Ghost Recon: Wildlands is another installment in the ongoing Tom Clancy franchise, which allows players to jump into the shoes of a professional ghost operative working in Bolivia. Like many other Ubisoft sandboxes, the game's expansive map is packed with side quests and collectibles. The game provides hours of content for fans of third-person, open-world shooters. Wildlands continues to receive updates, including a recent DLC featuring Jon Bernthal from The Punisher.

RELATED: Ghost Recon: Wildlands Adding Permadeath Mode

Due to its reliance on a constant online connection and Ubisoft's own policies on fan-made content, the pool of mods available for Ghost Recon: Wildlands is diminutive at best. There are, however, a few choice mods available. Players who wish to boost the game's graphics or unlock content without the need to grind have a great interesting options. It bears mentioning that none of these mods are supported by Ubisoft, and installing them will often require altering game files and starting Uplay in offline mode. Those who do wish to try mods should always remember to back up their original game files in case problems should arise.

Updated By Beau Low on the 29th of June 2021: With Ghost Recon: Breakpoint due to receive new updates throughout 2021, fans of the tactical military shooter franchise may want to replay its predecessor Wildlands while they wait. Long after its initial release in 2017, Wildlands remains a fan favorite. With a stunningly rendered open world and exciting gameplay that encourages a variety of approaches, it is little wonder that Ghost Recon: Wildlands is considered one of the best games of its kind.

Sadly, mod support for this game remains one of its weaker points. However, some ingenious fans have found ways to alter and exchange game files, opening the possibility for more mods to eventually be released. This article has been updated to include a brand new mod for Wildlands, as well as information on how to safely mod the game without corrupting files.

How To Install Mods For Ghost Recon: Wildlands

The instructions for altering Wildlands will vary from mod to mod. It is extremely important to read any instructions very carefully before replacing game files, as it is possible to accidentally ruin the game. Helpful tips for installing most mods include:

• Locate the game files. For the Steam Version these will most likely be under C:/Program Files(x86)/Steam/Steamapps/Common/Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
• For copies of the game purchase from Uplay, the game files will be under C:/Program Files(x86)/Ubisoft Game Launcher/Games/Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
• Refer to the instructions for the mod to find exactly which files within this folder need to be replaced.
• Back up anything being replaced to prevent corrupting the game
• Only use mods in offline modes. Since they are not officially supported, many will cause the game to crash when played online.

7 Remove Detection Sounds From The Game

Most of the mods available for Ghost Recon: Wildlands are cosmetic packages that only alter the game's appearance. However, inspired by the invisible Deimos Crossbow Mod, one fan who goes by the handle Rafi managed to take things to a new level. They created a mod that significantly alters the actual gameplay to provide an interesting challenge.

The idea behind this mod was to remove the sound when an enemy soldier detects the player. Without preemptive warning, players will find it much harder to know when they have been spotted. Not only does this make combat more realistic, but it also provides an interesting challenge. Players must push their stealth skills to the max trying to take out guards before they are noticed.

6 [WotC] Ghost Recon: Wildlands: Cosmetic General Assets

The only mod available for Wildlands on the Steam Workshop is a general collection of assets, textures, and meshes from the game. This mod is an integral component of other existing mods; it makes it easier to unlock cosmetics and other features in the game. The textures are just from the base game and do not include files added later, such as the predator skin.

Made by Steam user ∑3245, this collection contains all the assets for cosmetics and textures in Ghost Recon: Wildlands. It also streamlines the game by removing duplicate files. Thus, it should be very useful for players looking to reduce the amount of space Wildlands occupies on their hard drive. This mod is compatible and necessary for getting the most out of other texture updates available on Nexusmods.

5 The Invisible Deimos Crossbow Mod

Many players are drawn to the Ghost Recon series for its realism as well as its high octane action. Wildlands allows players to play as ghost operatives. The game heavily emphasizes stealth as well as combat, which is why it made a perfect fit for a crossover event with Sam Fisher the developer of Splinter Cell. One fan, Wander_SOTC, created a mod to remove the player character's second primary weapon. This was partly for the cleaner aesthetic; however, the main intention was to make them look more like a real ghost agent.

Normally, players can only carry one primary weapon when they are playing in ghost mode. Otherwise, they will often have two slots on their character's back for weapons. Most won't care about this feature, but for those who do, this mod will make the second primary weapon invisible. For some reason, the mod works best on the Deimos crossbow, which is generally considered one of the worst weapons in the game.

4 Cinematic Excellence Lighting Overhaul

Ghost Recon: Wildlands does a great job of bringing the spectacular Bolivian landscape to life. The scenery in the game is stunning in its own right. The maps are not only visually impressive, but are also packed with side quests and loot boxes containing rare items. Nonetheless, some fans may still want to improve the graphics and give their game a fresh look.

RELATED: The Elder Scrolls: Mods That Will Make You Reinstall Oblivion

The cinematic lighting overhaul mod by TheMercsAssassin does what it says on the tin. It aims to make the game look more like a movie with improved depth of field, film grain, optional bloom, and lens flares. Replacing the game's washed-out filter with a starker contrast and brighter colors, this mod is highly customizable. It's great for players looking to improve Wildland's graphics.

3 The Supreme Operator Cheat

Mod support for Ghost Recon: Wildlands is all but non-existent. As such, many of the mods that do exist focus on unlocking the game's features rather than adding new ones. The gold exoskeleton suit is the rarest suit in the game, and very difficult to acquire. However, there is a cheat available to unlock this suit and spare the player hours of grind working their character up to tier 1.

This cheat will allow players to access the suit without having to restart their game in ghost mode. This will enable them to use the suit in single-player. Unfortunately, it may not be compatible with the PvP that was added back in 2017. It will require certain game files to be altered, so it is advisable to save a backup of the game in its original state to prevent unforeseen issues.

2 Unlock Tier 1 In Campaign Mode

Players who have spent hours in Ghost Recon: Wildlands may wish to make the game more challenging or try new things. Doing this in-game can take a while. After all, it takes a lot of to work up to tier 1, where players can unlock every item and feature.

RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077: Best PC Mods So Far

To skip this grind, there is a mod that will unlock the whole game. It will allow the player to start the campaign in tier 1, with everything from new suits to the best snipers in the game. This might make the game considerably easier; however, increasing the difficulty and treating the mod as an unofficial new game plus will help add a fresh layer of challenge to the game.

1 The Lighting Overhaul Inspired By The Game's E3 Trailer

Often, games look better in their trailers than as a finished product. The magic of editing and pre-rendered cinematics is great at highlighting the best aspects of a game while glossing over the underwhelming elements. TheMercsAssassin made a Ghost Recon: Wildlands graphics mod that succeeds in making the game look more like its original 2015 E3 release trailer.

This mod adds a greater depth of field, improved lighting, and enhanced textures. It brings Wildlands up to the graphical standard its trailer promised players. One notable feature is how wet surfaces glisten and reflect light, making the game almost photo-realistic. This mod is perfect for players who love Ghost Recon: Wildlands but aren't fond of the game's washed-out aesthetic.

NEXT: Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Everything You Need To Know About Golem Island