Long-time fans of Splinter Cell have been keenly observing the new Netflix animated series, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, noting its references to the pivotal death of Douglas Shetland, a character deeply rooted in the Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory games. Ubisoft has now officially confirmed that Deathwatch will indeed align with the video game universe’s established canon, albeit with a few minor creative adjustments.
An Ubisoft spokesperson elaborated, stating that the series "follows the timeline and characters set by the mainline games." They added that "While Deathwatch respects the source material, some creative liberties were taken with certain events for television."
This essentially means that while a few retroactive changes have been made (which remain under wraps for now), the core narrative and events of the animated series will largely synchronize with the established lore of the games.
Derek Kolstad, the acclaimed creator behind John Wick and showrunner for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, expressed hope that "Even though we have elements of that game referenced there, it’s hopefully small enough and the changes therein minute enough [that fans won’t be upset]."
Kolstad had previously shared his philosophy for adapting the series, explaining that the creators needed to "rip the spine out of the source material," while striving to "keep the brain and the heart, entertain the soul, and do your best to actually build it into something that works."
The latest trailer for the series offered a glimpse into the plot, revealing that Sam Fisher (voiced by Liev Schreiber) is still haunted by Shetland’s death decades later. This emotional burden is amplified by the emergence of Shetland’s daughter, Diana Shetland, now the powerful CEO of Xanadu. Diana, a formidable new adversary, appears to be orchestrating a significant new crisis that Sam must confront.
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is set to premiere on Netflix on October 14. For gaming enthusiasts awaiting a new interactive experience, a Splinter Cell remake is currently in development, though substantial updates have been scarce since its announcement in 2022. Earlier this year, Ubisoft showed some love for the franchise by adding Steam achievements to Splinter Cell: Blacklist, a title originally launched in 2013.