Ubisoft turned a new Splinter Cell game into the failed live-service shooter xDefiant in an effort to chase live service hits and Call of Duty, former devs say

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Single-Player Success of Dispatch Highlights Missed Opportunities in Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell Revival

The strong early success of Dispatch—a narrative-driven superhero adventure from AdHoc Studio—demonstrates that there remains a significant market for high-quality, story-focused single-player games. Ironically, several of AdHoc’s founding developers attempted to prove this years earlier at Ubisoft, where their efforts to revive Splinter Cell were ultimately derailed by management’s push toward live-service monetization.

A Promising Start at Ubisoft

After their work on Tales from the Borderlands, Telltale Games veterans Nick Herman, Dennis Lenart, and Pierre Shorette joined Ubisoft in 2017. According to a report from Bloomberg, the trio began early development on a new, story-driven Splinter Cell installment—a project they believed could reinvigorate the long-dormant franchise.

Herman recalls his enthusiasm clearly:

“I was so excited to be a part of this and help revitalize it… we thought we could tell a great story and do something the fans would love.”

The Shift Toward Live Service

However, as development progressed, Ubisoft executives increasingly steered the project toward a live-service model—seeking their own version of a recurring, monetizable hit similar to Call of Duty. Herman and his team attempted to adapt their narrative approach to fit this new direction.

“Let’s make a narrative GAAS game,” Herman explained. “We were trying to make that make sense, and a lot of cool prototypes were made.”

Despite their efforts, Ubisoft’s interest in the narrative-focused approach faded. The project eventually evolved into xDefiant, a multiplayer shooter that underwent years of testing before finally launching in 2024—only to shut down roughly a year later, despite boasting over 15 million players.

Creative Frustration and Departure

The shift in priorities took a toll.
Herman summarizes the team’s experience:

“It was exciting to go to work for the first six months because we thought we were going to be able to make something really great… and then you realize that all of the things you care about, they don’t anymore.”

By 2018, Herman, Lenart, and Shorette departed Ubisoft, later founding AdHoc Studio alongside fellow Telltale veteran Michael Choung.

The Success of Dispatch: Proof of a Hungry Audience

AdHoc’s recent release, Dispatch, reached 1 million sales in just 10 days, validating the long-held belief among its creators that audiences are still eager for well-crafted, narrative-driven single-player games.

Yet, as the article suggests, this scale of success does not align with Ubisoft’s metrics. While Dispatch sold impressively for a narrative indie project, Ubisoft’s own xDefiant shut down despite accumulating more than 15 million players—an indicator of how differently the publisher measures value.

Conclusion

The story of Dispatch and the abandoned Splinter Cell revival highlights a broader tension within the industry: creative teams continue to believe in the power of premium, story-focused experiences, while major publishers increasingly chase live-service longevity and blockbuster monetization.

AdHoc’s success suggests that single-player storytelling still resonates deeply with players—perhaps more than some major publishers expect.

References (APA Style)

  • Schreier, J. (2025). Former Telltale devs left Ubisoft after Splinter Cell project pivoted to live service, sources say. Bloomberg.

  • Ubisoft Entertainment. (2024). xDefiant [Video game]. Ubisoft.

  • AdHoc Studio. (2025). Dispatch [Video game]. AdHoc Studio.

  • Herman, N. (2025). Interview statements cited in Bloomberg report on Splinter Cell development.

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