What Really Happened With Splinter Cell? (And Why It's Coming Back)

Sam Fisher is back, so where are his games?

Splinter Cell
Ubisoft

Splinter Cell is in the weirdest position right now.

A franchise that dominated the 2000s thanks to Metal Gear Solid's stealth boom, the close of the decade got way rougher in regards to a series direction. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Gears of War ushering in the age of first-person multiplayer shooters and cover shooters, Splinter Cell needed to adapt.

The result was the disastrously received Splinter Cell: Conviction at E3 2006. Showing a more haggard and shaggy Sam Fisher flipping tables and brawling with police officers, this went down so terribly, Ubisoft scrapped every last part, other than the vague outline of a plot.

From here on out, Splinter Cell would never be the same again. Conviction's shaky reveal meant Ubi ditched its melee systems and overhauled everything, selling pretty well, but when Blacklist ditched the iconic Michael Ironside as Sam's voice, it was too much for the majority of fans.

For many, Ubisoft no longer knew what Splinter Cell "was", and it made sense for the IP to go away until they did.

However, with multiple DLC appearances in Ghost Recon and a backlog of mystery, there's far more to Splinter Cell's story than you think. Only recently have we had answers to many long-standing questions, and it feels like things are gearing up for a major reveal all over again.

We can but hope.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.