The reliable folks over at Video Games Chronicle claim to have heard from their sources that Ubisoft has finally greenlit a new mainline Splinter Cell game, which is reportedly in early phases of production.
According to VGC, Ubisoft expects to placate series’ fans who had been left frustrated by efforts to bring back Splinter Cell in mobile and virtual reality form. The publication wasn’t able to confirm which Ubisoft studio is involved in the project, but has heard that it’s not being developed at the Montreal studio.
Ubisoft has declined to comment on VGC’s report.
Splinter Cell hasn’t seen a new entry since 2013’s Blacklist. Despite positive reviews, it failed to meet sales expectations. Numerous reports over the years have suggested that Ubisoft’s reluctance in releasing a new mainline Splinter Cell is down to its commercial performance. Nevertheless, fans have been hoping for a new entry, only to be let down by crossovers, mobile, and VR attempts.
“When you create a game, you have to make sure you will come with something that will be different enough from what you did before,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told IGN back in 2019 when quizzed about the series. “The last time we did a Splinter Cell, we had lots of pressure from all the fans actually saying, ‘Don’t change it, don’t do this, don’t do that,’ so some of the teams were more anxious to work on the brand. Now there are some things and some people that are now looking at the brand, taking care of the brand, so at one point you will see something, but I can’t say more than that.”
VGC’s reports are usually spot on, but considering that the new Splinter Cell is said to be in early production, don’t expect to see anything anytime soon.
[Source: VGC]