Watch Ubisoft pay tribute to Metal Gear Solid in the latest Ghost Recon Wildlands DLC

By Jez Corden
last updated

Sam Fisher of Splinter Cell fame has reappeared in a recent Ghost Recon: Wildlands DLC, and in it, he pays tribute to another famed stealth action hero.

Rumors about a new Splinter Cell title from Ubisoft have reached fever pitch, as the company recently put out a new DLC featuring the game's hero, Sam Fisher, complete with the original actor Michael Ironside.

Ghost: Recon Wildlands is an open world tactical shooter set in Bolivia, where players can take to land, air, and the shadows to combat dangerous drug cartels. The game has received several DLCs in recent times, extending the life of the game, and improving the overall sandbox experience.

The most recent DLC offers a special mission alongside Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher, possibly hinting at a franchise revival. During the mission, however, Fisher pays homage to none other than Snake, from Hideo Kojima's beloved Metal Gear Solid stealth series (via Ryan McCaffrey and ImperatorOfPuns).

Fisher breaks the fourth wall a bit, noting that "they don't make them like me anymore," in reference to how military stealth games have fallen from the spotlight in recent years. He then speaks of a retired "army infiltrator" who wears a bandana, before acknowledging, with sadness, that there's only him left.

It's a surprisingly poignant homage from the Ghost Recon team for a series that ended mired in controversy. Konami famously ousted Metal Gear Solid's creator, Hideo Kojima, before cynically turning Metal Gear Solid into a shallow zombie survival game dubbed Metal Gear Survive (opens in new tab).

While we may never get another "real" Metal Gear game again, it seems likely that Splinter Cell is preparing for a big re-emergence. Until then, you can grab Ghost Recon: Wildlands for $59.99.

Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

4 Comments
  • Played the free weekend a while back, got lots of motion sickness, but it was worth it, great game.
  • I'll buy a Splinter Cell game in a heart beat
  • Maybe this year we will see announcement of the next game in that series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQmThf27r8Q
  • I'm staying away from anything Konami makes or publishes and I know am not the only one. Many people are still pissed at what Konami did, to them it maybe a gaming franchise but to many of us it was the treatment of devs and Kojima and co is what has drawn the rage. So regardless of what Konami does going forward, they sealed their fate and will be a foot note in gaming history - only referenced for what they did to Metal Gear Solid. The only way they get out of a boycott, is that they literally give the franchise back to Kojima and co no strings attached. Because you can't do what Konami did and not draw any consequences.