# Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
**Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier** is a 2012 third-person tactical shooter developed and published by Ubisoft, in which a four-man squad of special-operations soldiers (the Ghosts) uses near-future technology such as optical camouflage, drones, and sensor grenades on missions set in the year 2024.[1](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/ubisoft-just-made-a-classic-tom-clancy-game-free-to-keep-heres-how-to-add-it-to-your-library-before-time-runs-out) It was released on May 22, 2012 in North America and May 25, 2012 in Europe for PlayStation 3 and [Xbox 360](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-360), with a PC version also produced.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [3](https://thegamedna.com/game/ghost-recon-future-soldier) The Push Square listing credits development to Ubisoft Paris, while [PC Gamer](https://www.edgepedia.org/pc-gamer) identifies it as the last [Tom Clancy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-clancy) game made by Red Storm Entertainment, the studio Tom Clancy co-founded.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [4](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisoft-lays-off-105-people-at-red-storm-the-studio-founded-30-years-ago-by-tom-clancy-converts-it-to-a-support-role/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | May 22, 2012 (North America) and May 25, 2012 (Europe), PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) |
| Setting | Near-future year 2024; an elite special-ops squad using drones and adaptive camouflage[1](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/ubisoft-just-made-a-classic-tom-clancy-game-free-to-keep-heres-how-to-add-it-to-your-library-before-time-runs-out) |
| Signature mechanic | Sync Shot: mark up to four targets for a coordinated simultaneous squad kill[5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/1900-6385109/) |
| Campaign | Ten to twelve hours, playable in four-player online co-op; no split-screen[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) |
| Reception | Metacritic 79 (Xbox 360, 75 critic reviews); user score 7.3 from 406 ratings; 71 on PC[6](https://www.metacritic.com/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier/?mobile-app=true&theme=false) • [3](https://thegamedna.com/game/ghost-recon-future-soldier) |
## Gameplay and campaign
The player commands a squad of four Ghosts tracking those responsible for a weapon attack that wiped out a previous Ghost team, a trail that leads around the globe.[7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/) Missions begin with stealth at the forefront but regularly give way to open firefights, vehicle and turret sequences, and slow-motion room-breaching set pieces.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [8](https://www.avforums.com/reviews/tom-clancy-s-ghost-recon-future-soldier-xbox-360-review.726/)
**The technology set.** Optical camouflage makes the wearer translucent, but only while crouched and moving slowly; sprinting or firing dissolves it.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/1900-6385109/) Sensor grenades highlight enemies in a radius, a remotely flown drone can tag targets from the air, and an augmented-reality view marks objectives in the environment.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [8](https://www.avforums.com/reviews/tom-clancy-s-ghost-recon-future-soldier-xbox-360-review.726/)
The central squad mechanic is the Sync Shot: the player tags up to four enemies through a scope, a drone, or a sensor, and the squad eliminates all of them simultaneously, with a brief slow-motion window that can catch additional enemies before an alarm rises.[5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/1900-6385109/) As encounters grow larger, the game demands that kills be sequenced so patrolling enemies do not discover bodies and raise the alarm.[8](https://www.avforums.com/reviews/tom-clancy-s-ghost-recon-future-soldier-xbox-360-review.726/) Squad management is otherwise removed: teammates follow the player and wait for sync-shot opportunities rather than taking orders.[7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/)
**Gunsmith.** Before each mission, the Gunsmith editor disassembles a weapon into its components and lets the player exchange parts, with immediate feedback on how each change affects accuracy, power, and other stats.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) On Xbox 360 it can be controlled with Kinect; on [PlayStation 3](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-3), Move support is limited to the Gunsmith and target range.[8](https://www.avforums.com/reviews/tom-clancy-s-ghost-recon-future-soldier-xbox-360-review.726/) • [2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) Reviewers noted that single-player missions pre-select an optimal weapon, so the system matters most in online play.[7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/)
## Multiplayer
The campaign supports four-player online co-op, and Guerrilla mode is a wave-based survival scenario with 50 waves of increasing difficulty on four maps, playable by two players split-screen or online.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/)
Adversarial competitive play supports up to 12 players on 10 maps across three classes: Rifleman (more armor), Scout (retains active camouflage), and Engineer (sensor grenades).[7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/) All modes are objective-based rather than deathmatch: Conflict assigns randomly located objectives, Decoy hides one real objective among three that neither team can identify, Sabotage centers on carrying a bomb to the enemy base, and Siege gives each player a single life per round.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/) Scoring rewards objective play and tactical behavior, such as assisting a kill with sensor intel, more than raw kills.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier)
## Reception
The Xbox 360 version scored 79 on Metacritic from 75 critic reviews, with 60 positive and 15 mixed and no negative reviews; the user score was 7.3 from 406 ratings.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier/?mobile-app=true&theme=false) The PC version's aggregate sat at 71.[3](https://thegamedna.com/game/ghost-recon-future-soldier) GameFocus called it a balance between the classic tactical shooter and a more modern high-octane approach, while a mixed review quoted by Metacritic described a game caught between doctrines, not tactical enough for a deep strategic experience yet punishing run-and-gun play.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier/?mobile-app=true&theme=false) [Kotaku](https://www.edgepedia.org/kotaku) characterized it as a continuing move away from the series' tactical roots toward action set pieces.[9](https://kotaku.com/ghost-recon-future-soldier-the-kotaku-review-5912223)
Common criticisms included a thin story and forgettable characters, occasional technical bugs such as enemies shooting through walls, and a campaign whose missions repeat scenarios.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier) • [7](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/) Push Square scored the PS3 version 8/10, judging the multiplayer the strongest part of the package.[2](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier)
## Later availability and server shutdown
For the Ghost Recon franchise's 25th anniversary, Ubisoft offered the PC version free to claim on Ubisoft Connect from August 6 to August 13, 2026.[1](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/ubisoft-just-made-a-classic-tom-clancy-game-free-to-keep-heres-how-to-add-it-to-your-library-before-time-runs-out)
## References
1. [Ubisoft just made a classic Tom Clancy game free to keep, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/ubisoft-just-made-a-classic-tom-clancy-game-free-to-keep-heres-how-to-add-it-to-your-library-before-time-runs-out)
2. [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Review (PS3), Push Square](https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/tom_clancys_ghost_recon_future_soldier)
3. [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (2012), TheGameDNA](https://thegamedna.com/game/ghost-recon-future-soldier)
4. [Ubisoft lays off 105 people at Red Storm, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/ubisoft-lays-off-105-people-at-red-storm-the-studio-founded-30-years-ago-by-tom-clancy-converts-it-to-a-support-role/)
5. [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/1900-6385109/)
6. [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier/?mobile-app=true&theme=false)
7. [Ghost Recon Future Soldier Review, New Game Network](https://www.newgamenetwork.com/article/641/3/ghost-recon-future-soldier-review/)
8. [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Xbox 360 Review, AVForums](https://www.avforums.com/reviews/tom-clancy-s-ghost-recon-future-soldier-xbox-360-review.726/)
9. [Ghost Recon: Future Soldier: The Kotaku Review, Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/ghost-recon-future-soldier-the-kotaku-review-5912223)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Game genres › Shooter games › Tactical shooters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license