A new Splinter Cell game almost happened. According to a revealing report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Ubisoft San Francisco began developing a fresh entry in the beloved stealth franchise back in 2017. But instead of becoming the next chapter in Sam Fisher’s story, corporate pressure to chase live-service success transformed it into something completely different: xDefiant, the free-to-play shooter that launched in May 2024 and shut down less than seven months later.
Nick Herman, co-founder of AdHoc Studio and former Ubisoft San Francisco developer, confirmed the details to Schreier. The revelation adds another layer of frustration for Splinter Cell fans who have been starved for new content since Blacklist launched in 2013. It also highlights the industry trend that has seen traditional franchises sacrificed at the altar of games-as-a-service models.
From Stealth to Shooters
The original concept at Ubisoft San Francisco centered around a narrative-driven Splinter Cell experience. Herman and his team, which included former Telltale Games developers, were excited to bring their storytelling expertise to the iconic stealth franchise. They envisioned a game that would honor the series’ tactical espionage roots while introducing fresh narrative elements that could appeal to modern audiences.
However, Ubisoft’s corporate priorities shifted dramatically during development. The publisher wanted to compete with massive live-service hits like Call of Duty and other free-to-play shooters dominating the market. Over time, the Splinter Cell project was gradually transformed into what would eventually become xDefiant, a hero shooter that borrowed characters from multiple Ubisoft franchises including Splinter Cell, but abandoned the stealth gameplay entirely.
The Live-Service Gamble
The transformation from single-player stealth game to multiplayer shooter represents a significant pivot. xDefiant launched as a free-to-play, 6v6 team-based shooter featuring factions from various Ubisoft properties. While it borrowed visual elements from Splinter Cell and other franchises, the gameplay bore no resemblance to the tactical, methodical approach that defined the original series.
Initial reception was mixed at best. Despite generating some early enthusiasm, xDefiant struggled to maintain a player base large enough to justify continued investment. By August 2024, just months after launch, concurrent players had dropped below 20,000 on Steam. Industry observers noted the saturated free-to-play shooter market made it nearly impossible for new entries to compete against established titles.
The Shutdown Decision
On December 3, 2024, Ubisoft announced xDefiant would permanently shut down. The decision came less than seven months after launch and just seven weeks after executive producer Mark Rubin publicly denied rumors about the game’s cancellation. New player registrations and downloads stopped immediately, with servers scheduled to close on June 3, 2025.
The shutdown had severe consequences beyond the game itself. Ubisoft closed both the San Francisco and Osaka production studios entirely, with the Sydney studio facing significant downsizing. A total of 143 employees lost their jobs in San Francisco alone, with another 134 positions eliminated in Osaka and Sydney. This represented one of the most significant studio closures in Ubisoft’s history.
Financial and Strategic Impact
The xDefiant failure arrived during a particularly rough period for Ubisoft. Multiple major releases underperformed in 2024, including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, and Star Wars Outlaws. The company’s stock dropped 50 percent throughout the year, reaching nearly its lowest levels in a decade. The closure added to mounting pressure on Ubisoft leadership to reevaluate their development strategy.
In a statement, Ubisoft acknowledged that xDefiant “did not attract and retain enough players in the long run to compete at the level we aim for in the very demanding free-to-play FPS market.” The company said it would apply lessons learned from the project to future free-to-play offerings, though that provided little comfort to displaced developers or disappointed fans.
What About the Remake
There is still hope for Splinter Cell fans. A separate remake of the original 2002 game remains in development at Ubisoft Toronto, not San Francisco. Announced in December 2021, the project is being rebuilt from the ground up using Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine, the same technology powering Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
However, communication about the remake has been minimal. Ubisoft Toronto has provided virtually no updates since the initial announcement, leading to periodic rumors about cancellation. Industry sources told Insider Gaming in October 2024 that the game, codenamed North, is still in active development and making progress. A tentative release window of 2026 has been mentioned, though nothing has been officially confirmed.
Different Studio, Different Approach
Ubisoft Toronto has experience with the franchise, having developed Splinter Cell: Blacklist alongside the recent Far Cry entries. The studio has emphasized that the remake will maintain the linear, stealth-focused gameplay of the original rather than transforming it into an open-world experience. They’re updating visuals and modernizing certain design elements to match current player expectations while preserving the core identity that made early Splinter Cell games special.
The fact that Toronto is handling the remake rather than San Francisco may have saved it from the same fate as the canceled project. Toronto appears to have more autonomy and clearer direction compared to the San Francisco team, which faced constant pressure to pivot toward live-service models.
The Broader Industry Problem
The Splinter Cell to xDefiant story exemplifies a larger issue plaguing the gaming industry. Publishers increasingly pressure development teams to abandon single-player experiences in favor of live-service models that promise ongoing revenue streams. While some games succeed with this approach, many fail spectacularly when forced into molds that don’t fit their core design.
Former Telltale developers who joined Ubisoft San Francisco specifically to work on narrative-driven games found themselves instead creating a multiplayer shooter. Herman and several colleagues eventually left Ubisoft to form AdHoc Studio, where they developed Dispatch, a narrative-focused game that launched successfully in 2025. Their departure highlights how corporate decisions can drive creative talent away from major publishers.
What Could Have Been
A narrative-driven Splinter Cell game from developers with proven storytelling credentials could have filled a genuine gap in the market. Single-player stealth games have become increasingly rare, and the Splinter Cell franchise carries significant brand recognition. Instead, Ubisoft chose to compete in the oversaturated free-to-play shooter space, where even well-funded projects struggle to survive.
The decision cost Ubisoft millions in development expenses, damaged the Splinter Cell brand’s reputation, and ultimately resulted in studio closures and job losses. Whether the company will learn from this expensive lesson remains to be seen, though their statement about applying xDefiant’s lessons to future projects suggests they may not be abandoning the live-service model entirely.
FAQs
What happened to the Splinter Cell game Ubisoft San Francisco was developing?
According to former developers, Ubisoft San Francisco began working on a new Splinter Cell game in 2017, but corporate pressure to create a live-service shooter led to the project being transformed into xDefiant instead. The original Splinter Cell concept was abandoned entirely.
Why did xDefiant shut down so quickly after launch?
xDefiant failed to attract and retain enough players to compete in the crowded free-to-play shooter market. Despite initial enthusiasm, concurrent player counts dropped significantly within months of launch. Ubisoft decided the game wasn’t generating sufficient revenue to justify continued investment.
Is the Splinter Cell remake still happening?
Yes, the Splinter Cell remake remains in active development at Ubisoft Toronto under the codename North. While official updates have been scarce, industry sources indicate the project is making progress with a tentative release window of 2026.
What happened to Ubisoft San Francisco after xDefiant closed?
Ubisoft permanently closed the San Francisco studio following xDefiant’s cancellation in December 2024. A total of 143 employees lost their jobs as a result. The closure also affected Ubisoft’s Osaka studio and led to downsizing in Sydney.
Who reported the story about Splinter Cell becoming xDefiant?
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier broke the story in November 2025 as part of a larger report on the game Dispatch. Nick Herman, co-founder of AdHoc Studio and former Ubisoft San Francisco developer, confirmed the details about the canceled Splinter Cell project.
Will there ever be a new Splinter Cell game beyond the remake?
Nothing has been officially announced beyond the remake currently in development at Ubisoft Toronto. Given the franchise’s dormancy since 2013 and the failed attempt to transform it into a live-service game, future entries likely depend on how well the remake performs.
What is AdHoc Studio and what happened to the developers who left Ubisoft?
AdHoc Studio is an independent game developer founded in 2018 by former Telltale and Ubisoft veterans including Nick Herman. The team successfully released Dispatch in 2025, a narrative-driven game that reflects their original creative vision before corporate pressures changed the Splinter Cell project.
Conclusion
The transformation of a promising Splinter Cell game into the failed xDefiant shooter represents one of the more unfortunate decisions in recent Ubisoft history. What began as an opportunity to revitalize a beloved stealth franchise with talented narrative developers became a cautionary tale about chasing live-service trends at the expense of creative vision. The result was a game nobody asked for that satisfied neither Splinter Cell fans nor the competitive shooter audience Ubisoft hoped to capture. With the San Francisco studio now closed and over a hundred developers out of work, the cost of this strategic miscalculation extends far beyond disappointing sales figures. For Splinter Cell fans, hope now rests entirely with the Toronto-developed remake, assuming Ubisoft allows that team to complete their vision without similar interference. The industry will be watching closely to see if publishers finally learn that not every franchise needs to become a live-service game.