Ruqayyah Snyder
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is a third-person tactical shooter video game set in Bolivia. The game is the first in the Ghost Recon series to feature an open-world environment, which Ubisoft described as one of the biggest in any game they have published. To create a realistic Bolivian environment, the developers visited Bolivia for two weeks and consulted local Bolivians. The game features 11 ecosystems, including mountains, forests, deserts, and salt flats, and 21 regions, each controlled by a buchon, or division of the cartel. The story centres around the player's attempts to dismantle the Santa Blanca drug cartel, which has turned Bolivia into the world's largest producer of cocaine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for choosing Bolivia as the setting | Bolivia's magnificent landscapes and rich culture |
| Bolivian government's response | Filed a formal complaint to the French embassy |
| Threatened legal action | |
| Ubisoft's response | Stressed the fictional nature of the game |
| Highlighted the difference between the game's portrayal and the reality of Bolivia | |
| Emphasised the beauty of Bolivia's topography | |
| In-game story | A powerful Mexican drug cartel turns Bolivia into a "narco-state" |
| Bolivia becomes the largest producer of cocaine, making $2 billion a week | |
| Real-world issues | Bolivia is the world's third-largest producer of coca leaves, an essential component in cocaine production |
| Ubisoft's marketing strategy | Commissioned a documentary, "Wildlands", to investigate the impact of the drug trade on Bolivia and South America |
What You'll Learn
Ubisoft's research trip to Bolivia
Bolivia was chosen for its natural beauty and diverse topography, which includes around a dozen different ecosystems. The country's landscapes and rich culture inspired the game's settings and story. The game's designers were particularly interested in creating a varied gameplay experience, taking advantage of Bolivia's diverse environments, from mountains to salt flats.
The research trip also helped the team understand the context of the drug war in South America and the impact of drug cartels. They consulted with cartel experts, including Mexican nationals embedded within their team, to ensure that the game's storyline, which involves a joint task force of the CIA, Drug Enforcement Agency, and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), was accurate and authentic.
The team's dedication to research and their desire to create a believable world resulted in a game that received praise from players, including a Bolivian player who recognised the attention to detail in the game's depiction of his country.
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The country's natural beauty and diversity
Bolivia's natural beauty and diversity are renowned, with its varied topography, climate, and geography offering a range of breathtaking landscapes. From the majestic mountains of the Cordillera Real to the shimmering salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia's natural wonders are sure to leave visitors in awe.
The country boasts a wealth of natural attractions, including the world-famous Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats on the planet, spanning over 4,000 square miles. The extraordinary experience of driving across this vast expanse of salt is a highlight for many travellers. Nearby, the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve is home to colourful salt flats and mineral lakes, as well as rare species and large flamingo colonies.
Bolivia also offers a range of unique wilderness areas, such as the harsh, deep canyons and snaking rivers of Tupiza, and the lush forests and thundering waterfalls of Amboro National Park. For those seeking ancient Inca trails, the Cordillera Real provides a challenging and rewarding hiking experience.
Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, is another must-see destination. With its enchanting atmosphere and indigenous communities, it offers a glimpse into the past when it was home to the Inca civilisation. The Madidi National Park, one of the most biodiverse parks globally with over 1,200 bird species, is also a nature lover's paradise.
The country's commitment to preserving its natural beauty is evident, ensuring that future generations can enjoy its diverse landscapes, vibrant wildlife, and rich cultural heritage. From the arid deserts to the tropical savannas, Bolivia's natural beauty and diversity are sure to captivate and inspire all who visit.
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The game's fictionalised setting
Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is set in a fictionalised version of Bolivia. The game's narrative involves a powerful Mexican drug cartel that takes control of the country, turning it into a "narco-state" and making it the world's largest producer of cocaine, generating $2 billion a week.
The game's version of Bolivia is described as a "different reality" from the actual country, and Ubisoft has emphasised that the game is a work of fiction, with the characters, locations, and stories created solely for entertainment purposes. The company has stated that Bolivia was chosen for its "magnificent landscapes and rich culture" and that they hoped the in-game world would represent the country's "beautiful topography".
While the game does not map out any "real" part of Bolivia, it does take inspiration from various locations within the country. These include areas where coca leaves are grown (Los Yungas and El Chapare), the salt flats, the heavily forested regions, the Andean side with its mountains and zig-zagging roads, and small towns.
Despite Ubisoft's assertions, the Bolivian government took issue with the game's portrayal of the country, even threatening legal action and sending a formal complaint to the French embassy. The Bolivian interior minister, Carlos Romero, stated that they preferred to resolve the issue through diplomatic negotiation but did not rule out legal action.
The controversy surrounding the game's release highlights the potential issues that can arise when fictional games are set in real-world locations.
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The controversy with the Bolivian government
The Bolivian government took issue with the game's portrayal of Bolivia as a narco-state, threatening legal action and filing a formal complaint with the French embassy. In the game's fictional narrative, a powerful Mexican drug cartel takes control of Bolivia, turning it into the world's largest producer of cocaine and holding sway over the government and its people.
The then-president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, was particularly upset that the game's story dealt with a cartel having influence over the government and referenced Bolivia as a narco-state. This was particularly sensitive as Morales had been a coca grower in his youth and had shown a great deal of favouritism towards the Chapare region—an area where coca leaves with a high alkaloid concentration, making them unsuitable for traditional use, are grown. According to the UN, over 90% of these leaves are for the cocaine trade.
In response to the controversy, Ubisoft issued a statement emphasising that the game is a work of fiction:
> Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 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. Bolivia was chosen as the background of this game based on its magnificent landscapes and rich culture. 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.
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The game's impact on Bolivia's image
The Bolivian government filed a formal complaint with the French embassy, threatening legal action. They argued that the game's story, which involves a powerful Mexican drug cartel taking over Bolivia and turning it into the largest producer of cocaine, was inaccurate and damaging to the country's reputation. In response, Ubisoft emphasised that the game is a work of fiction, stating that it takes place in a ""modern universe inspired by reality" but features fictional characters, locations, and stories created for entertainment purposes.
The controversy sparked discussions among players and reviewers about the accuracy of the game's portrayal of Bolivia. Some players, including a Bolivian player, acknowledged that while the game is fictional, it captures the rural areas of Bolivia accurately. However, they also pointed out some inaccuracies, such as the absence of urban areas and the use of Mexican accents for most Spanish-speaking characters.
The impact of the game on Bolivia's image is complex. On the one hand, it brought attention to the country's beautiful landscapes and rich culture. On the other hand, the negative portrayal of the country as a "narco-state" could have potentially detrimental effects on Bolivia's tourism industry and perception by the international community. The controversy also highlights the challenges faced by game developers when creating fictional worlds inspired by real-life locations, and the potential for backlash from governments and communities who feel misrepresented.
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Frequently asked questions
Ghost Recon Wildlands is set in Bolivia because of the country's rugged landscape and breathtaking ecological diversity. Bolivia's diverse regions, which include 11 different ecosystems, provided the development team with a lot of material to work with. The country's complex political history and issues with drug cartels also provided an interesting backdrop for the game's story.
No, the game is a geotypical recreation of Bolivia, evoking rather than representing the country in minute detail. While the game features some real towns and landmarks, the geography, cities, roads, and bridges are fictional. The Spanish-speaking characters also mostly speak with a Mexican accent, which was immersion-breaking for some Bolivian players.
Ubisoft sent four teams to different parts of Bolivia to gather reference material for the game. They took thousands of photos and hours of video, and interviewed locals. They also consulted local Bolivians and spent a lot of time parsing the data they had collected.
The development team used the research to create a fictional amalgamation of Bolivia. They started by sculpting the terrain by hand, adding mountains and fields. They also used various algorithms and tools based on their understanding of geology and erosion to shape the land in realistic ways. They paid close attention to details like the types of trees and bushes that would grow in each biome, and how weather and sunlight would affect them.
