AdHoc Studio Founders Spill: Ubisoft’s GaaS Obsession Killed Their Splinter Cell Dream
In a bombshell Bloomberg exposé that’s reignited the eternal “Where’s Sam Fisher?” debate, the founders of breakout hit Dispatch, Nick Herman, Dennis Lenart, and Pierre Shorette, revealed they ditched Telltale Games in 2017 to resurrect Ubisoft’s stealth icon at the publisher’s San Francisco studio. “I was excited to help revitalize the saga… tell a great story fans would love,” Herman told Bloomberg. Dream team assembled, Splinter Cell prototype humming, until Ubisoft’s live-service fever dream struck. The single-player stealth sim morphed into XDefiant, the free-to-play arena shooter that launched May 21, 2024, only to flatline June 3, 2025, shuttering two studios and 300 jobs amid player droughts. Ouch. XDefiant producer Mark Rubin fired back on X: “That is not true… we canceled, a different ambitious project] and pitched an arena shooter.” Bloomberg’s since pulled/updated the piece amid the dust-up, but the tale’s a cautionary GaaS epitaph, and a win for AdHoc’s indie pivot.
Ubisoft’s Pivot: Stealth to Service Shooter in the Name of “Chasing CoD Bucks”
The trio joined Ubisoft SF post-Telltale’s Walking Dead glory, pitching a narrative-driven Splinter Cell to fill the void since Blacklist (2013, 7M sold). But as Yves Guillemot’s “all studios GaaS or bust” edict hit (echoing Skull & Bones and The Crew), single-player didn’t fit. “Ubisoft lost interest… shifted to compete with Call of Duty,” per insiders. Enter XDefiant: faction-based multiplayer with Tom Clancy flair (Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell operators), monetized skins, and seasons chasing Warzone‘s throne. It peaked at 700K players but hemorrhaged to 20K by shutdown, costing Ubisoft $100M+. Rubin’s denial clarifies: No direct Splinter Cell pivot, pre-existing project axed, arena shooter reborn. Still, the timing stings fans; X erupted: “Ubisoft sacrificed Sam Fisher for this?”
AdHoc Rises: From Ubisoft Exit to Dispatch’s Breakout Glory
Burned out by 2018, the founders recruited ex-Telltale vet Michael Choung, birthed AdHoc Studio, and scripted The Wolf Among Us 2 for Telltale’s revival (stalled in limbo; writers confirm they’ve “moved on,” no 2025 release). Pivot to Dispatch: Episodic superhero workplace comedy (Oct 22-Nov 12, 2025, PS5/PC), blending The Boys satire with choice-driven management. Critical Role collab (Laura Bailey voicing) fueled its TGA Best Debut Indie nom and Steam top-seller status, 8 episodes of misfit heroes, hazard dispatching, and “obnoxious fun” (Kotaku). Pandemic delays? Overcame via indie grit and Bailey’s hookup. “Mucizenin bir araya gelmesi” (miracle convergence), as one Turkish post nailed it.
Splinter Cell’s Shadow: Remake Teases, But New Game? Crickets
Fans’ pain? Valid, 13+ years since Blacklist. Ubisoft Toronto’s Snowdrop remake of the 2002 original (announced 2021) got Pandora Tomorrow on Steam (Oct 14, 2025), but radio silence on progress. Rumors swirl of 2025/26 drops, but post-XDefiant fallout and Tencent’s IP grip (Prince of Persia vibes), hope’s dim. X rants: “Sell Splinter Cell, let IOI revive it!” Netflix’s animated series (2025) whets appetites, but single-player Sam’s starving.
AdHoc’s saga? GaaS graveyard to indie triumph. Ubisoft? Another self-inflicted wound. Fans, console or bust?
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For Dispatch patches, Splinter Cell rumors, and Ubisoft drama, follow AdHoc on X. Hyped4.com’s stealthy, Sam Fisher’s watching.