- David Grivel returns to Ubisoft Toronto as director of Splinter Cell Remake after his departure in 2022.
- The game is being remade from scratch using the Snowdrop engine, with changes to story, pacing, and design.
- The development has gone through director departures and a lot of official silence, but Ubisoft is keeping the project going.
- It is expected to be released on PS5, Xbox Series and PC, although the date is still uncertain.
After years of silence and internal movements, Splinter Cell Remake is back in the spotlight Thanks to a key change in its development. The game, officially announced by Ubisoft some time ago, seemed to be progressing behind closed doors and without many public signs of life, which had sparked doubts among Sam Fisher fans in Spain and the rest of Europe.
Now the situation takes a slight turn: David Grivel, the original director of the remake, returns to Ubisoft Toronto to return to the same position he left in 2022. His return not only confirms that the project is still alive, but also brings some creative continuity to a development that has been marked by the departures of key managers and by the absence of the game at major industry events.
David Grivel's return to lead the project
Grivel himself confirmed the news through a post on their LinkedIn profileIn his statement, he explains that he is returning to Ubisoft Toronto as game director for the Splinter Cell Remake. He describes both the team and the project as particularly important to him, making it clear that this is not just any project in his career.
This movement arrives after several months of uncertaintyIn recent reports, it was revealed that Ubisoft was searching for a new director for the remake, suggesting another change in leadership. With Grivel's return, that search is over, avoiding the need to bring in a third person to head the project, something that could have introduced even more changes in direction.
Grivel was already in charge of Splinter Cell Remake between November 2021 and October 2022During this period, the foundations of the project were laid under the codename "North." After his departure, another person took over, but they too eventually left the position, fueling rumors that the development process was more complicated than Ubisoft was willing to publicly acknowledge.
During his first stint at Ubisoft, Grivel accumulated more than a decade of experience at the French company. He participated as a designer in titles such as Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Assassin's Creed Unity and several games in the Far Cry saga, including Far Cry 4, Far Cry Primal and Far Cry 5. His profile is closely linked to action and stealth design, something that fits with the philosophy of the series starring Sam Fisher.
After leaving Ubisoft, the creative made the leap to Ridgeline Games, an Electronic Arts studio who was working on the Battlefield 6 campaign. However, this team It ended up closing in early 2024, leaving him in limbo once again. He then moved to Worlds Untold, another developer that would also eventually shut down, until his return to Ubisoft, specifically to Splinter Cell Remake, was finally confirmed.
A discreet but ongoing development
Despite the noise generated by the comings and goings of its directors, Ubisoft has always maintained that Splinter Cell Remake was still in production.The company has opted to proceed very discreetly, avoiding showing materials at conferences like Ubisoft Forward or at prominent events on the international calendar, something that has not gone unnoticed among European gamers.
The official information released so far is limited, but it is known that The project is being built from scratch.It's not simply a remaster of the original game. The intention is to rebuild its foundations with current technology, adjusting the pacing, level design, and mission presentation to better suit the expectations of a contemporary audience, without losing the emphasis on stealth and tactical espionage.
Internally, the development is known by the codename “North” and has been kept away from major leaksExcept for some reports that mentioned cinematics featuring Sam Fisher and Irving Lambert. These sequences would have showcased a tone heavily focused on intrigue and the espionage atmosphere that has always defined the saga, and which harks back to modern espionage techniques.
The prolonged silence has also led many players in Spain and the rest of Europe to wonder about the current status of the projectUbisoft's constant adjustments, both in staff and schedule, do little to dispel doubts, as the company has restructured several of its teams and modified development times for various well-known franchises.
Even so, the Grivel's reinstatement is interpreted as a sign of continuity and a certain commitment to the initial vision of the remake. Bringing back the person who spearheaded the Boot The project can help ensure that the ideas originally conceived are not lost amidst so many internal changes and help to give coherence to the current stage of production.
Snowdrop as a technological foundation and changes in history
One of the things that Ubisoft has confirmed is that Splinter Cell Remake will use the Snowdrop engineThe same technology developed by Massive Entertainment that has been used in The Division 2 and recent titles such as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws. This engine is capable of delivering highly detailed environments, advanced lighting, and complex physics and destruction systems.
The jump to Snowdrop not only implies a significant visual improvement, but also changes in the way the game is playedThe project managers have hinted that the gameplay will be modernized, with adjustments to the IA enemy, in the animations and in the interaction with the environment, but maintaining the fundamental pillars of the original Splinter Cell: infiltration, planning and intelligent use of sound.
Another relevant point is that It will not be an exact copy of history that we met in the first Splinter Cell. The team plans to introduce modifications to the narrative, probably to update certain themes, give more depth to the secondary characters, and adapt the political and technological context to a framework closer to the present day. The idea is to respect the spirit of the game, but without simply reproducing it scene by scene.
These decisions aim to make the remake appealing both to those discovering Sam Fisher for the first time and to those who played the original. For European audiences, accustomed to spy thrillers and political thrillers, The way in which plots and characters are reviewed will be one of the most closely watched points. when Ubisoft decides to show in-depth material.
For now, the company has preferred not to reveal more plot details, but the use of a flexible engine like Snowdrop allows for more open-ended missions with multiple solutions, and for the scenarios feel more alive and responsive, something that could mark clear differences with respect to the original experience of the early 2000s.
Expectations, dates and planned platforms
Regarding the launch, the situation remains the same. quite diffuseFor a while, there was speculation that Splinter Cell Remake would arrive around 2026, especially considering that Ubisoft already has other major remakes in development, such as new versions of Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. However, fitting three projects of this size into such a short timeframe seems complicated.
Recent internal developments, coupled with delays in other titles from the company, suggest that Sam Fisher's adventure will still take some time to appearUbisoft has declined to commit to a specific release window, and for now, communication is limited to confirming that the game is still in development and that the Toronto studio continues to work on it.
What is clear is that Splinter Cell Remake is designed for the current generation of consoles and PCThe title is scheduled for release in PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PCs, which will allow for better exploitation of Snowdrop's technical capabilities, from high resolutions and ray tracing to reduced loading times and more detailed scenarios.
In the European context, where the player base on PC and home consoles is very large, this focus on current platforms fits with Ubisoft's overall strategy, centered on big-budget projects aimed at an audience that has already made the leap to the new generation. However, The lack of a clear schedule can lead to some fatigue. among those who have been waiting for news for years.
Events like The Game Awards are often the natural stage for showcasing these kinds of projects, and it's possible that Ubisoft should take advantage of an important event to present at least one teaser. A more elaborate version or a first playable demo is needed. Until that happens, the community will have to continue piecing together clues, job postings, and messages on professional networks.
With all this context, David Grivel's return to the helm, the use of the Snowdrop engine, and the confirmation that it is a complete reconstruction of the original, They paint a cautious but hopeful picture for Splinter Cell Remake. Although the project is progressing very slowly and many questions remain unanswered, the Sam Fisher saga seems to be a little closer to regaining its place in Ubisoft's catalog and on the shelves of Spanish and European gamers.
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