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

: Some players simply object to being forced to run a secondary launcher (Ubisoft Connect) for a single‑player game they purchased legitimately.

If you want to enjoy Sam Fisher’s latest adventure without dealing with background launcher bloat or server handshakes, you have several viable options. Here is exactly how to run Splinter Cell: Blacklist without Uplay. The DRM-Free Alternative: GOG (Good Old Games)

Splinter Cell: Blacklist was published during Ubisoft's aggressive push for its Uplay platform. Consequently, .

If you own the game on Steam, you cannot completely remove the Ubisoft dependency without third-party files, but you can force it into a lightweight, completely invisible state. Step-by-Step Instructions: Launch Steam and navigate to your .