Released in 2013, Splinter Cell: Blacklist remains one of the finest modern stealth games ever made. However, playing this classic on PC today comes with a frustrating catch: it still requires Ubisoft Connect (formerly Uplay), the publisher's mandatory DRM and launcher software. In addition, the game’s official online services were permanently shut down on . Since then, a series of well-documented issues have plagued the PC version, including random crashes every 20‑30 minutes and broken multiplayer functionality.
In a surprising April 2025 update , Ubisoft finally added Steam Achievements to the game. While you still need to launch the game once to sync them with Ubisoft Connect, it’s a sign that the game is being "unshackled" from its original ecosystem bit by bit. Playing on Steam Deck
Click the icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. splinter cell blacklist without uplay
Running on Linux (Proton/Wine)
You cannot run the unmodified game without Uplay. The only way to avoid it is using a crack, which disables all online functionality and carries legal/security risks. Released in 2013, Splinter Cell: Blacklist remains one
For fans of the stealth genre, Splinter Cell: Blacklist remains a high point. It perfectly balanced the action-oriented approach of Conviction with the classic "ghost" gameplay of the earlier titles. It is, arguably, the last great game Sam Fisher starred in.
What if you don't want to be offline? What if you want to relive the chaotic fun of "Spies vs. Mercs" or play Co-op missions with a friend? Ubisoft's servers are gone, so you cannot use the official matchmaking anymore. Enter , a community project that emulates the dead servers. Since then, a series of well-documented issues have
April 20, 2026 Subject: Methods and viability of bypassing Ubisoft’s mandatory client for Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Although Ubisoft's Uplay platform is often required for Ubisoft games, Splinter Cell: Blacklist can be played without it. Players can still access all the game's features, including single-player and co-op multiplayer modes, without creating a Uplay account.
: A notorious issue exists where the game’s DRM checks cause it to crash exactly 30 minutes into a session if it cannot communicate properly with Ubisoft servers. Multiplayer Status
: Some users bypass the modern "Ubisoft Connect" by uninstalling it and installing an older version of Uplay (e.g., version 10585), then modifying the version.txt file in the install folder to prevent auto-updates. Executable (EXE) Launching : Once the game is authenticated, you can sometimes run the Blacklist_DX11_game.exe directly from the \system\src