Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of action-adventure stealth video games and related novels supported by Tom Clancy. The first game was released in 2002. The series follows Sam Fisher, a highly trained agent working for a secret military unit within the NSA called "Third Echelon." The games focus on using light and darkness as key elements of gameplay.

The series includes six main games: Splinter Cell (2002), Pandora Tomorrow (2004), Chaos Theory (2005), Double Agent (2006), Conviction (2010), and Blacklist (2013). A game called Essentials, available only for the PlayStation Portable, was released in 2006. A remastered version of the first three games, titled Classic Trilogy HD, was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2011. A remake of the first game is currently being developed. Nine novels related to the series have been published. An eight-episode audio drama, Splinter Cell: Firewall, began in December 2022. An animated series, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, started on Netflix in October 2025.

The series has received positive reviews and was once considered one of Ubisoft's most important franchises. By 2008, the series had sold 19 million copies. By 2016, sales had reached 32 million units.

Games

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was created over two years by Ubisoft Montreal. Microsoft Game Studios first released it for the Xbox as an exclusive game. In 2003, Ubisoft made versions for Microsoft Windows, Mac, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. The game was inspired by the Metal Gear series and used a modified version of the Unreal Engine 2 to support gameplay based on light and darkness.

Pandora Tomorrow was developed by Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Milan. It added multiplayer gameplay to the series. In single-player mode, the game’s artificial intelligence changes based on the player’s skill level. Unlike earlier games, which focused on information-based threats, Pandora Tomorrow’s story centers on biological warfare. An Indonesian terrorist group plans to spread the smallpox virus. Fisher gains new abilities, such as SWAT turns and whistling to draw enemies’ attention. The game introduced a new online mode called "spies versus mercenaries." In this mode, one team plays from a third-person perspective, while the other plays from a first-person perspective.

Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Milan created the third game, Chaos Theory. It added a cooperative multiplayer mode. Originally planned for Fall 2004, the game was released in March 2005. The Unreal Engine was modified from version 2.5. New features included a combat knife and more open maps with multiple ways to complete objectives.

Essentials expanded the Splinter Cell series to the PlayStation Portable. Through flashback missions, players learn more about Fisher’s past. Critics gave the game lower scores than earlier games, citing issues with controls and multiplayer gameplay.

For the fourth game, Double Agent, two versions were made: one for older consoles and the Wii, and another for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 3. The game introduced a "trust system" that presents moral choices. It was the first game in the series to include a central area where Sam could explore and complete tasks between missions. This game had different endings based on player choices, but only one ending was considered official.

Conviction was announced on May 23, 2007, with a trailer released by Ubisoft. It was scheduled for November 16, 2007, but was delayed. On May 19, 2008, Ubisoft said the game was "officially on hold" and would be reworked. The game was pushed back to the 2009–10 fiscal year. At E3 2009, developers said the game had evolved since 2008, with improved visuals and gameplay. The release date was delayed multiple times. A demo was released for Xbox 360 on March 18, 2010. Ubisoft designed Conviction to be more accessible, removing stealth elements like whistling and hiding bodies. It used a cover system and added simple interrogation sequences.

In September 2011, a remastered version of the first three games was released for PlayStation 3. These versions were based on the original PC ports. The compilation received "mixed or average" reviews on Metacritic.

Blacklist, the sixth game in the series, was developed by Ubisoft Toronto and released on August 20, 2013. It combined gameplay features from Chaos Theory and Conviction. Michael Ironside, who played Sam Fisher in earlier games, was replaced by Eric Johnson. In Blacklist, Fisher leads the "Fourth Echelon," a secret unit working for the U.S. President to stop a terror plot called the "Blacklist." The game includes a moving "Mark and Execute" system, Fisher’s goggles, a new knife called the Karambit, and the ability to perform stealth takedowns called "abductions."

At E3 2017, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said, "I can’t say much about that. But, for sure, all the Clancy games are taken care of. It’s just we have quite a lot on our plate at the moment…All the Clancy games are really coming along, so we are not forgetting Splinter Cell."

In May 2019, Julian Gerighty, Ubisoft’s Creative Director, announced on social media that a Splinter Cell game was in development. He mentioned working with Ubisoft Montreal’s Roman Campos-Oriola and executive producer Dan Hay. Ubisoft later denied the claim.

On September 16, 2020, Ubisoft announced a virtual reality version of the series for Oculus VR. It was to be developed by Red Storm Entertainment. However, the game was cancelled on July 21, 2022.

In December 2021, Ubisoft revealed plans to remake the first Splinter Cell game. In October 2022, David Grivel, the game’s director, left Ubisoft. He returned to the company in December 2025 after briefly working on other projects.

Novels

Splinter Cell is the first book in a series of novels based on the video game series. It was written by Raymond Benson using the fake name David Michaels. The story follows Sam Fisher as he investigates a terrorist group called "The Shadows" and an arms-dealing organization named "The Shop." Members of "The Shop" use secret information to try to kill members of "Third Echelon," including Fisher. After it was published in December 2004, the book spent three weeks on the New York Times list of bestsellers. It also appeared on the Wall Street Journal list of best-selling paperback books.

In Operation Barracuda, released on November 1, 2005, Raymond Benson (again using the name David Michaels) continued the story from the first Splinter Cell novel. This book was also listed on the New York Times bestseller list.

For Checkmate, Grant Blackwood became the author using the name David Michaels. Raymond Benson said he was "finished with Splinter Cell." Unlike the first two books, Checkmate is not written from Sam Fisher's perspective, and it does not continue the side stories from the previous book. This novel was released on November 7, 2006.

The book begins with a ship named Trego sailing toward the American East Coast. Sam Fisher is called in from a training mission to stop the ship. After Fisher prevents the ship from releasing nuclear waste to poison the American West Coast, he learns that a town called Slipstone was attacked with a radiological weapon, killing more than 5,000 people. These events lead Fisher to travel to Ukraine, Iran, Dubai, and Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

On November 6, 2007, Fallout was published. This was Grant Blackwood's second Splinter Cell novel and the fourth in the series. Like the previous book, it was written by Grant Blackwood using the name David Michaels. The story follows Sam Fisher as he works to stop Islamic fundamentalists who have taken control of the government in Kyrgyzstan.

Conviction is a novel that connects to the game with the same name. It was published on November 3, 2009, and written by Peter Telep using the name David Michaels. It was published by Berkley Books, part of Penguin Group. The book follows Sam Fisher after the death of Lambert. Fisher is on the run and is believed to be a traitor. He is pursued by a team of new Splinter Cell agents led by Ben Hansen.

Endgame, published on December 1, 2009, is the book that pairs with Conviction. The story follows the same events but is told from the perspective of Fisher's enemies, including Ben Hansen and his team.

Published in October 2013, this novel connects to the video game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist. It takes place after the events of the game and involves Fisher and Fourth Echelon rescuing a Russian billionaire who disobeyed orders from the Kremlin to release a computer virus against the United States. Aftermath was written by Peter Telep and is the first book in the series not to use the name David Michaels.

Firewall was released on March 1 for Kindle and March 15 for paperback. It was written by James Swallow and features Sam Fisher's daughter, Sarah, working with her father. The story involves Fisher dealing with a cyberwarfare technology called "Gordian Sword," which can break any firewall and will be sold to the highest bidder, regardless of their intentions. Fisher must stop the technology from falling into the hands of terrorists, criminals, or rogue states. The book received the Scribe Award for Best Original Novel.

Dragonfire was released on January 24 for Kindle and paperback. It was written by James Swallow and features Sam Fisher's daughter, Sarah, working with her father and Isaac Briggs. The story follows Fisher working in North Korea while his daughter searches for him and tries to expose a secret plan by a group called "The Dragons."

Common elements

The first game explains that "Splinter Cell" refers to an elite group of secret agents who work alone. These agents, like Sam Fisher, are supported by a high-tech team that helps them complete missions.

In the first three games (Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory), terrorists plan attacks using information warfare. Sam Fisher, an agent for Third Echelon (a secret part of the NSA), must stop these attacks. His missions include gathering information, capturing, or eliminating terrorists.

In the fourth game, Double Agent, Fisher pretends to be a criminal to join a terrorist group.

In the fifth game, Conviction, Fisher starts right after Double Agent. He leaves Third Echelon after learning that his daughter, Sarah, did not die in an accident as previously believed. He searches for those responsible for her death and discovers a secret within his old agency.

In the sixth and most recent game, Blacklist, Third Echelon has been shut down by the U.S. President. A new group, Fourth Echelon, is formed under Fisher’s leadership. His mission is to stop attacks by the Blacklist and the Engineers, a group behind the attacks. Blacklist explores the moral choices Fisher and his team face while preventing these threats.

The characters and Third Echelon were created by J. T. Petty. Key characters include:
– Sam Fisher: The main character in the series.
– Irving Lambert: The leader of Third Echelon, who guides Fisher through missions until he is killed by Sam in Double Agent.
– Anna "Grim" Grímsdóttir: A hacker and analyst for Third Echelon who helps Fisher with technical challenges. In Conviction, she becomes the guide after Lambert’s death. In Blacklist, she works with Fisher but disagrees with him about ethics and rules.
– Sarah Fisher: Sam’s daughter and only family member. She was believed to have died in Double Agent, but Conviction reveals her death was faked.

The stealth feature in the game allows Fisher to hide in the dark and avoid detection. Guards can be killed using weapons, gadgets, or hand-to-hand combat. However, the best way to progress in the first three games is to stay hidden, choose less obvious paths, and use distractions to avoid guards. The first game only has a single-player mode. Pandora Tomorrow adds a two-player mode. Chaos Theory expands this mode and introduces a team-based mode. In team-based mode, players work together to complete tasks that require teamwork. The storylines in Chaos Theory and the sixth-generation version of Double Agent match Fisher’s actions in single-player mode, allowing players to use information he gathers or support him in missions.

In Double Agent, Fisher receives conflicting orders from terrorists and the NSA. For example, terrorists might tell him to bomb a ship, while the NSA tells him to stop the bombing. Fisher must balance gaining the terrorists’ trust while completing his mission. If he is discovered with an NSA tool, he loses the game immediately.

Conviction uses faster and more intense stealth action than earlier games. It keeps the team-based mode from previous games. The weapons Sam Fisher uses are based on real firearms. Each weapon can be upgraded three times, with improvements like a silencer, better sight, stronger ammo, or a laser. After completing a hand-to-hand kill, players earn a bonus that lets them mark two to four targets (depending on the weapon) and eliminate them quickly in slow motion. Interactive scenes where Fisher interrogates enemies for information only require the player to press the [Interrogate] button. If Fisher is near an object like a TV or table, he can use it to change the animation during interrogations.

Blacklist combines gameplay styles from all previous games using a point system. Players earn points toward three styles:
– Ghost: Requires complete stealth and no enemy deaths.
– Panther: Focuses on stealthy kills.
– Assault: Involves loud battles and using explosives.
Points can be used to buy weapons and equipment that match each style. The game keeps the execution system from Conviction but allows players to mark up to three targets, regardless of the weapon used.

Development and history

Although the series includes Tom Clancy's name, he was not involved in creating any of the games. According to Mathieu Ferland, the series producer, the first game was made to show the skills of Ubisoft's Montreal studio. After the release of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, making a game about special operations became the next step for games supported by Tom Clancy.

The first game in the series changed the Unreal Engine to allow gameplay based on light and darkness. Later games used newer versions of the same engine.

By the time the latest game, Blacklist, was released, the engine had been updated to the LEAD engine, a heavily changed version of the Unreal Engine 2.5. In this game, shadows were not only used for visual effects but also to help with the game's stealth features. This required more programming work and needed a powerful desktop computer to achieve the best quality and performance.

Reception

By the end of 2004, the Splinter Cell series had sold 9.6 million units. By October 2005, the series' global sales had exceeded 12.5 million units. By May 2008, the series had sold 19 million units. As of 2016, over 32 million units had been sold.

Other media

A radio drama titled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall was released on December 2, 2022, by BBC Radio 4 Limelight. It was adapted by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Paul Cornell from the novel of the same name by James Swallow. The eight-part series follows the story of the novel. The drama was recorded using binaural audio, a special sound recording that works best with headphones. Main voice actors include Andonis Anthony as Sam Fisher (replacing Michael Ironside, who previously voiced the character), as well as Will Poulter, Daisy Head, Rosalie Craig, Sacha Dhawan, and Nikesh Patel. Other actors in the series include Mihai Arsene, Olga Fedori, Rina Mahoney, Roger Ringrose, Riad Richie, David Hounslow, Tijan Sarr, Tom Kiteley, Joe Belham, Ali Gadema, Lloyd Thomas, and Charis Jardim-Hinds. The series won the Scribe Award for Best Audio Drama.

In late July 2020, Netflix announced an anime series adaptation of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell by Ubisoft Film & Television. Derek Kolstad, the writer of John Wick, served as an executive producer. The animation was created by Sun Creature Studio and Fost. The series premiered on Netflix on October 14, 2025. A second season is currently being made.

The film adaptation of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was first announced as a special feature for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory as early as 2005. In 2011, Ubisoft stated that Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, and Assassin's Creed would all receive film adaptations. The company said it wanted to maintain control over the films and work with studios on development. Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures were reported to be leading bids for the Splinter Cell film. By November 2011, British actor Tom Hardy was cast as Sam Fisher, and Eric Warren Singer was hired as the screenwriter. In 2013, Ubisoft announced the film would be produced by New Regency, with Basil Iwanyk as a producer through his company, Thunder Road Films.

In March 2014, Doug Liman joined as director, with Jean-Julien Baronnet and David Bartis as producers. Sheldon Turner was added to the team to rewrite the script. Hardy said the studio planned to begin filming in August 2014. By June 2014, Liman stated that he and Hardy were working on the script, which would focus on a young Sam Fisher, not the older spy from the video games. Iwanyk said filming would begin in early 2015.

In April 2015, Liman left the project, and Joseph Kahn was considered as a replacement. In July 2015, Ubisoft hired Frank John Hughes to rewrite the script. In January 2017, Iwanyk confirmed the script was completed and sent to Hardy. The producer said the film would be an "edgy" PG-13 action movie. However, on November 15, 2024, it was announced that the film was cancelled due to challenges with the script and budget.