Is Michael Ironside Returning To The Splinter Cell Series In A New Game? - Report

Is Michael Ironside Returning To The Splinter Cell Series In A New Game? - Report

24
Dom Peppiatt

NeoGAF user Crossing Eden has created a thread on the games community detailing a possible new Splinter Cell project featuring Michael Ironside who'll return as iconic character Sam Fisher.

The user has proven before that they have reliable contacts at Ubisoft (thanks to leaks regarding Watch Dogs 2 and Assassin's Creed Syndicate), and detailed the following on NeoGAF:

"Regarding other games, I haven't been involved with Steep or Wildlands, but I was surprised Splinter Cell didn't appear at E3. I know Ironside is back. He was in the studio, I said Hi to him and his daughter. He was shooting a movie with Amy Jo Johnson, and I know someone who worked on that set and Ironside confirmed to him he was doing the new Splinter Cell. I know Toronto has the mocap studio for it. I'm hoping to hear or see something unofficial, if not official, this year, but its been hard to get anything beyond 'It's Happening'."

In an update to the post, Crossing Eden continues:
"To throw a date on this: I did see Ironside and one his daughters at the [Toronto] studio last summer. This was just good timing, as I was there on other business. I have two sources who worked on the set of The Space Between, which was shooting in TO. Ironside mentioned he was working on a new Splinter Cell. One source is someone I trust, the other is an acquaintance by degrees.

"The movie shoot overlapped the same week as my encounter. As I understand it, he was here for the movie first and worked in the studio visit while in town. None of us is bound by NDA over this, given our connections and circumstances, but it still feels shady to talk about since it's not official. I was surprised I hadn't seen this news from someone else by now, to be honest. I know Ubisoft [Toronto] has a wonderful new mocap studio.

While I did express disappointment it wasn't shown at E3, this thing could be early along. I haven't seen actual in-game assets or production assets for myself (like the Syndicate extra timeline story). I don't know who is making it. I know other dev studios have used the mocap studio.

"Remember Ubisoft studios collaborate often. The [Toronto] studio contributed content to Watch_Dogs 2, and For Honor also takes up a chunk there. I'd like to say this was another [Toronto] take on the franchise, but I will not until I know more."
Ironside was replaced by Eric Johnson for Ubisoft's 2013 game Splinter Cell: Blacklist, so if this rumour is true, it'd be the first time Ironside has returned to the franchise since Conviction in 2010.
 
There's a Splinter Cell film in the works currently, so it would make sense for Ubisoft to ride the momentum of the franchise with a new game.
 
We'll have more news on this story as it's debunked or confirmed.
Comments
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  • I don't know how I feel about this. I LOVED Ironside's Sam Fisher over the years, but I really liked Eric Johnson's performance, and to switch between the two could be jarring. I don't know.
  • Good. Blacklist as a whole just felt like a really sub-par entry in the franchise to me. Plus, Johnson had pretty big shoes to fill, and to me he didn't do that great of a job. Getting Ironside back would be a huge step in the right direction.
  • I would like to see a splinter cell 1 2 and 3 collection for the xbox one, remade, but I would also accept a remastered version.
  • i didn't mind eric Johnson but for me ironside is still sam fisher I actually wanted Johnson to take on the role of a brand new agent but with sam who's aging now played by ironside take on a back seat role like a new lambert rather than replace him. @3 agreed
  • If I can just get a new Splinter Cell in 2017/18, I'll be stoked!
  • Sam Fisher returning as Sam Fisher? About damn fucking time.
  • Sounds Fishy to me
  • Blacklist was a good game but hated the new guy's voice. Ironside is the only Sam Fisher.
  • I thought we'd moved passed this. Just move on and let him go. He's old. He's gonna die eventaully. so better to move on now, then later.
  • New Splinter Cell game must return to it's roots from original SC games (1-3). Have everything from SC 1-3 with more depth gameplay and feel more darkness then ever before and lots of gadgets to uses. Conviction and Black List is felt very different games and both should has being new IP instead of SC. :) I loved first SC game where you went throughout ton of office rooms and using some computers to find emails, information, cameras etc... and lots of dark areas to hide from bastards. :) :) :)
  • Hell yea this is good news for me. I have beat all the splinter cells. I love this game. Ah new would be lit af. But i would rather ya make it for Scorpio and not this consoles.
  • Ironside IS Fisher. No one else is capable of doing half as good as he does. Blacklist really fell through for me without Michael.
  • They put Agent 47 back to doing what he does best...hits. No more of this grand over-arching storylines BS. They need to do the same for Sam Fisher. They need to make the game like the first three. Sneaking into bases, buildings, maybe an assassination. I'd love for them to do the same thing for Sam as Hitman. Make a 'Greatest Hits' compilation for Sam. 'Yeah, I remember when I snuck into that base in Cuba...' (screen goes hazy as you play through the level)
  • Yes yes yes yes please be true
  • @11 Scorpio isn't going to have any exclusive games.
  • My game won't be in english so I kinda don't care. Still happy for the rest of you. What I'm really happy about is that they're FINALLY starting to talk about a sequel. It's been a loooong time since Blacklist !
  • I loved Blacklist. I guess I'm in the minority.
  • @17 I loved Blacklist too. Maybe my favorite after Chaos Theory. Pretty sure Michael Ironside worked on Blacklist too, if only as a coach to Eric Johnson. So this doesn't necessarily mean he's Sam again. Not that I'd complain. But maybe it is time to put him in the Lambert role...
  • He bloody better be back.
  • @2 Plus Blacklist was easy as hell on the hardest difficulty.... I would really like a new Splinter Cell game. It felt weird that we didn't see one at this E3
  • when Ironside got replaced I lost interest in splinter cell but now his coming back is fantastic news.
  • I'm okay with them using the new guy for the body, but I'd really prefer if they left the voice to Ironside, he's awesome. I love splinter cell, I was worried that they wouldn't make anymore of them and would just create a new IP that was somewhat similar, after Clancey's death.
  • If this is true, then I'll be really pleased. Splinter Cell's just not the same without Ironside.
  • I thought Blacklist was one of the best Splinter Cell's made, Haven't enjoyed a SC that much since Chaos Theory.
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