Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a gun enthusiast’s game, that much is clear, but if you’ve been taking part in the game’s Open Beta, you may have come across a unique weapon variant, which is a modified base firearm that’s optimised for a particular playstyle.
According to reports, Open Beta’s variant weapons only drop as Battle Rewards, but we don’t know if this is how the system will work in the full game. In any case, Ubisoft confirmed that there are going to be 31 weapon variants available at launch, on 4th of October.
Weapon Variants in Ghost Recon Breakpoint
According to Breakpoint’s Gunsmith dev team, the goal for Breakpoint’s weapon modification system was to make each and every attachment significant, while still offering the freedom of customisation we saw in Wildlands: “With the new Gunsmith and weapon system, players will feel how each attachment changes and how the gun operates. It’s important to make each weapon and attachment combination feel different.”
To accomplish this, Ubisoft had to remove certain attachments and implement them via weapon variants. For a practical example, they have chosen the classic Heckler & Koch 416 carbine. Below is a standardised version players will have access to relatively quickly.
This base version of 416 will have three additional variants for players to collect: assault (ASU), CQC (short), and DMR (scout). An aggressive player seeking increased damage and a more versatile gun platform will pick the ASU.
On the other hand, those who prefer fighting in close-quarters may opt for the Shorty instead.
While not every weapon will have a variant, Ubisoft made sure to provide them for Breakpoint’s most iconic weapons, and for most of the assault rifles on launch. They did mention that balancing a variant is almost as much work as implementing an entirely new weapon is, so they’ll be adding more of them in carefully planned-out stages.
“Separating variants adds fantastic depth to some of the most recognizable weapon options. Fans of specific weapon brands or models will be able to create nuanced experiences based on the alternate they choose. Having variant weapons is a great balancing tool and allows for very interesting depth to a player’s arsenal without negatively impacting the balance in PvE or PvP.”
Since Ghost Recon Breakpoint has a substantial number of firearms available by default, weapon variants will add even more meat to its bones. We won’t have to wait long to see what Ubisoft has in store for us in this regard.
