Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a series of military action video games created by Ubisoft. In the games, players control a fictional team of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG), based at Fort Bragg. Except for the "1st Battalion, 5th SFG" label, this unit is not real, as Special Forces Battalions currently only have three companies (A, B, and C). The soldiers are called "the Ghosts." Their mission is similar to real-world special operations forces, as their activities are kept secret. In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the Ghosts are shown to have multiple names and are part of JSOC, a real military group. They are also called the Group for Specialized Tactics (GST), a name that explains the term "Ghost." This is similar to real JSOC units like Delta Force (1st SFOD-D or CAG) and SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU). The video game series has also been turned into a book by Grant Blackwood, who used the name David Michaels. As of 2025, more than 40 million copies of the games have been sold.

Games

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon begins in April 2008, with political unrest in Russia. Extreme nationalist groups have taken control, aiming to rebuild the Soviet Union. Their first action is secretly helping rebel forces in Georgia and the Baltic states. Concerned about this threat, the United States sends the Ghosts to Georgia to stop the Russians. During the campaign, the Ghosts fight the extreme nationalists, ending with a final battle in Moscow's Red Square.

Set in 2009, after the first game, Tom Clancy's Desert Siege introduces a new story in East Africa. The Ghosts are sent to stop Ethiopian Colonel Tesfaye Wolde's plan to invade Eritrea. He carries out this plan by selling weapons to the same Russian extreme nationalists who caused the coup the previous year.

The second expansion, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder, takes place in Cuba in 2010. The story centers on Cuba's first democratic elections since the 1950s. However, an anti-American group called the FDP secretly attacks election sites and runs its own presidential candidate. The Ghosts are sent to protect the election and discover the FDP is a fake organization controlled by a Colombian drug cartel that uses Cuba as a route to the United States.

Taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, shortly after Island Thunder, the drug cartel that supported the FDP in Cuba starts terrorist attacks against the Colombian government, which is allied with the United States. After an attack on a U.S. embassy, the United States sends the Ghosts to restore order and stop the cartel.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 is set on the Korean Peninsula. The PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions (both labeled 2007: First Contact) are connected to Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, especially the fictional sinking of the intelligence ship Clarence E. Walsh. These versions show a new Korean War caused by a rogue North Korean general, Jung Chong-sun, who stages a coup against the North Korean government. The Xbox version is a direct sequel, where Jung plans revenge against NATO and South Korea. Ghost Recon 2 also introduces the series' main character, Capt. Scott Mitchell.

An Afghan Uzbak warlord and arms dealer named Rahil assassinates Kazakhstan's president and Security Council, causing the Kazakh military to split into groups fighting for control. The United States sends the Ghosts to help UN troops and loyal Kazakh forces restore order and capture Rahil.

Often called GRAW, the game takes place over 72 hours in 2013, starting in Mexico City. The story follows Mitchell's mission to rescue U.S. President Ballantine from Mexican rebels, destroy a secret communications device, and stop the launch of U.S. nuclear weapons. The game is known for new combat features, weapons, and advanced graphics.

Set in 2014, the game follows events from Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. It involves a conflict between Mexican rebels, Mexican loyalists, and the U.S. Army over 72 hours. The game includes many different locations, such as mountains, small towns, urban areas, and a large hydro-electric dam near the U.S.-Mexico border. This game, along with Rainbow Six: Vegas, improved how computer-controlled soldiers act in the series.

Released for the PlayStation Portable, Predator takes place in Sri Lanka, where a U.S. invasion force aims to destroy a rebel group. The Ghosts are sent to uncover and stop a plan to involve the United States in a larger war.

The first Ghost Recon game released for the Wii.

Created for the Nintendo 3DS, Shadow Wars is a turn-based tactics game with different soldier classes on various battlefields.

Set in 2024, Future Soldier features a new team of Ghosts fighting a Russian crime group that has taken control of Russia. Players can use advanced military technology, such as optic camouflage, and customize weapons more than

Reception

By April 2004, worldwide sales of the Ghost Recon series had exceeded 5 million units. By 2025, sales had reached 40 million units.

Novel

The book by David Michaels follows CPT Scott Mitchell and the Ghost team on a mission in China. Their job is to find the Spring Tiger Group, a group of unauthorized Chinese military officers, and stop their plan to take over Taiwan and start a big war in the Pacific Ocean. The book was published on November 4, 2008, by Berkley Books. The other three books in the series were also published. Combat Ops, published on March 29, 2011, follows Mitchell and his GR team as they search for a terrorist leader in Afghanistan. In Choke Point, written by Peter Telep and published on December 31, 2012, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia is kidnapped, and Andrew Ross and his team must rescue him. Finally, in Dark Waters, written by Richard Dansky and published on March 7, 2017, Nomad and his team are sent to Venezuela to rescue several hostages.

Other media

A short film titled Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: ALPHA was broadcast on G4 on May 3, 2012. It became available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 22, 2012. This film is a story that comes before Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

Ubisoft announced plans to make films based on Ghost Recon, Assassin's Creed, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. On June 11, 2013, a report said Warner Bros. Pictures and Platinum Dunes would create the film. Michael Bay would be the producer and director, and Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia would write the script.