Ghost Recon 2's troops have been cleared and are ready for action--two weeks early. Ubisoft today announced the release date for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 for the Xbox has been moved from November 30 to November 16.

　　The sequel to Ghost Recon and Ghost Recon: Island Thunder has an all-new engine and features near-future military technology, first- and third-person perspectives, and Xbox Live support for up to 16 players. The PlayStation 2 version won't be ready for battle until November 30, and the GameCube and PC editions won't arrive until early next year. All are rated "T" for Teen and will retail for $49.99.

　　The release date is an interesting choice for Ubisoft, as some serious firepower is also being shot at consumers that week in the form of Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Need for Speed Underground 2.

　　And Ghost Recon 2 isn't just under fire from other games. The North Korean government has offcially protested the title, with one of the Stalinist state's newspapers reporting, "This may be just a game to them now, but a war will not be a game for them later. In war, they will only face miserable defeat and gruesome deaths." For more information on the game, consult GameSpot's previous coverage.