In what is sure to be a surprise to many, the Splinter Cell Remake game director, David Grivel, is leaving Ubisoft. Grivel has previously worked on other Ubisoft games, such as being the lead designer on Far Cry 6. The announcement of Grivel's departure came directly from himself on social media, after spending more than 10 years at Ubisoft Toronto, the studio currently working on the Splinter Cell Remake. The game has lost its director, a new director has not yet been named, and there has not been any information regarding how this departure will affect the work on the Splinter Cell Remake.
A remake of the original Splinter Cell was announced in December 2021, but after that, information on the upcoming title became scarce. Even though this new Splinter Cell is being made as a remake of the first entry, the developers confirmed there would be changes; the story for the Splinter Cell Remake is being rewritten for a modern audience. Now that the game has lost its director, fans of the series are likely skeptical on if this title will see the light of day, especially with losing a director as experienced as Grivel.
Grivel made the announcement regarding his departure on his official LinkedIn page. No specific reason was given for his departure from Ubisoft. Grivel also confirmed he is taking a new position at People Can Fly Studio as Creative Director. People Can Fly Studio is probably best known for collaborating with Epic Games on Gears of War: Judgment and Bulletstorm. The last released title in the Splinter Cell franchise was Splinter Cell: Blacklist back in 2013. A VR Splinter Cell title was in development but was canceled in July 2021.
While there is little information on what Grivel is working on next at People Can Fly Studio, Grivel's post details a lot of experience in the gaming industry. Grivel has worked on games such Dirty Racer and Far Cry Primal, so it appeared that the Splinter Cell Remake was going to be in capable and experienced hands. With a lot of titles in development at Ubisoft, hopefully a new director is named soon, and the project gets back on track. Though, recent developments at Ubisoft may be putting the Splinter Cell franchise in jeopardy.
It's been almost a decade since a new entry in the Splinter Cell franchise has seen the light of day. With the sudden departure of the game's director, fans can only hope that the game continues progress to release. While Splinter Cell has been a stealth heavy, single-player experience mostly, Ubisoft recently shut down the online services for a lot of its titles, including the previous Splinter Cell game. Hopefully, the departure of Grivel does not negatively impact the development of a long-awaited new entry in the Splinter Cell franchise.
A Splinter Cell remake is currently in development.