The second part of Ubisoft Forward has officially wrapped up. The major announcements from the Forward covered a series of updates on upcoming or already released titles, as well as remakes or re-releases of older games, so there were not many shake-ups.
There are still things to spare a glance at, though. What might be the most successful Ubisoft property right now, Rainbow Six: Siege, keeps on trucking. Five years after its release, Rainbow Six: Siege still enjoys a sizeable player base and new content.
In an effort to keep the game interesting and perhaps draw in fans from another series, Siege's next new operator will be Sam Fisher. While he is referred to in the game by the code name Zero, this is indeed a new, cannon entry for the stealth game icon. Fisher's addition to the game has been known for some time, although the official reveal came more recently. As a tie in with Fisher, and the rest of the Year 5 content coming to the game, Ubisoft released a fully animated short showing Fisher training with other Rainbow Team members.
The animation is short, but Sam has apparently been hired to whip the younger team members into shape. He singlehandedly takes down a defending team using cameras, a smoke grenade, and grit. At over 60, it's an impressive performance, though the gameplay will be less flashy. If the animation wanted to get more interesting, it could have incorporated some of the other universes Sam Fisher is connected to.
However, if Ubisoft wanted to draw in fans of Splinter Cell with Fisher's addition, it sorely miscalculated. Fans of the stealth series were not happy about Fisher entering a game as a cameo, rather than having his own new game. For many, this has been a signal that Ubisoft has no intention of reviving the Splinter Cell franchise. It doesn't help that Michael Ironside, who has been Fisher's voice for each game he's appeared in, will not be reprising the role this time. Angry fans have made their opinions known, partially through some Splinter Cell memes.
While a few rumors and the (maybe) development of a Netflix series has fans hoping that Ubisoft isn't just ignoring the Splinter Cell franchise, it's a rather slim hope. Before Siege, Fisher (then still voiced by Ironside) cameoed in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, as part of another ongoing, series from Ubisoft. Hopefully, Fisher will one day reclaim his place in the stealth game world (now notably less populated) instead of being just a face in the crowd of Siege.
Rainbow Six: Siege is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X verisons in development.