Summary:
- Netflix and Ubisoft are collaborating to release a Splinter Cell animated series, titled Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.
- Deathwatch is the first new major Splinter Cell media since the release of Splinter Cell: Blacklist game in 2013.
- Here’s what you should know about the Splinter Cell Netflix series and what it means for the franchise’s future.
Netflix has confirmed the release date for its Splinter Cell animated series, accompanied by an official trailer. Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is based on the Tom Clancy Splinter Cell games. The first game, titled Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and released in 2002. Splinter Cell as a franchise certainly hasn’t aged well, but a Splinter Cell Netflix series definitely gives me some hope.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch Release Date, Episodes & Streaming Details
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch will release on Netflix on October 14, 2025. The series will consist of eight episodes, with all eight episodes dropping on the same day. The series was first announced in 2020 by Netflix as an “anime series adaptation,” being worked on in collaboration with Ubisoft Film & Television.
While a Splinter Cell anime series definitely sounds fun but Ubisoft Film & Television’s track record raises some concerns. Since its founding in 2011, the production company has only produced two films: the poorly received Assassin’s Creed, commonly known as one of the worst video game adaptations, and a comedy horror movie titled Werewolves Within that largely went unnoticed.
Who’s Voicing Sam Fisher? Cast and Crew of Netflix’s Splinter Cell Series
Derek Kolstad is the writer for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch who also happens to be the mastermind behind the John Wick series. Kolstad has written the script for the first three John Wick movies along with Nobody and Nobody 2. Needless to say, the man knows how to write good action.
Sam Fisher is being voiced by Liev Schreiber, who you might know as Sabertooth from X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Schreiber is no stranger to animated projects either. He has lent his voice to the character of Spots in Wes Anderson’s animated project, Isle of Dogs.
Can Deathwatch Save Splinter Cell from Franchise Limbo
Netflix revealed the trailer on their X (Formerly Twitter) account with the caption “It’s been too long, Sam Fisher.” And indeed, it has been, fans haven’t seen a new Splinter Cell game or related media since 2013. Seeing Sam Fisher again with the familiar “ching” sound of his Multi-Vision Goggles turning on definitely gives me hope that Splinter Cell might still come back but it may be too soon to say.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist was released to rave reviews in 2013. It’s baffling why Ubisoft hasn’t developed a new entry in the series yet. In December 2021, the company revealed that they are developing a remake of the first Ubisoft game. However, the director of the game, David Grivel, left the company in October 2022. All in all, it seems like Splinter Cell might be stuck in a franchise limbo, and Splinter Cell: Deathwatch might just be the last chance to bring the franchise back.
