The gaming internet loves a good controversy, and this week delivered a messy one. Nick Herman, co-founder of AdHoc Studio and former Ubisoft developer, claimed that a Splinter Cell game he was working on got canceled so Ubisoft could chase live-service money with XDefiant instead. Then Mark Rubin, XDefiant’s former executive producer, publicly shot that claim down. Now we’re left trying to figure out who’s telling the truth.
What Nick Herman Actually Said
Nick Herman didn’t mince words during a recent interview. He revealed that back in 2017, he was working at Ubisoft alongside Dennis Lenart and Pierre Shorette on a Splinter Cell game. According to Herman, the first six months were exciting because the team believed they were creating something truly special.
Then everything changed. Herman claims Ubisoft lost interest in the project because it wasn’t a live-service game. The company was chasing that Games as a Service money, trying to create their own Call of Duty competitor. According to Herman, the Splinter Cell project got canceled, and what eventually emerged from that team was XDefiant, the free-to-play arena shooter that launched in May 2024 and was already announced to be shutting down by December 2024.
Mark Rubin Sets the Record Straight
Mark Rubin wasn’t having any of it. On November 15, 2025, he took to social media to categorically deny Herman’s claims. Rubin stated that the game his team inherited when he arrived at Ubisoft was NOT a Splinter Cell game. According to Rubin, a different team had been struggling for about a year with a very ambitious project that just wasn’t finding its fun factor.
Here’s where things get interesting. Rubin admits that project got canceled, but he insists it was never a Splinter Cell title during his involvement. After the cancellation, Rubin let the team pitch whatever game ideas they wanted. They quickly settled on an arena shooter concept that eventually became XDefiant. The narrative that Ubisoft simply switched genres from stealth to shooter doesn’t match Rubin’s version of events at all.
Who’s Actually Right Here
This is where things get messy, because both developers might be telling their own version of the truth. Herman’s timeline places him at Ubisoft working on a Splinter Cell game in 2017. Rubin acknowledges that a Splinter Cell game was discussed at Ubisoft before he arrived, but he maintains it was never in active development during his tenure there.
It’s entirely possible that Herman was indeed working on a Splinter Cell concept that got shelved, and then later, a completely different project was started that eventually became XDefiant. These might be two separate stories about two different canceled games that people are conflating into one narrative.
The XDefiant Timeline Makes This Messier
XDefiant officially launched in May 2024 after years of development. The game was positioned as Ubisoft’s answer to Call of Duty, a free-to-play arena shooter featuring characters and factions from various Ubisoft franchises like Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and The Division. It had a strong launch with record-breaking organic growth.
But it didn’t last. On December 3, 2024, Mark Rubin confirmed that XDefiant would be shutting down on June 3, 2025. The game lasted just 54 weeks from launch to shutdown announcement. That’s an absolutely brutal failure for what was supposed to be Ubisoft’s big live-service hit. Rubin cited the difficulties of the free-to-play market as the primary reason for the shutdown.
What This Says About Ubisoft’s Priorities
Regardless of which developer is correct about the specific timeline, Herman’s broader point still resonates with a lot of people. Ubisoft has been criticized for years for chasing live-service trends at the expense of beloved single-player franchises. Splinter Cell hasn’t had a new mainline entry since Blacklist in 2013. That’s over 12 years of nothing for fans of Sam Fisher.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft has poured resources into live-service projects that often fail spectacularly. XDefiant is just the latest example. The game couldn’t sustain itself despite what Rubin described as great initial player passion and record-breaking organic growth. According to Rubin’s own critique after leaving Ubisoft, the company failed to invest in the long-term marketing and resources needed to transition a successful launch into an enduring title.
The Splinter Cell Remake Is Still Happening
Here’s the silver lining for Splinter Cell fans – the remake is reportedly still in development with a target release by the end of 2026. Ubisoft announced the Splinter Cell Remake back in 2021, and while there have been concerns about its status, the company confirmed in January 2025 that it’s one of several major titles scheduled for release by late 2026.
However, there are warning signs. In October 2025, reports emerged that Ubisoft Toronto posted a job listing for a director for the Splinter Cell Remake, suggesting the project may have lost its director. The game hasn’t appeared in any major trailers or gameplay videos for years, which is concerning for something supposedly releasing in 2026.
The Bigger Picture of Game Development
This whole situation highlights something important about game development that fans don’t always see. Projects get canceled, reworked, and transformed all the time. Teams inherit projects from other teams. Mandates change based on corporate priorities. What starts as one type of game can morph into something completely different.
Herman and Rubin could both be telling the truth about their experiences while seemingly contradicting each other. Herman might have worked on a Splinter Cell concept in 2017 that got canceled. Rubin might have arrived later to work on a completely different project that also got canceled before his team created XDefiant. These aren’t mutually exclusive possibilities.
FAQs
Did Ubisoft cancel Splinter Cell to make XDefiant?
According to Mark Rubin, former XDefiant executive producer, no. He states the project his team inherited was not a Splinter Cell game. However, former developer Nick Herman claims he was working on a Splinter Cell game in 2017 that was canceled, suggesting there may have been multiple projects involved.
Who is Mark Rubin?
Mark Rubin was the executive producer of XDefiant at Ubisoft. He previously worked on Call of Duty titles at Infinity Ward and Activision before joining Ubisoft. He left Ubisoft after XDefiant was announced to be shutting down.
Who is Nick Herman?
Nick Herman is the co-founder of AdHoc Studio and a former Ubisoft developer. He claims he worked on a Splinter Cell game at Ubisoft in 2017 alongside Dennis Lenart and Pierre Shorette before it was canceled.
When is XDefiant shutting down?
XDefiant servers will remain active until June 3, 2025. The game launched in May 2024, meaning it will have lasted just over one year. New downloads and player registrations were disabled in November 2024.
Is the Splinter Cell Remake still happening?
Yes, Ubisoft has confirmed the Splinter Cell Remake is still in development with a planned release by the end of 2026. However, there are concerns about the project’s status after job listings appeared for a director position.
When was the last Splinter Cell game?
The last mainline Splinter Cell game was Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which released in 2013. That means it’s been over 12 years since Sam Fisher appeared in a new game.
Why did XDefiant fail?
According to Mark Rubin, XDefiant failed due to the difficulties of the free-to-play market and lack of sustained marketing and resources. Despite strong initial player engagement, Ubisoft didn’t invest enough in long-term support to maintain the player base.
Conclusion
The truth about whether Splinter Cell was canceled to make XDefiant probably lies somewhere in the messy middle between Herman’s and Rubin’s accounts. What’s clear is that Ubisoft has spent years chasing live-service hits while beloved franchises like Splinter Cell gathered dust. XDefiant’s spectacular failure – lasting barely a year before shutdown – makes the whole situation even more bitter for fans who just want to see Sam Fisher return. The Splinter Cell Remake is supposedly still coming in 2026, but given Ubisoft’s track record and the project’s concerning signs, fans would be wise to keep their expectations in check. For now, the only thing we know for certain is that two developers who worked at Ubisoft have very different memories of what happened, and neither version is particularly encouraging.