Splinter Cell Fans Finally Get an Update
After years of silence, the Splinter Cell remake is back in the spotlight, and it is thanks to a familiar name. David Grivel, the original game director on Ubisoft's Splinter Cell remake, has officially returned to lead the project at Ubisoft Toronto.
This might not be the huge gameplay reveal fans have been waiting for, but it is still an important signal. For a long time, it was not even clear if the remake was still moving forward. Now we know there is at least a director in place again and development is not completely abandoned.
Ubisoft first announced the Splinter Cell remake in 2021, promising a modern rebuild of the classic stealth game using its Snowdrop engine. Since then, almost nothing substantial has been shared. The most notable event was actually bad news at the time: David Grivel leaving Ubisoft in 2022.
David Grivel’s Journey Back To Splinter Cell
David Grivel has had a busy few years in the games industry. When he left Ubisoft in October 2022, he said that after 11 years at the company he was ready for a new adventure. That adventure took him to Electronic Arts, where he joined Ridgeline Games as studio design director working on Battlefield 6.
That role did not last long. In early 2024 Ridgeline Games was shut down as part of larger cuts at EA, and Battlefield's single player campaign plans were reshuffled. Grivel then returned briefly to Ubisoft to work on an unannounced project in its concept phase.
Not long after, he moved to Worlds Untold, a studio led by BioWare veteran Mac Walters. Unfortunately that studio was hit by funding cuts when NetEase pulled back support, and operations were paused roughly a year after it was founded.
Now Grivel is back at Ubisoft Toronto, and this time he is once again game director on the Splinter Cell remake. On LinkedIn he described it as a very special team and a very special project to him. For fans, his return feels like the remake has come full circle.
What This Means For The Splinter Cell Remake
So what do we actually know about the state of the game? Honestly, not much. Grivel’s announcement is short and does not include any new details about gameplay, story changes or release timing. Still it is the first real piece of news about the remake in roughly three years.
Before this, most Splinter Cell talk has been speculation and trolling. Earlier this year there was a faint spark of hope that Ubisoft might share an update, but nothing came of it. Instead fans got yet another tease: Ubisoft used an image of Sam Fisher that was labeled as being from Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, but it was actually from Pandora Tomorrow. As far as trolling long suffering fans goes, it was surprisingly on point.
Grivel’s return suggests that Ubisoft is not ready to quietly cancel or bury the remake. It may even indicate that the project is being restarted or restructured, potentially with new design priorities. That might mean a longer wait, but it could also give Ubisoft room to modernize the classic stealth gameplay for current PC and console players.
For PC gamers especially, a proper remake could be exciting. A rebuild in a modern engine should mean better lighting, improved AI behavior, more responsive controls, and support for current hardware and performance standards. The original Splinter Cell games were famous for their shadows and stealth mechanics, and a faithful remake with high quality PC options could easily become a go to benchmark style title for stealth and lighting effects.
A Shaky Time For Ubisoft And Its Future Direction
All of this is happening during a rough period for Ubisoft as a company. The publisher recently delayed a financial report which sparked rumors of a major crisis or a buyout. When the report finally landed it turned out to be less dramatic, but the company share price is still struggling and the overall mood around its strategy is mixed.
Ubisoft leadership has been talking a lot about three main pillars for the future: AI, live service games, and deeper ties with Tencent. The company has described AI as a revolution on the same level as the shift from 2D to 3D games and has already been prototyping AI driven NPCs. It also continues to lean into long term live service titles instead of traditional one time purchase games. A Tencent backed studio setup is also being built to take over development of major series like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six.
For fans of classic single player stealth experiences, that direction can feel a bit worrying. Splinter Cell has always been about carefully planned missions, shadows, and patient play rather than endless content drip feeds. That is why Grivel coming back to the project is encouraging. It suggests that at least for this game, Ubisoft is still willing to back a more traditional story driven experience.
There is still plenty we do not know. We do not have a release window, gameplay footage, or even a clear sense of how much of the project survived the leadership changes and quiet years. It is possible that parts of the game will be redesigned or rebuilt now that a familiar director is back at the helm.
But for now this is the first real sign of progress in a long time. If you are a Splinter Cell fan on PC or console, it might finally be time to start paying attention again and hoping that the next update is more than just a LinkedIn post.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-splinter-cell-remake-gets-a-new-director-and-hes-the-same-as-the-splinter-cell-remakes-old-director/
