It’s been almost eight years since the last Splinter Cell video game came out and even still, Blacklist was somewhat of a black mark on Sam Fisher’s record for many. Perhaps that’s why the news that Netflix would be turning Splinter Cell into an animated series written by John Wick mastermind Derek Kolstad was so exciting.

Despite last year’s announcement, all Ubisoft has done to continue the legacy of Sam Fisher is disclose that the company is working on a VR Splinter Cell that will hardly quench the thirst for one more stealth-action dance. However, when accounting for Kolstad’s most recent comments on the animated series’ development, Ubisoft would have at least one more year to announce Splinter Cell’s return to gaming before it hits streaming.

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During an exclusive interview with Collider, Kolstad disclosed that the Splinter Cell show wouldn't be ready at least until early to mid-2022, considering the long animation process it has to go through after he’s done writing it. Kolstad praised the relative ease of screenwriting for animated features when compared to his most recent work in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, since artists are usually tasked with bringing to life whatever finished concept he sends their way instead of going back in forth with directors.

Splinter Cell is currently booked for a one-season eight-episode run on Netflix, with a second season already on the cards but yet to be confirmed. Kolstad seems excited by the possibilities of what animation can bring to the stealth genre in terms of execution, especially in the 20-30 runtime format he’s going for in order to deliver more of a “chess game” game experience, just like in the Splinter Cell games or in spiritual predecessors such as the first Thief on the PC, which he declares himself to be a fan of.

In this same context, though there are still many details missing for the Splinter Cell animated recipe, Kolstad made clear that in case the series turns into a multi-season affair, he won’t be sticking to a linear events progression. Instead, he will be focusing more on Sam Fisher’s character development over several missions. All things considered, Sam Fisher’s Netflix foray could just prove to be the perfect launchpad to promote the new game fans are hoping for, in case anyone at Ubisoft decides to stop ignoring the Splinter Cell franchise.

With Netflix continuing to back up animated projects related to gaming properties like The Witcher, Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, it only seems fitting that Splinter Cell makes his video game return, as otherwise, Sam Fisher would be the only one to branch out into television after being forced into early retirement. If it's anything like what happened with The Witcher, the series is guaranteed to boost game sales.

Splinter Cell will be released on Netflix on a yet-to-be-announced date.

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Source: Collider