TheSplinter Cellseries has now officially turned 20 years old, with the first game coming out on June 21, 2025. Starring the sardonic spy Sam Fisher, voiced by legendary actor Michael Ironside, it becameone of the most celebrated stealth franchisesin all of gaming, up there with theDeusExandHitmangames. For many, it may be hard to imagine that it’s been two decades since the maiden entry, and over the years, there have many releases featuring the government agent.
It seems that November is a good month for video game anniversaries, withSkyrimrecently turning 11and theGrand Theft Autoseries reaching its 25th year soon. There is perhaps something to be said about launching close to the end of the year, as many titles that get released, such as the aforementioned ones, go on to become successful. Many have stuck around, with franchises releasing hit after hit, and not only does it show the quality of some of these titles but also how gaming on the whole has grown up over the decades.
RELATED:Splinter Cell Remake Game Director is Leaving Ubisoft
Now it’s the turn ofSplinter Cellto celebrate a landmark age. For those who have yet to play any of the entries, the crux of the games is to take on the role of the iconic Fisher, a former Navy SEAL now working for the NSA, in the fictional Third Echelon division. Players are tasked with penetrating enemy territories, hiding in the shadows in order to take out dissenters, terrorists, and to recover secret intel. The games have generally been met with praise, with 2005’sChaos Theoryconsidered one of the best in the whole series.
Sadly, subsequent installments haven’t had as big an impact on the genre as the originals, with 2010’sSplinter Cell Convictionbeing all but forgottendespite still being well received.Blacklist, which came out in 2013, was also praised, but there were some criticisms over the fact that both of these games were a gritty departure from the series' previous entries, with the latter being particularly noteworthy for not having Ironside voice Fisher.
However, withUbisoft now working on aSplinter Cellremake, the espionage antics of the deep-voiced spy will be making a return. Gaming is in something of a remake and remaster era, and no doubt some players are beginning to tire of them. However, there have been some great games that have made triumphant returns, and hopefullySplinter Cellwill be no different.
