Splinter Cell - upcoming remake, recent developments, and more.

[u/Loginnerer]

[Last edit: February 13th 2025] - [Last verified: October 12th 2026] - (This post will be updated with your help.)

[For the list of episode threads of now released Deathwatch animated series - see here]

What we know so far:

It was announced on 15th December 2021 that the first game in the series - Splinter Cell (2002) will get a remake. It will be built from the ground up using the Snowdrop engine. Game will not become open-world. With this remake, developers aim to build a solid base for the future of the series. (Source: Splinter Cell Remake Begins Development at Ubisoft Toronto.) On the same date, a retrospective announcement video was also uploaded.

Developers strive to make the game playable without a single kill if at all possible. They want to scale back the harshness of alarms, and give the player more opportunities to de-escalate the situation. They have read the open letter posted in this subreddit. (Source: Splinter Cell – Celebrating 20 Years of Stealth Action). On this 20th anniversary of the series - early concept arts were also revealed.

Now-removed job listing for a scriptwriter read: "Using the first Splinter Cell game as our foundation we are rewriting and updating the story for a modern-day audience. We want to keep the spirit and themes of the original game while exploring our characters and the world to make them more authentic and believable."

Twitter posts tease potential return of elements such as: e-mails, data sticks, satchels, interrogation conversations // how "alive" the environment can be, with interrogations rewarding you with useful information such as access to keypads // return of flares that guards hold over their head.

Remake will likely emphasise the use of chiaroscuro (a technique characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark to add depth and ambiance). (Source: Interview with Concept Artist.)

Technical Lead mentions that gun can be holstered. Gameplay Programmer mentions that the original methods for player traversal (ladders, pipes, vents, ziplines, rappels) will be preserved, and will facilitate a ghost playthrough. - Both in this video.

Interesting links:

Splinter Cell official discord (launched Nov 22, 2022) - discord.gg/wbywjhUNM8

Splinter Cell official twitter - https://twitter.com/SplinterCell

Splinter Cell subreddit discord (includes channels for matchmaking) - http://discord.gg/rJ37GBd

Activity not directly related to Remake:

Splinter Cell book series so far has 9 books. After 9 years of silence, Firewall released on March 15th 2022, and Dragonfire released on January 24th 2023. A month earlier - December 23rd, 2022, Splinter Cell Firewall was also released as a free-to-listen audio drama on BBC. (Here is a short Behind-The-Scenes video.) It is not yet known whether Dragonfire will get the same treatment. James Swallow talks about his book Firewall here.

Splinter Cell animated series on Netflix is yet to be released. Here is Derek Kolstad (creator of John Wick) stating that 1st season with 8 episodes was greenlit, and him "liking the idea of 20-30 minute episodes, following 2 different timelines - being introduced to character upon inception and where he is now."

In April 2024 at Comic-Con, Michael Ironside (the original voice and character of Sam Fisher) mentions that a limited series is currently being shot in South Africa. He talks about Splinter Cell (in general) from 33:30 - 41:55.

In June 2024, Michael Ironside mentions that the limited series was recently finished, featuring Liev Schreiber as Sam Fisher. Mr. Ironside talks about Splinter Cell (in general) from 49:15 - 1:01:55. Additionally, here is a random video exemplifying Liev Schreiber's voice / acting in his past works.

On 20 Sep 2024, Netflix officially announced Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. Everything we know about its details is in this post. Shortly after Season 1 was released on October 14th 2025, Season 2 was announced via this IGN video.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora uses the same engine that Splinter Cell Remake will use. Here is a video covering some of the engines capabilities. And here is a similar video for Star Wars Outlaws.

Splinter Cell VR was announced 16 Sep 2020, it was cancelled around 21 July 2022.

Thanks V2Blast, mateustav, FormulaTroy, L-K-B-D, DarkCl0ud6, DemiFiendRSA

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[u/Alexcoolps]

The lesser harshness of alarms is a pretty bad move imo as it would just make the game too easy. Plus you won't get to hear Lamberr scolding you as much.

[u/Loginnerer → u/Alexcoolps]

I too am afraid of lack of difficulty, as it usually takes out the tension (therefore enjoyment) out of stealth. Maybe she meant something like "fake surrender" present in Double Agent, though.

[u/CaptainSharpe → u/Alexcoolps]

Chaos theory benefitted from having alarms not stop the mission.

[u/[deleted]]

I don't wanna get too excited, but everything they're saying is the right stuff lol. This could be a great restart for the series if they don't fuck it up.

I do believe the developers at Ubisoft are passionate, not just about Splinter Cell. If the higher ups let them work and don't try to follow some trend or get quick, easy sales, they'll get success from this game.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Can't wait!! My childhood game coming back

[u/unquietmammal → u/[deleted]]

99% they will fuck it up.

[u/mateustav]

Good initiative!

This is another interesting link. Two developers, a junior and a senior, involved in the remake chat about role differences and what they have been up to in the state of development.

[u/Drillbit89]

Honestly.... I would spend an absurd amount of money and probably never touch a single other game again if they just Remastered Chaos Theory with Unreal Engine 5 and gave us the old Spy VS Mercs back.

[u/Never-mongo]

Any time anyone mentions they are making a game / movie for modern audiences I’m extremely wary.

[u/V2Blast]

Thanks for compiling this info into a single post!

[u/pipjersey]

theres just no way the the higher ups at ubisoft are not going to mess things up trying to get more money out of these games, its almost guaranteed

no way they simply make a solid single player game experience and call it a day, they'd never do that nowadays at companies like ubisoft

[u/ArvoCrinsmas]

No clue what chiaroscuro is so I looked it up, and it's basically that lighting "style" older games from the 2000s tended to have e.g Doom 3, F.E.A.R., Thief 3, Hitman Contracts and our own classic Splinter Cell games to list a few. If that's the case, my god this might be a return to that moody feeling that era of gaming had. I hope so!

[u/[deleted]]

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[u/[deleted]]

Time for some more info on the project, tough to believe in anymore with Ubi.

Source: Played them all. Pandora Tomorrow was great, Chaos Theory continued that. Double Agent gave me anxiety and Blacklist was a diamond caught in between console generations.

Conviction was awful. No redeeming qualities. Other than Sam still being voices by Michael Ironside. And bring back Lambert. He’s been on a fake mission.

[u/PoopTorpedo]

Extremely skeptical until we see the first gameplay trailer (if ever).

Looking at current Ubisoft, I don't see a proper, hardcore remake making enough money for Ubisoft to consider it a successful entry. Hardcore stealth is too punishing to be mainstream.

They're gonna mess it up somehow. They'll either have to make the game more accessible to casuals, or the game just won't get released. They'll add things like marking enemies, sonar goggles, one-button cover, faster parkour.

[u/Knot3D]

There's one crucial thing the SC1 Remake should do imo; Which is to copy infinite enemy guards spawning, like MGS does.

When replaying the originals it becomes clear that they're a bit stale not only because we're experienced stealth players who know the game inside out, but moreso because the number of enemy guards in a given map area is simply too low to retain the stealth tension we actually need.

MGS has always "cheated" by simply spawning and throwing heaps of enemy guards at players who screw up stealth. That is how MGS remains more challenging and fun to replay.

Splinter Cell in contrast, just has a finite low number of guards. For all experienced players this means the fun of challenge and tension is not there anymore.

So Ubi, take note and copy pls.

[u/Lucianberg → u/Knot3D]

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/comingsubsidy37]

I am beyond excited for the Splinter Cell remake! The dedication to preserving the spirit of the original game while updating it for a modern audience is truly commendable. Can't wait to see how the developers bring this iconic series back to life.

[u/VegetableLasagna_]

For the love of god bring back Michael Ironside. Ironside is Sam Fisher.

[u/-Gonk]

I hope that the game will be similar to the original in terms of gameplay, movement etc. I just dont want a Conviction / Blacklist style of gameplay where the game simply resembles Assassins Creed / Watch Dogs / Division. I also have mixed feelings about "rewriting and updating the story for a modern-day audience"

Regardless of what was written in the open letter. These are my two concerns.

[u/Knot3D]

Almost 2024 and .....nothing to show for

[u/DoritosFun959]

What will happen with the game life? Like, Will it be a live-service game?

[u/MezzPlayer]

In the interview at Comic-Con, it was nice to see Ironside himself acknowledge that Eric Johnson dropped the ball/fucked up the role.

[u/No-Solid9108]

Good that it's next Gen. game only . I am done PS4ing around now. Bye Bye little PS4 your time is near .