New Splinter Cell will reportedly have a Halo Infinite-like open world

Ubisoft's new Splinter Cell game will have an open world similar to that of Halo Infinite's, according to notable leaker Tom Henderson.

Henderson, who has previously leaked accurate details on Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty: Vanguard, has claimed on Twitter that the new Splinter Cell game reportedly in the works is in early development, and is "currently scoped" as an "open world of sorts", describing the title as a "more stealthy version of Assassin's Creed".

The leaker went on to claim that this open-world setting will be "similar to how Halo Infinite has done its open world". Halo Infinite's open world, called Zeta Halo, is pretty vast, offering unique and self-contained sections within it. This world has a mix of main and side missions for players to take on, as well as collectibles to hoover up, and as you complete more main missions, more sections of the map begin to open up.

It's a slightly more linear approach to an open world, and one which, according to Henderson, Ubisoft has liked enough to implement in the new Splinter Cell game.

Analysis: we could find out more soon

As always, it's worth taking this rumor with a big ol' pinch of salt. While Henderson has been accurate in the past, there have been no official details about the new Splinter Cell thus far – in fact, Ubisoft hasn't even officially announced that it's in the works.

However, several reports (including one by Henderson) claim that a new mainline Splinter Cell game is in the works, while Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot suggested back in 2019, in an interview with IGN, that the publisher was ready to revive the series.

We're hoping that this Splinter Cell game will be officially announced at The Game Awards 2021 taking place later this week. The event's host and producer Geoff Keighley has already teased that there will be "four or five things" as big as the Elden Ring gameplay reveal at Summer Game Fest 2021. 

We imagine that if the game does make an appearance we'll only get a short teaser/announcement trailer for it, given that the title is rumored to still be in early development. 

That said, any (well, most) new Splinter Cell game news is welcome. The last mainline Splinter Cell game, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, was released back in 2013, meaning that it's been eight years since we've seen a new mainline entry in the stealth-action series. 

Since then, fans have been crying out for a new Splinter Cell game, but have consistently been disappointed. The series' protagonist Sam Fisher has appeared in Rainbow Six Siege as an Operator and, last year, Ubisoft announced a new Splinter Cell VR game – but there's been no official word on a fully-fledged new series entry.

With the rumors gaining more traction, it's likely that, if there is a new Splinter Cell in the works, it won't be long until we get official word on it.

• How to watch The Game Awards 2021