Splinter Cell: Blacklist Spies vs. Mercs Classic Mode showcased

Ubisoft has released a video walkthrough of its multiplayer Spies vs. Mercs Classic Mode for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

It's a two-on-two mode that'll be familiar to anyone who played previous Splinter Cell games like Pandora's Tomorrow and Chaos Theory. One side takes the role of computer-hacking spies; stealth units who play in third person view. The other side are Mercs, played in first-person, who have the advantage of fire-power and must hunt down the enemy.

Spies vs. Mercs was first introduced by Gunther Galipot — game director on Blacklist — in 2004's Pandora Tomorrow. The game also features a four-on-four mode called Spies vs Mercs: Blacklist that offers more complex customization.

Spies vs. Mercs was missing from 2010's Splinter Cell: Conviction and, according to producer Sébastien Ebacher, fans insisted on its return. "It was the number one feature requested after Conviction, so we had to do it," Ebacher told Polygon in a recent interview.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is due for release in North America on August 20, with European and Australian launches in the following days.