Splinter Cell Remake Loses Its Director Again, Ubisoft Posts New Job Listing
- Sagar Mankar
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
The Splinter Cell remake has lost its director once again. A now‑deleted Ubisoft Toronto job listing for a Game Director role, spotted on October 21, 2025, confirmed that the studio is once more searching for leadership on the long‑awaited stealth revival.
This isn’t the first time the project has faced such turbulence. Back in 2022, veteran director David Grivel departed after more than a decade at Ubisoft, leaving the remake without a creative lead. Now, history seems to be repeating itself, and fans are understandably worried about what this means for the future of Sam Fisher’s return.
A Remake of a Stealth Classic
For those who may not have followed the story from the beginning, the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell remake was officially announced on December 15, 2021, via a teaser trailer and statement on Ubisoft’s website. The project is being led by Ubisoft Toronto, the same studio behind Splinter Cell: Blacklist, with support from other Ubisoft teams.
The remake is being rebuilt from the ground up using the Snowdrop engine — the same tech powering The Division and Ghost Recon Breakpoint. This choice should allow for more dynamic environments, realistic lighting, and the kind of shadow‑based stealth gameplay that made the original 2002 release groundbreaking.
Ubisoft has said the goal is to “capture what made it special 20 years ago” while modernizing mechanics with improved AI behaviors, gadget functionality, and noise‑based stealth systems. Insiders have described early builds as “genuinely impressive,” focusing on polished, hardcore stealth rather than bloated open‑world design.
Development Milestones and Delays
2021: Announced with a cinematic teaser showing Sam Fisher in the shadows.
2022: Ubisoft marked the series’ 20th anniversary with a retrospective, teasing modernization but offering no gameplay. Around the same time, Grivel left the project.
2023–2024: A quiet period with little to no updates, sparking speculation about delays.
2025: Fans hoped for reveals at Summer Game Fest and Gamescom, but instead, Ubisoft spotlighted Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, an animated series starring Liev Schreiber as Sam Fisher, which premiered on October 14 on Netflix.
Despite the silence, Ubisoft Toronto tweeted in May 2025 a close-up shot of Fisher from 2005's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, along with just an eye emoji. That cryptic reassurance is the only official sign of life in months.
Current Status and Concerns
The new job listing, spotted by Tech4gamers, made it clear the incoming director would oversee NPC AI, camera systems, stealth tuning, and gadget design — all core pillars of the Splinter Cell experience. Losing another director four years into development suggests possible creative differences or internal restructuring, which could push the release back by months, if not years.
Ubisoft’s broader struggles also loom large. The company has faced layoffs, project pivots, and delays across multiple franchises. The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has been indefinitely delayed, and fans fear Splinter Cell could suffer a similar fate.
Fan Reaction
On X (formerly Twitter), the news has sparked a wave of pessimism. Posts like “We’re never getting the Splinter Cell Remake, are we?!” have gone viral, with many comparing the project to Ubisoft’s other troubled remakes. Some fans have even dubbed it a “cursed” game, pointing to the repeated leadership shakeups and lack of gameplay footage.
Still, the appetite for Sam Fisher’s return is strong. The success of Splinter Cell: Deathwatch shows there’s demand for the franchise across media, and Ubisoft insists the remake remains in active development.
Outlook
No platforms or release date have been confirmed, though it’s expected to target PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Reports suggest Ubisoft is still aiming for a 2026 release window, but with another director departure, that timeline looks increasingly uncertain.