Splinter Cell's focus on going back to its roots could be a huge win for Ubisoft

As announced in 2022, Ubisoft Toronto is leading development on a Splinter Cell remake, built from the ground up using Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine.

3

Credit: Ubisoft Toronto

The original Splinter Cell (2002) calls back to a time when Ubisoft was positioned at the forefront of innovation in games - and as evidenced by the team's commitment to return to what made the game great, it's shaping to be a pleasant departure from the publisher's open-world formula.

As reported by Videogamer, former Ubisoft tools support specialist Wesley Chartrand shared some behind-the-scenes hints on LinkedIn, detailing his role as a scrum master and his focus on project efficiency. More notably, Chartrand spent two years "organizing and running retrospectives for the Splinter Cell DevOps team" - a sign that the studio is actively studying the DNA of classic Splinter Cell rather than simply modernizing it.

The project has repeatedly emphasized its respect for the original's legacy, as stated on the game's website:

"Its gameplay, technology innovations, and storytelling have left an immense legacy. Our team is carefully combing through the original to capture what made it so special 20 years ago while finding new moments to surprise players with today's technologies."

3

Credit: Ubisoft Toronto

Another promising sign is that Dishonored 2 game director Andrea Schmoll is leading gameplay systems for the Splinter Cell remake. Given Dishonored's reputation as one of the greatest stealth games in the last decade, it suggests the remake is in capable hands - one that understands stealth gameplay that rewards creativity and precision.

For a publisher that has spent the last decade focusing on massive open-world games like Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows - a focused, linear, AAA stealth experience feels almost radical. While Assassin's Creed Shadows is already shaping up to be a major success, Splinter Cell represents something Ubisoft hasn't taken in years - a creative risk. While it's unlikely one game will deter Ubisoft from its open-world formula - perhaps going back to the roots of Splinter Cell could help Ubisoft recapture some of the magic that brought us games like Far Cry 3, Assassins Creed 2, and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

Since the game's announcement, official updates have been nearly nonexistent. However, a recent report has confirmed that the Splinter Cell remake is expected to release by the end of 2026.

• Read more: Todd Howard has been waiting since Fallout 4 to do a surprise launch
• Read more: Days Gone Remastered follows Sony's trend of strange upgrade policies