OG Splinter Cell Goes Free As Ubisoft Shares Remake Concept Art

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell turns 20 this month, and in recognition of the anniversary, Ubisoft has uploaded a 20-minute-long YouTube video with various developers talking about their experience behind the multi-vision goggles of stealthy assassin Sam Fisher. Additionally, the Toronto studio currently helming the remake announced last year has shared a handful of high-def “early concept art” images created for the game. Ubisoft is also giving away the original 2002 game for free on PC until November 30.

Endorsed by military techno-thriller novelist Tom Clancy, Splinter Cell is a series of stealth-action games developed by multiple Ubisoft studios. You play as Sam Fisher, a bodysuit-wearing NSA agent originally voiced by actor Michael Ironside who’s tasked with sneakily assassinating targets in an effort to stop copious wars from breaking out. All in all, seven Splinter Cell games were produced, with the most recent being 2013’s Blacklist. However, after about a decade of silence on whether or not Sam Fisher would ever suit up again to choke out some bad guys, Ubisoft finally quenched fans’ thirst, announcing in December 2021 that its Toronto team would be spearheading a remake (not a remaster) of the OG game.

Read More: Original Splinter Cell Being Remade By Far Cry 6 Devs

Ubisoft has largely gone quiet since this announcement was made—until now. In a new blog post published on November 17, Ubisoft shared some early concept art for the remake, as well as a video featuring devs working on the game. Ubisoft’s manager of editorial communications, Youssef Maguid, stated that this remake will “modernize” the original game’s themes and “rebuild them from the ground up.” At the end of the 20-minute video, the team outlined their vision for the remake, explaining just how it will “set the foundation for the franchise going forward.”

“We want to give the player a few more opportunities to deescalate some of the [in-game] situations,” senior game designer Andy Schmoll said. “Obviously, stealth is an extremely important pillar for us, and we aim to incorporate modern design philosophies, improving the minute-to-minute stealth gameplay that was so special in the original.”

Alongside sharing some early concept artwork of the Splinter Cell remake, Ubisoft is also offering the original game, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell from 2002, for free on PC. You have to pick the game up from the Ubisoft store, but hey! Free is free, right? You have until November 30 to claim it for zero dollars.

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Ubisoft made it clear that the remake is still early in development, and no release date or launch platforms have been indicated yet. For now, all we can do is look at the concept art below and speculate about what’s to come:

OG Splinter Cell Goes Free As Ubisoft Shares Remake Concept Art