While most fans would agree that Ubisoft had a stellar E3 showcase this year, 2018 marks another year that the dormant Splinter Cell franchise didn't make an appearance. The sting of the no show hits a little harder this year as longtime protagonist Sam Fisher was featured in a free, limited time update for Ghost Recon Wildlands earlier this year. Following the Ubisoft E3 2018 Press Conference, Yves revealed why the franchise was again absent.

In an interview with Geoff Keighley, Ubisoft President and CEO Yves Guillemot was asked why Splinter Cell didn't make the show as many fans believed it would make an appearance thanks to a retail leak earlier this year. While professing love for the brand, Yves confirmed that Ubisoft does plan to return to the franchise, though he wasn't able to say anything about it at the show. While no doubt disappointing for longtime fans, Yves did leave the door open for hope that Sam Fisher will return.

In another departure from the typical Ubisoft press conference, the company didn't have a surprise reveal at the end of its show as it has done many times in the past. When asked about that, Yves simply said that the company doesn't always need to do that. Instead, this year was about celebrating the player communities and the collaboration with developers on future titles. The best example of this is Beyond Good & Evil 2, which is using the Space Monkey Program to incorporate original content like music and art from community submissions into the actual game.

While the Splinter Cell x Ghost Recon Wildlands content update was a big surprise for longtime fans, the other shocking news was that longtime voice actor, Michael Ironside, was once again providing his iconic voice for Sam Fisher. Lots of rumors and speculation appeared after it was confirmed that Ironside wasn't apart of the last game in the franchise, Splinter Cell Blacklist, though Ironside recently confirmed that he passed on the role due to health reasons. With a clean bill of health, Ironside has returned to the role that he defined and that many people expected to see at the show this year.

Source: GameSlice