{"id":1860,"date":"2025-12-11T00:23:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T00:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/?p=1860"},"modified":"2025-12-01T22:28:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T22:28:41","slug":"former-developers-say-ubisoft-turned-new-splinter-cell-into-xdefiant-to-compete-with-call-of-duty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/games\/former-developers-say-ubisoft-turned-new-splinter-cell-into-xdefiant-to-compete-with-call-of-duty\/","title":{"rendered":"Former developers say Ubisoft turned new Splinter Cell into xDefiant to compete with Call of Duty"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Listen too<\/h2>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-1860-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/antigos-desenvolvedores-dizem-que-ubisoft-transformou-novo-splinter-cell-em-xdefiant-para-competir-c.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/antigos-desenvolvedores-dizem-que-ubisoft-transformou-novo-splinter-cell-em-xdefiant-para-competir-c.mp3\">https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/antigos-desenvolvedores-dizem-que-ubisoft-transformou-novo-splinter-cell-em-xdefiant-para-competir-c.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Ex-devs say Ubisoft has transformed the project <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong> in a live service shooting called <strong>xDefiant<\/strong> to try to emulate big competitors. They arrived excited and wanted to tell a good story, but the management preferred the format <strong><em>gaming as a service<\/em><\/strong>. The project changed course, became <strong><em>xDefiant<\/em><\/strong>was launched and then closed down. The people responsible left and founded the <strong>AdHoc<\/strong> and, with <strong>Dispatch<\/strong>have shown that there is an audience for <strong><em>single-player narrative<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"exfuncionriosafirmamquenovosplintercellvirouxdefiantenquantoubisoftbuscavajogoscomoservio\">Former employees claim new Splinter Cell became xDefiant while Ubisoft pursued games as a service<\/h2>\n<p>Former developers report that a new <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong> was redirected to a <strong>gaming as a service<\/strong> at the request of <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong>in an attempt to compete with the success of <strong>Call of Duty<\/strong>. The change would have led the studio to abandon the original narrative vision.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"oqueosexdesenvolvedoresrelatam\">What former developers report<\/h2>\n<p>Three former team members <strong>Nick Herman<\/strong>, <strong>Dennis Lenart<\/strong> e <strong>Pierre Shorette<\/strong>\u00a0have started work on a new <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong> after joining the <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong> in 2017, planning a narrative experience faithful to the series. According to reports, the company's management asked for a shift to a continuous model (games-as-a-service). The team tried to adapt the project, creating several prototypes to reconcile narrative and service mechanics, but the publisher's priority shifted to pursuing the competitive shooter market.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"linhadotempodoseventos\">Timeline of events<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2017<\/strong>\u00a0Herman, Lenart and Shorette enter the <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong> and start work on a <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2018<\/strong>\u00a0The management of <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong> calls for a change to a <strong>gaming as a service<\/strong>; the team develops prototypes trying to preserve the narrative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2018<\/strong>\u00a0The three left the company and founded the studio <strong>AdHoc<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2024<\/strong>\u00a0The transformed project is launched as <strong>xDefiant<\/strong>after lengthy tests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2025<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>xDefiant<\/strong> is closed about a year after its launch, despite having attracted millions of players.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2025<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>AdHoc<\/strong> spear <strong>Dispatch<\/strong>, which sells <strong>1 million<\/strong> of copies in <strong>10 days<\/strong>, demonstrating the demand for single-player games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"contextoeconsequncias\">Context and consequences<\/h2>\n<p>Reports indicate that the change in focus occurred because the <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong> sought to replicate successful formulas from major competitive shooters. The resulting game, <strong>xDefiant<\/strong>The game, which underwent prolonged testing, debuted in 2024 and was discontinued about a year later, even with a significant player base.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the original team proved that there is an audience for narrative games by releasing <strong>Dispatch<\/strong> by the studio <strong>AdHoc<\/strong>with rapid sales after launch. This difference in results suggests that different product strategies can lead to very different outcomes on the market.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Summary: Former developers claim that a <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong> was converted into a <strong>gaming as a service<\/strong> by <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong>; the final product, <strong>xDefiant<\/strong>was launched in 2024 and closed in 2025. The same group founded <strong>AdHoc<\/strong> and was successful with the narrative game <strong>Dispatch<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"concluso\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The case highlights a conflict between creative vision and market strategy. The original idea of a <strong>Splinter Cell<\/strong> focused on narrative has been replaced by the search for the <strong>Ubisoft<\/strong> by market formulas, resulting in <strong>xDefiant<\/strong>, a <strong>gaming as a service<\/strong> which ended up being shut down. The developers went another way with <strong>Dispatch<\/strong>proving that there is significant demand for well-executed single-player experiences.<\/p>\n<p>The lesson is clear: product strategy matters just as much as creative vision. Following in the footsteps of the big shooters doesn't always guarantee success; sometimes you have to bet on a different proposal to find an audience.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"fonteereferncia\">Source and reference<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Original story cited: https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/games\/splinter-cell\/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\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>More analysis and stories: https:\/\/redeblox.com.br<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(Direct reference to the report: https:\/\/www.gamesradar.com\/games\/splinter-cell\/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\/)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former developers say Ubisoft changed the new Splinter Cell to xDefiant to compete with Call of Duty - understand why and the consequences.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1861,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novidades"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1860"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1968,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1860\/revisions\/1968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redeblox.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}