Skip to main content

Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher is sneaking his way into ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - Special Operation 1: Splinter Cell | Ubisoft [NA]

Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell series has been dormant since the release of Splinter Cell Blacklist in 2013, but protagonist Sam Fisher is about to make his way into another Tom Clancy game. As part of Ghost Recon Wildlands’ free “Special Operations I” content update, Fisher will be making the trip to Bolivia.

Recommended Videos

The mission will send Sam Fisher to Bolivia to investigate the leak personally, with the help of the Ghosts already in the region. Presumably, the operation will require a little bit less noise than the Ghosts are used to, which is slightly ironic considering their name.

In the full announcement, Ubisoft revealed the event will be live from April 10 until May 2, and from April 12 until April 15, the game will be free to play — this means even those without a copy of Wildlands can join Fisher on his mission.

A trailer was also released alongside the announcement, packed with Michael Ironside’s voice-over work. Fisher’s sarcasm and dark humor appear to be back in full force after being mostly absent from Blacklist, though his equipment seems to be lifted directly from that game.

You won’t be playing as Fisher in the free mission, but will be assisting him as he infiltrates a “heavily guarded camp.” Upon completing it, you gain access to Fisher’s famous three-lensed goggles, and those who purchase the Year 2 content pass will also receive Splinter Cell-themed guns and Fisher’s karambit knife.

The event also adds the new Echelon class to the multiplayer Ghost War mode. This class uses a sonar pulse to spot hidden enemies as well as weaponry and gadgets inspired by Splinter Cell. It’s available for purchase using the game’s Prestige currency and is also included in the Year 2 pass, where it’s available a week earlier than it is for others.

The inclusion of Fisher in Ghost Recon Wildlands only adds more fuel to the Splinter Cell rumor fire. Last month, an Amazon Canada listing for “Splinter Cell 2018” was briefly made public before being removed. At E3 2017, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot acknowledged the series’ passionate fans and said the company “not forgetting” Splinter Cell, but offered little in the way of concrete details on a sequel.

In 2016, we heard reports that Michael Ironside would be returning to the Fisher role, though this has been the first official confirmation. He was replaced by fellow Canadian Eric Johnson in Blacklist, as the part required full-performance capture and Ironside was already over 60. The decision was met with criticism from fans who viewed Fisher and Ironside as inseparable.

Presumably, Ironside won’t be doing his own stunts if he returns to voice the character in a new game, but he is a method actor.

Ghost Recon Wildlands is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Updated on April 9: Added information from the full announcement, including a new trailer.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Everything revealed in the Mario Kart World Direct: A Rewind feature and more
Mario in Mario Kart World.

Today's Mario Kart World Direct revealed much more information about the upcoming title, and it looks like a great blend of familiar fun with a whole lot of new gameplay elements. From the Free Roam feature that lets you explore the entirety of the world to a slew of new tricks that include grinding on rails, Mario Kart World looks like the refresh the series needed.

Let's start with the courses. There are numerous courses scattered throughout the map, each one thematically influenced by its surrounding geography. The Direct demoed the Mario Bros. Circuit, Crown City, the canal-focused Salty Salty Speedway, snowy Starview Peak, Boo Cinema, Toad's Factory, Peach Beach, Wario Shipyard, and more. Classic courses make a comeback, but with a few tweaks to the tracks you know and love.

Read more
Star Wars Outlaw’s second DLC trailer leaked its release date a day early
Kay Vess stands next to arcade cabinets in Star Wars Outlaws.

The trailer for Star War's Outlaws' DLC A Pirate's Fortune seems to have been published early by accident and revealed a release date: May 15, 2025. Ubisoft has already taken down the leaked trailer, but not before fans snapped plenty of screenshots. Better yet, a demo for Star Wars Outlaws is also available starting today on the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. Unfortunately, your save will not carry over to the game, if you choose to purchase it after trying it out.

The demo features roughly three hours of non-consecutive gameplay, letting players experience different aspects of the game. It's not just a few hours at the start, so it makes sense that the saved data won't transfer.

Read more
This Gigabyte gaming laptop with RTX 4060, 32GB of RAM is on sale for just $1,000
The Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop on a white background.

Gamers with a budget of $1,000 for their next device: Set your sights on the Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop. It's a relatively affordable option that greatly exceeds expectations, and it's on sale from Best Buy with a $200 discount on its original price of $1,200. We highly recommend proceeding with your purchase as soon as possible though, as there's no telling when the offer will expire. The gaming laptop could be back to its regular price as soon as tomorrow, so hurry!

Why you should buy the Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop

Read more