The Splinter Cell remake's director, David Grivel, has announced his departure from Ubisoft. Ubisoft revealed a remake of its classic 2002 stealth action title in December 2021 after the franchise lay dormant for nearly eight years. This reveal came in the wake of fan demand for a new entry in the franchise and its protagonist Sam Fisher making cameos in non-Splinter Cell games such as Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon.
When Splinter Cell was first released it was intended as competition for the other major stealth title of the time, Metal Gear Solid. To stand apart from its competition, Ubisoft optimized the then-powerful Xbox hardware to create new lighting and stealth mechanics that had previously never been seen. Technology has moved on significantly in the 20 years since, and even since the release of the franchise's last entry, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, in 2013. Players have become used to the likes of ray-tracing and real-time lighting systems. Therefore, when Ubisoft revealed the game was being rebuilt with the Snowdrop engine, many fans were excited to see how it could bring Splinter Cell's light-based stealth gameplay to next-gen devices.
As reported by VGC, in a post on LinkedIn, Splinter Cell's director David Grivel shared that he would be leaving Ubisoft after 11 years, stating that it was “time for [him] to go on a new adventure”. Grivel started at Ubisoft Paris working on Ghost Recon Future Soldier before moving Ubisoft Toronto where he worked on Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Assassin's Creed Unity, Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 5, and Far Cry 6 before working on the Splinter Cell remake. Grivel didn't reveal what his "new adventure" would be but did state that he was grateful to have "had the opportunity to work on so many franchises that [he] loves as a gamer" during his time at Ubisoft.
The Splinter Cell Remake Is Modernizing Sam Fisher's Story
How this change of director will impact Splinter Cell is yet to be seen, but recent job listings indicated that the upcoming title is still in the writing stages, and could be a departure from the original game in more ways than one. As recently as September 2022, a Scriptwriter position was advertised that revealed Ubisoft was updating Splinter Cell's story for modern audiences. This was the first indication fans had that there could be significant changes to the 2002 title following producer Matt West's previous statement that seemed to indicate that the Splinter Cell remake was primarily going to be a visual and gameplay update, and led to some skepticism surrounding the title from the fanbase.
At the time of its release, Splinter Cell was praised for its espionage-thriller story that saw players uncover a conspiracy and nuclear threat in Georgia, and great performances from the likes of Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher. Ubisoft has stated that it wants the Splinter Cell remake to create a solid base for the future of the franchise, but with the loss of its director and the reveal that its story is being changed, fans will have to wait and see whether Sam Fisher's return will be as successful as the 2002 classic, or if Ubisoft should have kept Splinter Cell in the shadows.
Sources: David Grivel/LinkedIn (via VGC)