We are thrilled to celebrate 20 years of Sniper Elite. Two decades ago Karl Fairburne arrived in Berlin, disguised as a German soldier in order to prevent Stalin's Red Army from coming into the possession of German nuclear weapons technology. With both Russian and German forces to contend with, the odds were surely stacked against Karl. With his trusty sniper rifle, he sets about dismantling the potentially catastrophic plans one bullet at a time. It was the introduction of the groundbreaking bullet cam and shaped the franchise moving forward.
2012 saw the return of Karl Fairburne to Berlin in Sniper Elite V2, this time with improved graphics and the introduction of the infamous X-ray kill cam. Players got to experience the visceral trauma of a kill shot for the first time, with shattered bones and obliterated organs, a testament to the severity of the bullets entry into the enemies torso. Missions became a more linear experience with a faster pace and emphasis on tactics and weapon choice.
''One of the biggest goals was to encourage players to think about their combat encounters more tactically: to push the power fantasy of being a deadly sniper by reinforcing the effect it would have on the enemy'' - Alex Spyropoulos, Senior Game Designer
Karl Fairburne returned to action With Sniper Elite III, this time with a vastly different environment and enemies to contend with. The Afrika Korps are seizing vital strategic positions in the north of the continent and it is up to Karl to stop them at all costs, especially with news of a top secret weapon being deployed.
With a fresh perspective on stealth mechanics, including mission critical relocation markers, Sniper Elite III adapted once again and tested even the most tactically sound players. Multiplayer consisted of five competitive modes, including Deathmatch and Distance King.
In 2017 players arrived in 1943 Italy, following the events of Sniper Elite III. With a new Nazi weapon looming it was again up to Karl Fairburne to navigate his way across the Italian countryside and stop the Axis threat by any means necessary.
''We like to ensure players have plenty of opportunities to approach objectives as they wish, be that from a long distance, stealthy, or guns blazing'' - Beck Shaw, Lead Level Designer
Sniper Elite 4 was the introduction of huge open vertical mission maps, allowing for players to carefully stategise their route for objective completion. New climbing mechanics, diverse weapons choice and a much heavier emphasis on cooperative play, as well as another graphical overhaul, meant that Sniper Elite 4 was bigger and better than ever.
Northern France 1944. Karl Fairburne joins the French Resistance in uncovering a serious Nazi threat to invade Europe with Operation Kraken.
With a new expansive campaign, the introduction of in game work benches to customise one's arsenal and further advancements to gunplay physics and traversal, Sniper Elite 5 sought to test even the most battle hardy veterans. With the introduction of Invasion Mode, players got to infiltrate other players missions and engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The most recent foray into the Sniper Elite series is Sniper Elite: Resistance, which introduced Harry Hawker as lead protagonist. Veterans of the series will be all too familiar with Harry, as he played a supporting role in previous ventures. This time however and with the help of the Resistance, it is up to him to stop the Nazi Wünderwaffe threat.
The classic visceral X-ray kill cam returned with new weapon customisation and the introduction of Propaganda missions which placed players in various scenarios testing their shooting and stealth skills.
Rebellion is celebrating 20 years of Sniper Elite with a brand-new product range, perfect for fans who want to make a statement off the battlefield. Stay alert, snipers - more announcements to come throughout October.
Over the years we have been thrilled to see the Sniper Elite communities reactions to the various entries to the series. The feedback has often been the catalyst for developmental implementation as the game progressed and has made Sniper Elite better than ever. We have thoroughly enjoyed your artwork, clips and streams and continue to champion them on our social feeds. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to support Sniper Elite.
As always sniper, see you on the battlefield!