's disaffected, ostracized community and Donald Trump references. However, Ubisoft executives have previously described engaging in politics in video games as "bad for business."

As for the new Ghost Recon game itself, check out our hands-on impressions and thoughts on why Breakpoint is both promising and concerning. It's coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 4.

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mademan2

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Edited By mademan2

Wtf is wrong with you, seriously, how about you comment on a game because of what it does, right and wrong, not what you think it should do because of your views? Ubisoft previous games didnt receive criticism because they refused to push in political agenda, its you and dumb articles like this one, that try to make it seem that way, gamers do not mind or care for the most part, we just want good games, which I assumed, is what gaming journalist would have also wanted.

Go push your agenda somewhere else please, this is a horrible article.

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Gandamula

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Edited By Gandamula

Ubisoft games and Epic game store and all the stuff around are killing the PC games( PC means Personal Computer).

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Speranza318

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It's a game, who cares. Go SJW somewhere else

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mikes133

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Here we go with this crap again. Why is it that the games media progressives keep insisting games have to be doing MORE than just entertaining? They need to be pushing a narrative, pushing political messages, and not just any politics but the "correct politics" (which is almost always left-wing stuff.) No, its just a game it doesnt need to be pushing political messages.

Please keep your political noise OUT of our video game news, seriously it has no place here. This isnt an activism website, its supposed to be a video game site, jeez.

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Thelostscribe

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The article doesn't do anything to convince me there are blatant political messages in the reveal. I haven't watched the trailer though, so I'm not sure if it is there. The article though just seems to be broadly pointing that there could be some political statements.

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SpAnKiNeM

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I would love Ubisoft to make a game about how video games journalists ruined gaming and then we hunt them and stop these nonsense leftist San Francisco opinions bullshit articles. Ban my account. Never coming back.

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NTM23

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I don't think they can win either way. You'll either have people that get mad over them having some kind of agenda, or not having one at all despite its setting and topics it deals with. Whatever the game creators plans are, I don't care, just make it good.

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Soliaired50

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Lol I seem to remember an article here on GS about FC5 that it was making a political agenda and another article after the game was released complaining that there was none at all. I don't remember if these articles are written by the same buffoon though.

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rasterror

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I swear people wanted to be offended and be victims nowadays.

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3partan341

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It's just fiction.

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jagdedge124

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As an aside, that game looks ridiculous. Tom Clancy is rolling in his grave...

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deactivated-5f97ab835d023

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Searching ...

No political statement found.

Conclusion: clickbait article

11 • 
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sippio

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I am so sick & tired of being sick & tired of the Games Media obsession w/ political correctness.

Stop!!! we gamers don't care & want a fun game period!

*Look at the reaction over the DaysGone review and how gamers feel about employees who

refuse/can't be neutral.. isn't neutrality the 101 of any reporting

12 • 
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The_Dragon_Born

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Article is clickbait. Slow news day? Attacking the White house? How is that one party or another when it comes to fiction

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RELeon

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I guess when you spend your life looking for political agendas, you find them everywhere you look.

Personally saw nothing political in this game trailer. Just a 4 player coop shooter.

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Maralzo

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I don't need political statements in the games I play.

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OldDadGamer

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OldDadGamer  Moderator

Ok, gonna just come out and say it:

You wanna talk politics? We have a forum for that. Go there. That's what it's for. The comments? Not so much.

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MisterVulpes

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@olddadgamer:

Mostly just people talking about how they don’t want to talk about it no?

It’s a fair point.

Regardless, you’re a gem Olddad.

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OldDadGamer

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OldDadGamer  Moderator

@mistervulpes: people often write three paragraphs on how they don’t want politics anywhere near games cuz of their politics....on a game site.

So wonderfully circular.

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MisterVulpes

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@olddadgamer:

I’ve seen that occasionally, but more often I see it come from a place of ultra non-partisanship.

Like,

‘I’m sick of all of you, just let me play.’

To be fair, it can get tiresome.

Which site was it that did the Rage 2 interview where they said it was meant as a political statement, the dev strongly denied it and their response was essentially,

‘But it is though isn’t it?’

That one did get a chuckle from me.

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marporteX

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@olddadgamer: Good show

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lionheartssj1

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@olddadgamer: Keep fighting the good fight, @olddadgamer.

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OldDadGamer

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OldDadGamer  Moderator

@lionheartssj1: Someone's got to.

Especially in an article like this.

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lionheartssj1

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@olddadgamer: Yea, they're really teeing it up for you mods. I don't envy your position. Hopefully it doesn't take off.

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