Ghost Recon Online gets a new name and a makeover

Ubisoft today announced that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online, the developer's upcoming free-to-play multiplayer shooter, will launch April 10 on PC via Steam as "Ghost Recon Phantoms."

The name change comes as Ubisoft also announced today that the game has added a new "narrative layer" based on a group of ex-Ghosts called The Phantoms.

Ghost Recon Phantoms has been in open beta for more than a year now and more than 5 million players in total have played the beta so far.

If you participated in the Ghost Recon Online beta, no need to worry about losing your stats, as Ubisoft promises "our current players will not have to start over" when Ghost Recon Phantoms officially releases next month.

Along with the name change, Ubisoft announced today that Ghost Recon Phantoms features a new art direction, encompassing new character and device designs. Ubisoft promises a "complete reworking of lighting and level design" on the "majority" of maps. You can check out some "before and after" comparison images below.

There's also "major" changes coming to the game's matchmaking and customization systems.

"Matchmaking will now take into account both the skills and gear, which will grant a fair gaming experience to all users, both new and veterans, paying or not," Ubisoft said. "The team is also going to reveal the new 'Mod Master' and weapon camo systems, which will allow countless customization possibilities."