Video game adaptations are now being released regularly. A new series on Netflix brings back a well-known Ubisoft franchise that fans have been waiting for for 12 years. They even brought on one of the creators of John Wick.
Which series is it? Today, on 14.10.2025, the new animated series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch premieres on Netflix. As in the well-known game series from Ubisoft, the character Sam Fisher is also the main character in the series. The secret agent works for a division within the US government.
However, the seemingly aged Sam now has to face a personal mission, and a new agent, Zinnia McKenna, also takes center stage in the story. The animation style in the trailer resembles the series Devil May Cry, which already premiered on Netflix this year.
With writer Derek Kolstad on board, they also found a suitable showrunner. He wrote the script for the first three John Wick films and is one of the minds behind the franchise. Afterwards, he also worked on the two Nobody films and the Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
One can therefore expect that Splinter Cell: Deathwatch will likewise be dark. The trailer gives a glimpse into the atmosphere we can expect:
A spy series from Ubisoft that has been stagnant for 12 years
What kind of series is Splinter Cell? In 2002, Ubisoft released Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Rather than focusing on action-packed shooter gameplay, the game emphasized stealth and covert operations. You are almost always at a disadvantage
, but with gadgets and the right prioritization, you gather information and complete missions for a US unit.
Until 2013, the series received regular new installments, but after Splinter Cell: Blacklist, it came to an end. Subsequently, only more novels were released (in 2022 and 2023, for instance), and Sam Fisher became a cameo character, appearing in titles like Ghost Recon: Wildlands or Rainbow Six Siege.
Fans have been waiting for the revival of the franchise for 12 years, but so far nothing concrete seems to be in sight. Just this year, a stealth game remake titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was released. There appears to be an audience for such games.
Could the series be a sign that Splinter Cell is making a return? No, such a concrete sign is usually not the case; however, series could indicate to the publisher how much interest there still is in the franchise. At the same time, a possibly uninteresting series could lead to a misjudgment of the franchise.
A good example is Tomb Raider. In 2024, a new series based on the adventure-action franchise premiered on Netflix, but so far no new game sequel has been announced there either. Even with Devil May Cry, which was able to convince many viewers as a series, a new game has not been announced yet. At least, series can also bring back quirky franchises: A new series on Amazon is the next good video game adaptation – A mix of Fallout and Mad Max
