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

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.

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.

• See at Xbox Store
• See at Amazon