After a long hiatus, Sam Fisher might be finally returning to the one place he truly belongs in his full-fledged form instead of cameos and easter eggs on other video-game franchises: Splinter Cell. When it comes to stealth, it won’t be an overstatement to put Sam Fisher in the leagues of Solid Snake and Agent 47 which actually made the video-game franchise such a massive hit among fans. However, since 2013 the grizzled veteran has been on the sidelines which has angered the fans of the franchise. Now, it is being reported that Ubisoft might be finally developing another Splinter Cell installment after almost a decade of Blacklist.
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The latest report from Video Game Chronicles has stated that Ubisoft is developing the next Splinter Cell game to re-ignite the franchise. However, the developmental stage is so early that it is expected to be announced by Ubisoft somewhere in 2022 as it is being handled by a studio outside Ubisoft Montreal’s arm.
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When asked for a comment, Ubisoft has declined so we would suggest taking this with a grain of salt. However, it’s highly likely that Sam Fisher might actually be lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump in and redeem the failing franchise after a series of failures in the recent past. Since Blacklist, Sam Fisher has appeared in a Netflix anime (created by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad), as an operative in Rainbow Six: Siege, and as an easter egg in Far Cry New Dawn. But unfortunately, the master of stealth has been missing from a properly fleshed-out Splinter Cell installment for far too long now. To add even more misery, Fisher’s last appearance in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint was heavily criticized as the game underperformed due to its terrible mechanics and mission design.
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Interestingly, the long delay between Blacklist and the reportedly upcoming title can be attributed to the fans of the franchise who have been putting a lot of pressure on the company. In Blacklist, Ubisoft had decided to remove the stealth mode in a few missions causing a massive outrage among fans. When asked for a comment regarding the same, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated the following:
“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.”
While Splinter Cell: Blacklist was criticized for its dated graphics and the lack of challenging missions, it was still considered to be well-balanced with its story and gameplay. After being heavily criticized for replacing Michael Ironside with Eric Johnson, the ideal move would be to bring back the legendary voice actor to oomph up the release.
