10 Most Sacrilegious Video Game Moments

Iconic video game characters are often defined by the instantly recognisable performances of their voice actors, and that's certainly true of Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher, who for the better part of a decade was voiced by legendarily badass character actor Michael Ironside.

But with the release of 2013's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Ironside was replaced by actor Eric Johnson, with Ubisoft claiming this was the result of new performance capture technology requiring a more physically capable, age-appropriate actor to play the part.

Fans were understandably miffed, and though Blacklist was broadly well-reviewed, many nevertheless felt the game was lacking without Ironside's soulful, gruff performance.

Ironside later revealed that the real reason for him not reprising the role was due to undergoing cancer treatment at the time.

While it may well have been Ironside's choice to keep that information private, it's fair to say fans would've been decidedly more sympathetic to the decision if they knew the full context.

With Ironside now thankfully recovered from his illness, many are hoping the actor will be brought back for the next Splinter Cell, whenever it's finally revealed.