Pandora Tomorrow Xbox MP bug fixed

Ubisoft and Microsoft have released a minor auto-update for the latest Splinter Cell title, which addresses a show-stopping multiplayer bug that managed to infiltrate the final build of the game ahead of its release last Friday.

Judging by the recent surge in Xbox sales (it outstripped the PS2 by a few thousand units in the UK last week) and the game's position at the peak of the Top 40, the bug doesn't seem to have done either company's prospects any harm, but we'd imagine they are both relieved to see the back of it.

The bug, for those who missed it, came about in the multiplayer menus when players used the Optimatch search to try and track down games using specific parameters. This they could do perfectly well, but the problem arose when they hung around on the results screen for more than ten seconds, at which point the game would lock up irretrievably.

In a statement released yesterday, the two companies apologised for the inconvenience and wished you all "fierce and exciting" multiplayer bouts of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

They also confirmed that this problem has taken precedent over other issues raised by the game's fan base in the first few days, but promised that another auto-update due in the near future "will fix all known issues and improve on some features".

With the Xbox version now working to at least 99 per cent capacity, it seems safe to point out that the PC version is due for release tomorrow. Dates for the PS2 and Cube versions have still to be confirmed, but given the nature of the franchise we don't expect to hear much before they sneak up behind us and raise a blade to our throats.