Ubisoft was engaged on a brand new Splinter Cell sport that was going to embrace games-as-a-service earlier than it shifted to develop into XDefiant, a sport that the writer shut down not lengthy after launch. That is in line with Nick Herman, a developer who labored on the sport earlier than leaving to start out AdHoc Studios, the crew that simply launched the episodic sport Dispatch to nice success. Following the publication of this report, XDefiant director Mark Rubin spoke out to react to the report and share his aspect of the story.”I used to be so excited to be part of this and assist revitalize it, as a result of it has been dormant for some time,” Herman stated informed Bloomberg. “And we thought we may inform an ideal story and do one thing the followers would love.”The sport was in growth “for a couple of months,” Bloomberg reported, and Herman confirmed that Ubisoft needed to have it function games-as-a-service components.”We tried,” Herman stated. “Let’s make a story GAAS sport. We have been attempting to make that make sense, and loads of cool prototypes have been made.”The report stated “Ubisoft had misplaced curiosity” on this Splinter Cell sport and shifted to pursue a undertaking that might try to compete with Name of Responsibility. This turned XDefiant, a sport directed by former Name of Responsibility boss Mark Rubin. The sport shut down after a yr and builders have been laid off. “We thought we have been going to have the ability to make one thing actually nice,” Herman stated. “And you then understand that the entire stuff you care about, they do not anymore. It is a frequent factor in video games.”Rubin, who directed XDefiant and is not with Ubisoft, shared his aspect of the story. He stated it’s “not true” that Ubisoft was engaged on a Splinter Cell sport earlier than switching to XDefiant. “After I obtained to Ubisoft they’d been engaged on a sport for a yr that was very formidable however was struggling to seek out the enjoyable. And it was NOT a Splinter Cell sport. I then canceled that one and let the crew pitch any sport concepts they needed,” he stated. “There have been some cool ones however I felt the scope/problem was too onerous on some concepts so we caught with an area shooter and we discovered the enjoyable shortly. So no we did not pivot off Splinter Cell to make XDefiant. Now possibly they have been excited about engaged on Splinter Cell earlier than I obtained there but it surely was by no means a factor whereas I used to be there. My expertise with Ubisoft was they’re very open to regardless of the studio desires to do which is nice however I do want we may have used exterior engines.”Noticed the rumor from Bloomberg that we have been engaged on Splinter Cell sport earlier than switching to Xdefiant. I can say that isn’t true. After I obtained to Ubisoft they’d been engaged on a sport for a yr that was very formidable however was struggling to seek out the enjoyable. And it was NOT a Splinter… — Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) November 15, 2025
Whereas that Splinter Cell sport isn’t coming to market, a Splinter Cell remake is now within the works. Exterior of video games, the Splinter Cell TV present Deathwatch debuted in October on Netflix and has already been renewed for a second season. A live-action film was within the works, however apparently not is.
