Ubisoft just updated its Splinter Cell trademark amid reports of a new game

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Could this point to Sam Fisher's eventual return?

Splinter Cell: Blacklist
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

A Splinter Cell trademark has been updated by Ubisoft, amid reports the company is working on a new entry for the series.

The trademark, filed on December 6 (via Justia Trademarks) is a renewal of a previously-filed Splinter Cell trademark from May 2017. The recent set of changes (via TheGamePost), removes the phrase "interactive multi-player computer games" from the filing, replacing it with "providing an online computer game."

That could mean that there'll be online elements to a future Splinter Cell game, but that Ubisoft is walking back some previously-planned PvE or co-op elements. Beyond those details, however, it's difficult to glean much from the refreshed trademark beyond the developer's potential desire to do something with the franchise. 

Both reports state that the development projects aren't very far along, so don't expect Sam Fisher's return particularly soon. Still, the new trademark is an official ray of hope for a franchise that hasn't seen a new entry since 2013's Blacklist - the result of Ubisoft's wariness of the pressure of creating a new Splinter Cell game. Other than a VR game announced last September, fans have had a pretty quiet eight years, but perhaps this latest action is the start of a stealthy turnaround.

Ali Jones
Ali Jones
Managing Editor, News

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for news, shaping the news strategy across the team. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.