There have already been a lot of new Splinter Cell game reportedly on the horizon, what new subtitle will Ubisoft use next?
It isn't just the Splinter Cell games which have followed this pattern; the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell novels each have their own subtitles as well. Following the first novel (also called simply Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell) in 2004, books like Operation Barracuda, Checkmate, Fallout, Endgame, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist: Aftermath seem to imply that this particular naming system is a series preference, and players can expect any new Splinter Cell games - if they aren't just called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell once again - will follow the same pattern.
After so many seemingly randomized subtitles, it can be difficult to come up with something that feels both unique and marketable. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is already quite a long name, and adding in the extra characters and syllables to reach Pandora Tomorrow or Double Agent feels a little excessive. Splinter Cell: Conviction and Splinter Cell: Blacklist, conversely, roll off the tongue a bit easier but are less intriguing. Whatever kind of gameplay the new Splinter Cell game from Ubisoft will deliver, it needs to have a memorable title.
What Ubisoft's New Splinter Cell Won't Be Called
Right now there are no guarantees that Ubisoft is actually working on a new Splinter Cell game, although there have been numerous rumors and reports which indicate the company's plans. Sam Fisher is a beloved video game character who players have been hoping to see return for a while, so it is likely something bigger than his inclusion in another franchise may be revealed soon. What this theoretical new Splinter Cell game could be called, however, is anyone's guess. Here are some options that Ubisoft probably won't use:
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Hearts of Darkness
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Assignments
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Duty's End
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Obfuscation
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Ambition
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Odinson
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Tower Defense
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Evolutions
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Target Point
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Unloaded
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Discovery
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Outlands
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Final Frontier
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Black Hole
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Keymaster
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Generations
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Judgement Call
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Nemesis
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Black Flag (Assassin's Creed crossover)
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Open Season
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Redemption
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Origins
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Athena Rising
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: The Ballad of Sam Fisher
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Under Threat
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Airspace Down
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Revelations
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Unity
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Breakpoint
What This New Splinter Cell Game Could Be About
While it's unlikely Ubisoft would make an entire game based around the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and the Assassin's Creed franchise crossing over together, it could make for some enjoyable references if Sam Fisher had to at least spend one mission infiltrating an Abstergo office. The company is already known for high-tech security and a penchant for dangerous or powerful secrets, and Sam would be the perfect person (besides a highly trained Assassin) to sneak into a present-day Templar stronghold. Tying in the offices players already are familiar with from the non-pirate sections of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag would be even more enjoyable - and offer Sam little opportunities to hide in the shadows, which could lead to exciting gameplay situations.
Whatever Ubisoft decides to do with Splinter Cell, it is likely more players would appreciate a return to the mission-based formula of the company's earlier games as opposed to the giant open world RPG hybrid system many present-day Ubisoft offerings have. A game titled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Breakpoint, for instance, should not have the same elements of Ubisoft's recent Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon games. Far Cry 6 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla both feature enemies with numeric level values, but bullet-spongey NPCs would be completely out of place in a new Splinter Cell game. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is about realistic stealth, and any new title should reflect that. Players the original Splinter Cell games fondly for their high-concept realistic military and government-focused, tightly packed stories, and open world collectibles and bloat would only make these aspects worse.
Of all the titles on the above list, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Athena Rising could be one of the most interesting. This would be somewhat of a parallel to Pandora Tomorrow - if the Greek names weren't enough of an indication already - and could feature Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher attempting to stop some sort of dangerous satellite program called "Athena." Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Revelations, while somewhat generic, could also be an intriguing subtitle for the next Splinter Cell game, one which indicates that perhaps there are still things about Sam's past that players have yet to uncover. Conversely, a Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Origins could show players the very first missions Sam Fisher ever went on, or perhaps introduce a new protagonist to take the series into the future.
The most unoriginal thing Ubisoft could do is simply call the new Splinter Cell game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell once again. Just because a franchise has been dormant for a while doesn't mean the reboot needs to use the exact same title as the original game, and over time it just becomes confusing. Mortal Kombat came out in 1992, and Mortal Kombat came out in 2011. DOOM came out in 1993, and DOOM came out in 2016. The original Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was released in 2002, and no game that launches in 2022 or 2023 should be called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell all over again.