Since the Metal Gear series, the stealth genre has been quite popular in gaming, as it requires players to substitute firepower for strategizing to get the best of their enemies. One of the most beloved franchises in the genre is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, which enjoyed great popularity from 2002 until 2013. Although no new games have been released since 2013, loyal fans have constantly begged Ubisoft to resurrect the series.
It appeared that Ubisoft had heeded the calls, and for a few years, the company was showing renewed interest in Splinter Cell. However, recent events have brought that into question, as the anticipated Splinter Cell VR title has been canceled. Fans hoping for a triumphant return of Splinter Cell should not hold their breath.
Splinter Cell's Revival
The Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series focuses on Sam Fisher, a trained black-ops special agent with a knack for stealth and espionage. The first game released in 2002 and was inspired by Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear series. It was met with critical acclaim, with gamers praising its use of light and darkness. As the series continued, it managed to draw more fans, and by the time the franchise's namesake died in 2013, the series had sold over 27 million copies. Unfortunately, after Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the franchise went on a very long hiatus.
Things seemed to be looking up for Splinter Cell in 2020 when Ubisoft announced that it would be bringing the series to the world of VR. Ubisoft claimed the project would be developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a team with plenty of experience in the VR realm. It was also revealed that Assassin's Creed would be joining Splinter Cell on its jump to the Oculus Rift. This spelled good news for Splinter Cell fans, and the forecast for the franchise looked even brighter when, in 2021, Ubisoft revealed that a remake of the first game was on the way. The project is being led by Ubisoft Toronto, and the developers plan to rebuild the game from the ground up using Ubisoft's Snowdrop Engine.
Splinter Cell VR Gets Canceled
In July, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that the company was delaying and cutting a few projects, and it was planning to cut back expenses to only "what is essential." According to Kotaku's sources, Ubisoft faces financial constraints, which has caused fewer raises for staff, budget freezes, and less hiring. The games delayed include Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and a "smaller unannounced premium game," which many gamers have speculated might refer to the rumored Assassin's Creed spin-off, Assassin's Creed Rift. The games that have been canceled include Splinter Cell VR and Ghost Recon Frontline, which is a particularly bad blow to the Tom Clancy's franchise.
For a few years, it appeared that the Splinter Cell franchise would be seeing a welcome revival. However, the recent cancelations have brought that into question. There has been no news on whether the Splinter Cell remake is still in development, or whether it is facing delays or cancelation - though recent activity suggests that the franchise may not be high up on Ubisoft's list of priorities. With franchises as big as Assassin's Creed potentially seeing titles being delayed, it would not be surprising to see Ubisoft diverting resources away from Splinter Cell as it focuses on ensuring big projects like Frontiers of Pandora finally make it to store shelves.
The recent activity at Ubisoft does not bode well for many of its franchises, and it appears that the company's releases will be limited to its most essential titles in the near future. This does not mean that its calendar will be sparse, however, as gamers can still look forward to Skull and Bones and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Unfortunately, a new Splinter Cell game will probably not be one of those games.