Splinter Cell remake still happening, Ubisoft insists as it lays off 40 developers at the studio developing it

As Ubisoft continues to undergo the "major reset" the publisher's leadership announced last month, 40 developers at the company's Toronto studio have hit the chopping block. Ubisoft Toronto is the studio behind the long-promised Splinter Cell remake, and somehow, the company insists the project is still happening, even with all the layoffs.

"This decision was not taken lightly and does not in any way reflect the talent, dedication, or contributions of the individuals affected," a Ubisoft spokesperson tells Canadian tech outlet MobileSyrup. "Our priority now is to support them through this transition with comprehensive severance packages and robust career placement assistance." GamesRadar+ has reached out for comment.

Ubisoft additionally confirmed that it's still working on the Splinter Cell remake it first announced way back in 2021. I'd certainly forgive you for doubting Ubisoft's word here given that we haven't seen a single second of Sam Fisher's return even now, but hey, this is one game publisher that moves in mysterious ways. If Skull and Bones can make it to market after a decade in development hell, who knows what else is possible?

But equally, the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is officially dead, and Ubisoft's similar assurances that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still happening continue to ring pretty hollow. No game at a major publisher ever seems to be more than one mediocre financial quarter away from cancellation these days, and that remains true no matter how storied the franchise is.

More important than any individual game, of course, are the developers making them. We don't know the scale of the layoffs that will happen at Ubisoft overall in the months to come, but the company has ominously promised investors that it will "rightsize the new organization." A "voluntary" layoff plan that would cut 200 jobs is on the table at Ubisoft's Paris headquarters, and even with 40 more jobs lost in Toronto, I doubt we've seen the end of the cuts just yet.