The Assassin’s Creed franchise has brought to life a ton of unique characters, locations, and experiences for players to sit through, but the pirate life has remained one of the most popular. With 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, fans enjoyed a unique perspective of the game—and many would be excited to hear an updated version of the title is coming in the near future.
Ubisoft is working on a remake of Black Flag according to a June 30 report from Kotaku. The company aims to “double down” on its popular franchises, with Assassin’s Creed one of Ubisoft’s largest, spanning 12 titles across two decades. Alongside the Black Flag remake, Ubisoft’s other pirate-themed game Skull and Bones remains in development but has no set release date at this time.
Related: Assassin’s Creed Mirage gameplay trailer goes back to series’ roots, confirms release date
Black Flag was the sixth game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, released for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2013. It was the first pirate-themed game in the franchise, with stealth, action, and naval combat all intertwined together. Set in the 18th century in the coastal area of the West Indies, players got to explore the seas and land of areas like the Caribbean. The game was extremely well-reviewed and popular amongst fans, landing an 83 on Metacritic and averaging seven to nine on most major rating sites.
As for the much-anticipated pirate follow-up, Skull and Bones was originally announced by Ubisoft in 2017 with a November release date. It was set to be an expansion for Black Flag but grew into its own separate game. Due to delays, the game was pushed all the way forward into 2023, but its final release date remains unknown. Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson also confirmed Ubisoft’s plans to expand their pirate universe but noted that development had only just begun.
From the same Kotaku report, the Singapore studio for Ubisoft is working on a closed beta for Skull and Bones, trying to work remotely whilst attempting to push out a closed beta by Aug. 2023. The game was barely mentioned throughout Ubisoft’s showcase at the Summer Games Fest in June, leading many to believe it remains in development limbo after so long—some might say it’s still lost at sea.
Until then, all eyes will be on Ubisoft’s planned remake of Black Flag. How much of the game will grow to match some of the franchise’s recent releases—such as Valhalla or the upcoming Mirage—remains a mystery. But, it’s now at least been confirmed an updated Black Flag is on the cards for the near future.
Ubisoft has yet to reveal an official release date for this remake, so fans might have to be content sailing the high seas in the original for a little longer.
