Ubisoft ‘now looking at Splinter Cell’, says boss

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has provided some insight into the extended wait for a new Splinter Cell game.

The most recent series entry was August 2013’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and the almost six years since its release represents the longest period without a new entry in the franchise since it debuted in 2002.

Explaining the gestation period, Guillemot told IGN the franchise needed to evolve — something Splinter Cell fans have previously been resistant to.

“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,” he said.

“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,” Guillemot added, “so at one point you will see something, but I can’t say more than that.”

The executive also said a key factor in the wait for a new Splinter Cell game has been the success of other Ubisoft franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, and the emergence of newer ones like Watch Dogs and The Division.

Not only have these sold relatively well, but developers have been keen to work on fresher properties too.

“Also because of Assassin’s Creed and all the other brands taking off, people wanted to work on those brands more, so we have to follow what they like to do,” Guillemot said.