2 ways to Fix Ubisoft's built-in 20-30 min crash + Multiplayer info

In Steam, enter your games Properties by right clicking on the title in the menu on the left or by left clicking on the gear at the right on the game's page.

or

Select the General tab (if it's not already selected).

In the Launch Options field type...

-offline

You should now be able to play the single player campaign without it crashing

Find your executable files. They're going to be in "...\Steam\steamapps\common\Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist\src\SYSTEM".

After you've done that, select and right click either "Blacklist_DX11_game.exe", "Blacklist_game.exe" or both, then click "Create shortcut"

Select a shortcut and right click it, then select "Properties"

It should open up to the "Shortcut" tab Where you will find the "Target" field. Add the following parameters to the end of the existing text ...

-offline -offline_mode

so it reads something like...

"...\Steam\steamapps\common\Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist\src\SYSTEM\Blacklist_DX11_game.exe" -offline -offline_mode

or

"...\Steam\steamapps\common\Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist\src\SYSTEM\Blacklist_game.exe" -offline -offline_mode

Make sure you include a space between the close quote and the new parameters

Rename it in the general tab and hit "OK"

• Starting the game directly from the executable (not using any shortcut) still crashed for me.
  
• Using the method in "The Hard Way" will bypass steam entirely. You don't have to sign in and can leave steam off.
  
• With Steam off, I was able to get a wired DS3 to work fine without any 3rd party software. According to the Sony page I visited, a wired DS4 should also work fine in Windows 10.
  
• If you add the new shortcut as a "Non-Steam Game" it will still crash.
  
• Uplay Connect will still boot and (for me at least) it seems that the "Remember Me" toggle finally remembers.

Thanks to...
muadz
Whoever figured out "The Easy Way"

Special thanks to...
unixoide and everyone helping to keep this game alive in spite of ubisoft.

*****

To those who have expressed gratitude for the guide, thank you. To everyone who has found benefit from it, you're welcome - just glad I could help.

At one point I was asked about multi-player/co-op. Here's what I understand as of now*...

PS3: Yes. But due to the server shutdown, leveling is capped. The link below will take you to a discord server where you can get a 100% completed save file. (2023-07-17 - Don't know if the level cap issue changes if PC works)

https://discord.com/channels/752731606615064676/935631637193048124/1044634231122436146

Xbox: Yes

PC: Some

Main page: https://github.com/unixoide/5th-echelon

Releases page: https://github.com/unixoide/5th-echelon/releases/tag/2024-06-03

How-to videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5g8LkoDOBw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRDnqKv45VU

*The latest date this guide was updated.

Despite the many fun games Ubisoft has made over the course of their existence, between the always online DRM, being locked out of [half] your own game and their generally bad and anti-customer business decisions/practices - do yourself a favor and avoid buying renting (?) anything from Ubisoft.