Summary

  • The Splinter Cell remake by Ubisoft, code-named "North," is allegedly still in development using the Snowdrop engine.
  • Despite persistent rumors, including rumors of cancellation, Ubisoft is making progress on the remake.
  • The remake aims to revitalize the franchise and breathe new life into the stealth action genre.

Players looking forward to seeing Ubisoft's current-generation remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell may be pleased to hear that the game is still in development. The Splinter Cell remake was originally announced in 2021, though nothing official has been made public about it outside persistent rumors, including some suggesting that it was canceled.

Despite years passing since the last official entry in the franchise, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Splinter Cell remains an iconic tactical action brand. The adventures of Splinter Cell operative Sam Fisher are so famous that the character himself has been included in other games as a legendary cameo. Sam Fisher was present in recent Ghost Recon games Wildlands and Breakpoint, calling the titular ghost operatives "friends in the region." Even his iconic glowing green night vision goggles were used as inspiration for a Destiny 2 Splinter Cell custom outfit created by a fan.

why now good time to start playing splinter cell
Why Now May Be a Good Time to Start Playing Splinter Cell

The original Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is widely regarded as one of the best stealth games of all time, and now is the perfect time to play it.

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But fans looking for a "real" new Splinter Cell experience may have a bit longer to wait. A new report from Insider Gaming says that Ubisoft is continuing development on the Splinter Cell remake. Despite rumors of the project's cancelation amid concerns about the financial health of Ubisoft at large, the Splinter Cell remake is "making progress."

Splinter Cell Remake Reportedly Using Snowdrop Engine at Ubisoft

In its report, Insider Gaming said that the Splinter Cell remake project is in the works under the code name "North." Their sources also claimed that the game is being built using Ubisoft's Snowdrop game engine. Open world action adventure Star Wars Outlaws was also powered by Snowdrop. The Snowdrop engine itself appears to be a staple of recent major Ubisoft titles. It was used to render the detailed environs of post-apocalyptic US cities in the Tom Clancy's The Division series. Snowdrop also powered Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's extremely immersive forests and lush, extraterrestrial environments.

It's good to see news that Ubisoft appears to be making progress on the project, despite many and varied rumors about the Splinter Cell remake sparking concerns. Though Ubisoft is best-known for large-scale open world games these days, the Splinter Cell remake could serve as a refreshing reminder of the fact that the company once also excelled at finely-tuned linear mission-based experiences. If successful, the Splinter Cell remake could help revitalize the franchise and inject some new life into the somewhat dormant stealth action genre, which has seen far too few credible releases from major publishers in the last few years.

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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

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Stealth
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Released
November 18, 2002
ESRB
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Developer(s)
Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s)
Ubisoft, Aspyr Media
Engine
Unreal Engine 2
Franchise
Splinter Cell
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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
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Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace!
You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon. The world balance is in your hands, as cyber terrorism and international tensions are about to explode into WWIII.
Go Behind the Headlines into the Real World of Modern Espionage -

Enter the realistic Tom Clancy universe. Suit up with the latest classified field operative gear and weapons.

A New Level of Stealth Action - All the best stealth action plus all new moves. Highly interactive environments giving players more gameplay options and the ability to strategize their actions.

Deep Environments. Unparalleled Immersion - Stunning environments driven by the Unreal engine. Dynamic lighting and sound effects that match reality.

Pulse-Pounding Action on a Global Scale - Over 20 Hours of stealth action. Diverse mission objectives that can be achieved by different means for increased replay value.
 

Genre(s)
Stealth
How Long To Beat
13 Hours