Earlier this month, Ubisoft revealed that Ghost Recon Wildlands would be following in the steps of other Tom Clancy titles by getting another year of content. Titles like Rainbow Six Siege and The Division have moved into the live service category, where the developer releases fewer games per year but continues to keep existing games relevant by adding additional content and updates.
The big news for the Special Operations I update for Year 2 of Ghost Recon arrived last week when Ubisoft revealed a crossover event with the Splinter Cell franchise. With the mission now live, players are discovering a possible hint at what’s coming for Ubisoft’s stealth action series.
After wrapping up the new PvE mission called Operation Watchman, players are treated to a cutscene between Sam Fisher and the Ghosts handler, Karen Bowman. The two clearly have a history, as Sam calls her by a different name, Linda. The two begin to chat about a situation reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff about a possible “empty quiver,” a military term referring to a missing nuclear weapon. This piece of information isn’t explored further in Ghost Recon Wildlands, with Sam appearing to leave after the cutscene, potentially implying that this is a story beat that could be used as the background for a new Splinter Cell title.
Part of the reason why this update excited fans so much is that the last game released in the series, Splinter Cell Blacklist, arrived over four years ago with not much news heard from the franchise since. Considering that the majority of the other Tom Clancy titles have been well represented since then, fans have begun to wonder when Sam Fisher would be given a turn in the spotlight as well. With Michael Ironside reprising the iconic role in Wildlands, his first since Splinter Cell Conviction, and with E3 right around the corner, fan speculation is naturally running wild.
Ubisoft has remained silent on the return of Sam Fisher and the Splinter Cell franchise, however. During an AMA session on Reddit last year, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stopped short of confirming a new game but teased that the next entry was in development. Rumors have continued to circulate over the past few years, with one going as far as indicating that not only was a new game in development, but Michael Ironside would be voicing Sam Fisher once more. With Ironside back for this special Ghost Recon mission, it’ll be interesting to see if this was a one-time thing or a glimpse at the future.
Ghost Recon Wildlands is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
