Game intel
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Series)
2D versions of the game were released for the Game Boy Advance and N-Gage (the latter as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Team Stealth Action), as well as the mobil…
I’ve been waiting over a decade for Sam Fisher to officially step out of the shadows again-not in a crossover, not a cameo, but a real return. Netflix has finally made it happen with Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, an adult animated series dropping October 14, 2025. After Arcane and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners set the bar for game-to-animation, Splinter Cell arrives with serious pedigree: John Wick’s Derek Kolstad is creating it, Love, Death + Robots alum Guillaume Dousse is directing with Félicien Colmet-Daâge, and Ubisoft Film & Television is producing alongside European animation outfits Sun Creature and Fost. That’s a lot of talent circling a franchise that thrives on precision and restraint.
Deathwatch is positioned as a grounded, grown-up take: eight episodes, roughly half an hour each, built around Fisher being pulled back into the field when a wounded young agent calls in the legend. Schreiber (Ray Donovan, Spotlight) replaces Michael Ironside, who’s been candid about not returning to TV for the role. Rounding out the cast: Janet Varney as Grim, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Zinnia McKenna, and Joel Oulette as Thunder. Behind the scenes, Helene Juguet, Hugo Revon, and Gerard Guillemot produce for Ubisoft Film & Television, with a Franco-Danish pipeline that should give the show a distinct visual identity.
If you’ve followed Splinter Cell since the OG Xbox days, the Fourth Echelon setup will sound familiar-Blacklist made that transition back in 2013, the series’ last full game. The question is whether Deathwatch taps into what made those missions sing: methodical infiltration, gadgets used like chess pieces, and tension you can feel in your shoulders. A recently shown sequence reportedly leans into that vibe—slow, surgical, and lethal. Good sign.
Kolstad’s involvement is a double-edged karambit. On one hand, the John Wick brain trust understands silhouette-driven action and spatial clarity. On the other, Wick’s power fantasy fights are the opposite of Splinter Cell’s “don’t get seen” ethos. Animation can bridge the gap with stylized lighting, negative space, and those iconic three green dots carving through black. If the team treats every light source like a puzzle piece and every takedown like a calculated risk, we’re in business. If it turns into a parade of hallway shootouts, the soul of Splinter Cell goes out the window.
Run time matters too. Thirty minutes is tight for political intrigue and deniable ops. The best Splinter Cell stories breathe: intel gathering, gadget prep, multiple infiltration routes. Eight episodes can absolutely deliver that cadence—but only if the writing resists the urge to sprint. I want dead drops, burner calls, and missions that punish sloppy play, not just slick kills.
Arcane and Edgerunners didn’t just succeed; they redefined expectations by letting the IP dictate the form. Arcane obsessed over character and world-building. Edgerunners nailed tone and tragedy within ten tight episodes. Castlevania paved the way before them with operatic pulp, while other Netflix game projects have landed unevenly. Deathwatch sits in that crucible: it needs confidence in stealth pacing and a look that feels espionage-slick rather than generic “adult animation.” The Euro pipeline is promising—Sun Creature’s work tends to favor moody palettes and expressive motion over noise.
There’s also Ubisoft’s wider context. A Splinter Cell remake has been in development at Ubisoft Toronto since 2021 with radio silence since. If Deathwatch hits, expect that remake to resurface with new momentum. If it stumbles, fans will read it as another sign that Ubisoft doesn’t know what to do with one of its most respected stealth franchises. Fair or not, the show is stepping into a vacuum created by a decade without a mainline game.
Schreiber taking over from Ironside is the flashpoint. We’ve been here before—Blacklist swapped Ironside for performance-capture reasons and still delivered one of the series’ best sandboxes. If Schreiber lands Fisher’s weary professionalism and gallows humor, fans will adjust. What matters more: the team nails the “invisible chess” of Splinter Cell. Show me sticky cameras with gas payloads, tri-rotor drones scoping vents, sound meters creeping up when I get cocky. Let me feel the relief of a perfect ghost run and the panic of a blown cover.
The title, Deathwatch, hints at targeted lists, surveillance culture, and moral lines shifting under bad light. If the writing leans into modern tradecraft instead of generic terror plots, Deathwatch could earn a spot next to Arcane and Edgerunners—not by copying them, but by being ruthlessly itself.
Only one season is confirmed for now, with the usual “renewal depends on performance” caveat. If you want more Splinter Cell—on TV or in games—this October is the time to show up. I’ll be watching for quiet confidence: long shadows, measured pacing, and a sound mix that makes every footstep matter. Splinter Cell has never needed noise to be loud.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch drops Oct 14, 2025 with an A-team of action storytellers and European animation muscle. If it prioritizes stealth tension over flashy gunplay, it could be Netflix’s next great game adaptation—and a green light for Sam Fisher’s full comeback.
Get access to exclusive strategies, hidden tips, and pro-level insights that we don't share publicly.
Ultimate Gaming Strategy Guide + Weekly Pro Tips