Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag news leaks via poster

Pirates galore in the "new era" of Ubisoft's historical franchise

Words: Connor Sheridan on February 26, 2013

Shiver our timbers! Kotaku has uploaded a poster for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which shows a comic-book style naval assassin clashing with a couple scurvy-looking scalawags aboard a galleon.

This isn't the first indication of a pirate-centric entry in the historical assassination series--various rumors have swirled around the name Black Flag since Ubisoft revealed an all-new Assassin's Creed was coming in fiscal year 2014.

Ubisoft said the next game will mark a "new era" for the franchise, with a new hero, a new time period, and a new team of developers at work behind the scenes. If Black Flag is indeed the next title it would be at the very least a change in historical direction--the poster appears to depict the golden age of pirates, further back in time from Assassin's Creed III's revolutionary America setting.

Whatever excuse Ubisoft needs to add more delicious naval battles is A-OK with us.

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Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PC, PS Vita, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, iPhone, DS, iPad, Android, Mac, PS4, Xbox 720, Windows Phone 7, Arcade, PSP, Dreamcast, PS1, Game Boy, Saturn, GameCube, Sega CD, GBA, SNES, Genesis, Turbografx, NES, Xbox, N64

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winner2 - February 27, 2013 6:57 a.m.

I want to be exited but I can't. I'm expecting them to milk this series to a withered husk, it doesn't even matter where it takes place or who's developing anymore. I don't think there's any coming back for AC, not even with the aid of pirates.
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FAT47ITY - February 27, 2013 6:05 a.m.

NEWSFLASH! Ubisoft confirms "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag", but explicitly denies Spanish Main setting. Instead, game will take place in the modern day, with the protagonist being the drummer from the punk band Black Flag, who also happens to be an Assassin.
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somedude - February 26, 2013 8:58 p.m.

Nobody noticed the McFarlene signature? Probably it's a comic, the IV maybe was photoshoped... Besides the AC team wasn't working on the Osiris Project? If it was made by another team it should be a spin off like Reveletions not a proper sequel. Just my thought.
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CitizenWolfie - February 27, 2013 7:17 a.m.

Good spot, I had my suspicions but now I'm almost certain it's fake.
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The_Tingler - February 26, 2013 3:29 p.m.

Nice idea, but I'm seriously doubting this story. It looks like a piece of comic book -style fan art rather than a genuine piece of marketing - or just an actual new Assassin's Creed comic book series, which I think is the most likely. That pirate on the left for example looks straight out of a comic... and incidentally, why would a pirate wear a gunslinger-style bandolier and all that purple? I bet the 'IV' has been added and it's really just a new graphic novel called Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. Still, we'll know by Monday... but I'm calling bullshit right here. Happy to be wrong, but don't think I am.
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shawksta - February 26, 2013 12:10 p.m.

Cool!
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firelegendmush - February 26, 2013 11:45 a.m.

I wouldn't mind this setting, considering that the naval battles were easily the best part of ACIII... well, besides Haytham, maybe.
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Redeater - February 26, 2013 1:16 p.m.

I'll never understand why they didn't focus on Haytham. Connor couldn't have been more boring. It would have been interesting to have to play as a bad guy (especially a Templar) for the entire game instead of just the intro. Well I guess that was part of the reason we have jumped "ship" to AC4 within one year......
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Z-man427 - February 26, 2013 2:34 p.m.

Connor's part of the stiry concluded. We don't NEED to know what happens to him after the end of the game. If necessary, they'll do a spin off comic or something for him. The rumor is that you'll play as Haytham's father in Black Flag. If you want more of Haytham's story, read Forsaken. It's surprisingly really good.
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Z-man427 - February 26, 2013 2:36 p.m.

*Story More info here: http://www.examiner.com/article/first-screenshot-of-assassin-s-creed-black-flag-surfaces
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Redeater - February 26, 2013 2:45 p.m.

While that is true many felt Ezio's story was finished after the AC:2.....and then we got Brotherhood....and then we got Revelations. I actually enjoyed the last 2 Ezio games but lets face it. If people hadn't been so lukewarm to Connor we would be getting side stories or prequels featuring Connor.
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Z-man427 - February 26, 2013 2:58 p.m.

But if you look at the end of ACII, it didn't have the finality that Connor's story did. Ezio was confused (and so were we) and he still had to find a way to hide the Apple. Connor though wasn't able to ensure that his people would get to keep their land, but he did protect the key to the temple. That was all he had to do. Juno even told him that. The lack of finality was only in the modern day setting (again). I'm confused by the jump backwards from ACIII. I guess we find out tomorrow.
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SirNinja - February 26, 2013 11:41 a.m.

Hmmm...this looks more like a comic-book tie-in/spinoff for the actual AC4. Cool find though (if it's legit).
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codystovall - February 26, 2013 11:21 a.m.

boooo...I want ninjas and samurai not pirates.
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Z-man427 - February 26, 2013 2:32 p.m.

Highly doubtful that they will ever do this time period.
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DragonLord23 - February 26, 2013 10:41 a.m.

Should it be called WHite Flag because the assassins' color is white, unless there is a story to the title. And the numbered sequels don't have subtitles, so is this a spin off or the next true ame. I think it is a spin off.
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