Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced made some notable changes to the original game's weather system to make storms more dynamic and realistic – but they've also gotten annoyingly frequent. Thankfully, that's one of the key changes in title update 1.0.4, which also includes a wide array of bug fixes and quality of life improvements.

Title update 1.0.4 will go live at 7am PT/10am ET/3pm BST on July 16. The update is 2.44 GB on PS5, 2.7 GB on Steam, 3.71 GB on Ubisoft's PC launcher, and a whopping 15.35 GB on Xbox Series X and S. You can check out the full patch notes on Reddit, but there's no doubt the big highlight is the weather.

Ubisoft has "fixed the issue where the weather never becomes foggy" and "tweaked weather system balancing to increase the proportion of sun and clear skies." That'll come as a great relief to the players who've been complaining about the weather from the start, since the storms have been rolling in with alarming frequency, cutting short shanties and preventing you from using your fastest sails.

But there's one other tweak that catches my eye: "During the battle with El Tiburon, it might be unclear for some players on how to break his defense," Ubisoft admits. "We have added hints for players on how to break it." That is a highly specific issue that you'd hope would've been addressed through pre-release testing, but hey, this is why it usually pays to wait for a few patches.

There are other, more substantial content updates on the way a little further down the line, including a New Game Plus mode. The devs are also taking a look at potentially restoring some of the combat options that were cut for Resynced, though it's not yet certain when or if that's actually going to happen.

If you're wondering how much you've got left to play of Resynced, check out our Assassin's Creed Black Flag mission list.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced players quickly noticed that our old pal Edward feels noticeably better to play in many ways but has also forgotten some of the techniques he had several years ago. Game director Richard Knight says some elements of the original game's combat system were left out in the remake because they were of lower priority compared to finalizing the core action, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're gone for good.

Speaking with YouTuber JorRaptor (thanks, PC Gamer), Knight explains some of the triage involved in much of game development. "During development, if you looked at Edward, he's so powerful right now, he's got so many tools," he recalls. "So we prioritized core combat because we needed to nail that."

Edward's ability to source throwing weapons has been heavily discussed. Knight touches on this as an example of a non-essential mechanic for the remake. (There was also quite a bit of chatter around the removal of hidden blade combat in favor of Edward's dual swords.)

"Something like the throwing weapons, while it's cool, it's just like, he already has 10 ways to kill somebody," he reasons. "Given the cost to reinvent the feature and rebuild it from the ground up with today's characters and rigs and animation and all this, there's just a lot more that goes into it.

"So it was just lower priority for us. I don't have anything to share on this one yet, but we're definitely listening. I read all the good and the bad feedback."

Knight stresses that he "can't make any promises" regarding combat updates or reinstated features, but does say, "We're listening to the community. We're interested in what people want the most." Throwing weapons seem to be near the top of the list, but as Knight says, would likely require quite a lot of work to add in. Of course, that probably won't stop modders from bashing a version of this together themselves.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced New Game Plus is coming, director promises: "We're working on that right now."

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is getting New Game Plus, and while Ubisoft isn't ready to say exactly when it's launching, this feature is a high priority for future updates.

YouTuber JorRaptor asked about New Game Plus in an interview with game director Richard Knight, and while the dev couldn't say much about the option, he repeatedly emphasized that it's currently in production.

"Well, this is the one thing I can say: Yes, we're working on that right now," Knight says in the interview. "For sure. It's one of the first things. Partly because Shadows has already built their version, so it's considered a low-risk feature for us. We're still doing the work, so I can't promise exactly a day or anything, but we're definitely working on this one. It's just such a natural thing."

Simon Lemay-Comtois, associate game director of Shadows, "did the hard work" of introducing New Game Plus, Knight jokes, which does give the Black Flag Resynced team "something to look at" when implementing it. But "our games are not exactly the same," Knight explains. "We have different challenges in terms of how that works. We can't skip to the hideout, necessarily. But we're looking into it."

Asked if Black Flag Resynced will have additional rewards for New Game Plus similar to Shadows, Knight says: "If it's up to me, yes. There's still production discussions about what we can do and how much time it takes. Every item we make needs a model. Sometimes it needs cloth sim. All sorts of things."

In other words, it sounds like this iteration of New Game Plus is still pretty early in the design phase. Knight adds that, in his opinion, the "more exciting" part of New Game Plus is simply stomping early-game foes with late-game power, but it sounds like those sorts of details are still being ironed out.

And, again, that also goes for the release date. "I really can't promise anything – just to say it's at the top of the list of things," Knight emphasizes. "There's a lot of things. Some are harder than others, but it's something we definitely want to get done."

As Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's underwater levels draw praise, dev says those responsible are "being fired right now because Ubisoft thinks that's what we deserve."

The Black Flag Resynced Isla Providencia location is a Mayan temple island that the Nassau Warehouse treasure map leads to. The problem? The Animus doesn't let you go there unless you've completed a particular quest in Black Flag Resynced's main story, resulting in a forced desynchronization if you attempt to sail the Jackdaw to the island's shore. So, to help you reach Isla Providencia and complete the relevant treasure map, I've explained how to unlock it and where the buried treasure is below.

How to get to Isla Providencia in Black Flag Resynced

Isla Providencia is a Mayan Temple island on the southern border of the map, southwest of Kingston, at (487, 23). To gain access to the island, you need to play through almost two-thirds of the main questline to get to the Vainglorious Bastards quest – you can check out the full Black Flag Resynced mission list here to see how far along you are.

Complete this short and simple sailing quest and you'll then be spat out on Isla Providencia for the next mission called 'Mutiny'. Once you complete this mission, you can travel to and from Isla Providencia as you please.

Black Flag Resynced Isla Providencia treasure location

Now that you've hopefully made it to Isla Providencia, you can dig up the buried treasure. You need to head to the three palm trees clustered together near a small rocky outcrop along the beach at (487, 11).

The dig spot is right in front of the middle tree, so follow the button prompt to rip the chest from the sand, bagging you the Govenor's Outfit – one of many Black Flag Resynced outfits – and 2,000 Reales.

Note that you can dig this treasure up during the 'Mutiny' quest or you can come back to Isla Providencia later to dig it up. While you're this far south, you may also want to look for the Black Flag Resynced Grand Cayman chest and clear out all the chests in the Black Flag Resynced Anotto Bay smuggler's den.

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Black Flag Stalking Zones appear on certain Assassin's Contracts as an additional challenge option to earn a little extra money. Trouble is Resynced never actually says what a stalking zone is, leaving you to work it out for yourself. Fortunately, the answer is simple and, if it seems weird, remember this game is technically 13 years old and it all goes back to how they did things in the old days...

How to assassinate someone from a Stalking Zone in Black Flag

A stalking zone in Black Flag Resynced is just any bush or grass that hides you. If Edward appears with a white outline, you're in a stalking zone. As you can see from the shot above, it's a very technical distinction leaving Edward very obviously sticking out while completely concealed.

The reason for this is that it's a throwback to the original game where stealth wasn't actually optional, and was instead only triggered by entering specific areas like high grass and bushes. The stalking zone system was introduced in Assassin's Creed 3 and an actual manual, push button crouch didn't actually actually arrive until Unity.

Confusingly, you can also get assassin's contracts where the challenge is to do it from stealth. In those cases you can do it from corners, overhead branches etc - anywhere where you're hidden or undetected, including stalking zones. However, the stalking zone criteria only works from bushes and plants that give you the white outline. There are 30 of these murdery side quests, forming quite a big chunk of the Black Flag Resynced mission list, so you'll be looking for the right spot plenty of times. And, if you have your heart set on completing them all, that will play into how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced.

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The Black Flag mission list features 51 main missions in total, including 8 new ones made for Resynced specifically. There are also around 61 side missions across things like Assassin Contracts, Officer Quests, collectibles and so on, bringing that grand total up to roughly 145.

That breaks down roughly like this:

• 51 main missions
  • 6 side missions
    • Former Glories
    • Mayan Mysteries (16 missions)
    • Damn Fine Gear (16 missions)
    • Blackbeard's Treasure
    • Captain Stede Bonnet
    • Art Lover
  • 11 Officer Quests
  • 30 Assassin Contracts
  • 15 Naval Contracts

Of course there are some semantics involved here. Damn Fine Gear is a mission, to complete 16 other missions, so I've counted that as 17. There are also various other things to do in the world - like the 12 Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps, 10 Forts you need to destroy, or the 26 Sea Shanties to chase and collect and so on. Those I haven't counted and instead have focused on the map marker objectives you can find and tick off. Obviously, what you do go after will affect how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced too.

Here's how that all breaks down below

Black Flag main missions

There are 51 main missions in Black Flag, an increase from the original game thanks to 8 new quests added to the original 43. These missions are spread across 12 sequences, with the new content unlocking at the end of Sequence 11.

Black Flag side missions

There are multiple side missions and objectives to find and complete in Black Flag, which are listed below. However there are six general side quests, some of which group together into longer mission chains:

1. Former Glories - upgrade everything at your Great Inagua mansion.
2. Mayan Mysteries - Complete all 16 Black Flag Resynced Mayan Stones and collect the armor.
3. Damn Fine Gear - Get all four Black Flag Resynced Templar Keys and unlock the armor.
4. Blackbeard's Treasure - Find the X on the Black Flag Resynced Blackbeard's Treasure map (new for Resynced).
5. Captain Stede Bonnet - Find Stede Bonnet's ship and crew (new for Resynced).
6. Art Lover - Find 30 pieces of art for the Butler at your Great Inagua mansion.

Former Glories and Art Lover are basically collectible missions, as are Mayan Mysteries and Damn Fine Gear, technically - albeit with more to them than just collecting things. Captain Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard's Treasure are new mission that expand elements of the original game's plot and the respective characters.

Let's take a look at everything in a little more detail:

Officer side missions

There are five Black Flag Resynced Officers you can unlock. Two are mandatory unlocks as you progress through the main campaign but three have their own mission chains with 11 missions in total:

Templar Hunts

The mission Damn Fine Gear includes a series of Templar Hunts - a sequence of 16 assassin missions you can undertake to get the Black Flag Templar Keys needed for one of the Black Flag Resynced Outfits in the game. There are four hunts, all consisting of four missions each, that are accessible in the quest log on the map page:

Assassin's Contracts

Once you've completed the mission Overrun and Outnumbered with James Kidd you'll unlock 30 Assassin Contracts. These are found scattered around the various towns and settlements, marked on the map with a skull icon, where you'll find a pigeon coop that you collect contracts from. These all involve killing a specific target, often with a bonus challenge like doing it from stealth, or using a specific weapon to get extra Reales.

Naval Contracts

There are 15 Naval Contracts you can take on, starting with one called the A Spanish Plague in Great Inagua which unlocks the rest. That in turn is unlocked by completing This Old Cove. These are a selection of boat based combat missions that see you battling and boarding various vessels and gathering certain cargos.

Mayan Stelae

There are 16 Mayan Stelae to find, each of which involves a small visual puzzles to reveal a stone. Collect them all and you'll get the Mayan outfit which includes a trinket that repels bullets. Technically these are introduced once you complete the mission Overrun and Outnumbered with James Kidd, who introduces you to them. But you can find them out in the world and start solving them before that.

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Sometimes, gaming remakes can be used to gauge interest in returning to an older series. While that's not quite the case with Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced – we know Assassin's Creed Hexe is on the way – I think its reception could be a useful barometer for such a long-running franchise in seeing if there's appetite for more of the same. Namely, a classic-feeling Assassin's Creed that centers on smaller, denser maps rather than Assassin's Creed Shadows-style open-world RPG adventures. Going further, I'd love the remake to directly lead to a legacy sequel continuing Edward Kenway's saga. If that's the case, consider my appetite ravenous.

In my own Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review, I bemoaned the awkward approach to how remaining faithful to the 2013 original hampered introducing changes. A legacy sequel, acting as an immediate follow-up to the 13 year-old entry, would be able to shed one-to-one comparisons while providing room to iterate on classic AC's stealth loop. With plenty of information out there about what the pirate-turned-Master Assassin was up to between Black Flag and the American-set Assassin's Creed 3 and London-set Assassin's Creed Syndicate, I'd love to see his journey for myself. It has too many tantalizing beats not to salivate over it.

London bound

After all, during Black Flag, Edward spends most of his time turning his nose up at the Assassins. His self-centered quest for booty blinds him to the righteousness of extending his belief in liberty to the people en masse rather than just himself. It's not until the game's final arc that he seeks to make amends for his errors – not truly embracing the path of the Assassin until literally the final cutscene of the game where he finally sails home to Britain after many years building his pirate empire in the Caribbean. Black Flag ends with Edward setting out on a new beginning. Satisfying in its own way, but it feels like the door is open for expansion.

While a legacy sequel doesn't have to be completely beholden to existing Assassin's Creed lore, there's plenty Black Flag 2 could riff on if it doesn't want to completely diverge. After settling in London, Edward became pals with the Assassin Miko, joining the local Brotherhood and rising up the ranks until they both became co-Mentor figures. Miko, by the by, is the poor fellow you kill at the opera as Haytham Kenway in the opening of Assassin's Creed 3 – Haytham having been indoctrinated into the Templars after his father's murder.

While Miko handled the day-to-day running of the Brotherhood, Edward forged alliances at home and abroad – able to merge his piracy experience with a strategic mind to sail the world in search of more First Civilization artefacts and Isu Temples, leveraging some of the information obtained from the Templars in Black Flag to do so. Recent webtoon Assassin's Creed: The Forgotten Temple has expanded on this by focusing on a series of adventures he has across southeast Asia – an exciting jumping off point (which Ubisoft considers a Black Flag sequel in and of itself), but not the only path a sequel game would have to take.

Edward's journeys could take him to almost any location frequented by ships of the era, with codex entries in both Assassin's Creed Rogue and Syndicate putting him back at the very first game's Alamut, as well as the Ezio Trilogy's Italy, where he is confirmed to have found remnants of Isu civilization. His continued search for the Grand Temple (around which most of Assassin's Creed 3 revolves, but also the America sidequest chain in Assassin's Creed Valhalla), give him plenty of excuse to set sail to the Americas as well.

Eventually tragically killed in his own home, and never able to succeed in actually finishing off Templar Woodes Rogers (who somehow survives a decadent stabbing at a party courtesy of Edward in Black Flag – one of many things I wish Resynced had given us more elaboration on), there's still plenty Edward manages to accomplish over this period of time. As well as simply finding Isu Temples, he secures Pieces of Eden – detailing it all in his encoded journal that would eventually lead Evie Frye to the Shroud of Eden in Assassin's Creed Syndicate.

The Shroud of Eden a high-tech device so powerful that Edward kept it secret, even to the London Assassins, which shows he had an interesting independent streak even after joining the wider cause. And, though the deaths of Edward and then Miko would lead London to fall to the Templar rule that Syndicate would find it in, building up London into a kind of Assassin Golden Age has an appeal. Maybe even more so with the dramatic irony that would entail for series fans.

Importantly, a lot of these locations have already been present in the series so far. Rather than making that a hindrance, I say celebrate it. Only the perennially overlooked Assassin's Creed Rogue (and very briefly Assassin's Creed Revelations) has dabbled in revisiting past maps subtly altered to place them in a different time period. In fact, that could make a Black Flag 2 feel like a true Legacy Sequel, reimaging maps from past Assassin's Creed games.

Why waste the bones built for Syndicate when its London was so big and dense? Re-engineer it into a new era for Edward Kenway to run around his home between boat jaunts, please. Asset re-use, smartly used, can provide a sense of place like little else – just look at the Yakuza series and how special Kamurocho has become to its dedicated fans like myself.

Mixing together reimagined takes on previous entries with some new ports could provide a neat blend of old and new as Edward takes his ship and crew across far-flung coastlines. As well as Alamut, and, say, Rome or Boston, Edward could indeed touch base in some southeast Asia territories like Macau; where does Shao Jun's Chinese Assassin Brotherhood find itself a couple hundred years after Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China? Or, why not set course back to his hometown of Swansea for some Welsh adventuring – which was forbidden in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. On the Edward Kenway celebration tour, nothing is off limits.

Am I seriously expecting Assassin's Creed Black Flag 2 to exist? Honestly, I'm on the fence – though, Ubisoft, feel free to call it Assassin's Creed: Fall of London, Assassin's Creed: Boys on Tour, or Assassin's Creed: Sail Mary for free. A lot of work has clearly gone into getting Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced off the ground, and in a time where soaring game development budgets seem untenable, I'd love to see more bang for each buck spent on the tech made specifically for the remake. I love sequels that feel like deeper iterations on strong foundations rather than ground-up evolutions – I think it can create an atmosphere in which developers can do some of their best work (and may be one reason I love God of War Ragnarok so much). But, maybe I just grew up playing too many level packs like Rayman Designer and Tomb Raider.

Beyond that, it's clear that Assassin's Creed is reaching a point where it could use a bit of reinvention. Assassin's Creed Shadows being a huge open-world RPG works well enough on its own, but for all its unique mechanics, it can feel too similar to the three huge open-world adventures that came before it. Assassin's Creed Hexe looks to be mixing things up. But, until then, perhaps Edward Kenway can step in. After all, he helped steer the course after Assassin's Creed 3 proved so divisive. Perhaps he can do it again.

Edward Kenway is great, but which adventure is king? Check out our best Assassin's Creed games ranking to see our favorites.

The Black Flag Resynced Sugarcane and Its Yields quest is a bit of a tough one because it features two sections where a stealth approach is best due to the overwhelming number of guards. However, the main challenge for this Black Flag Resynced quest is finding the Warehouse Key as it's tucked away in a private manor at the far end of the plantation and can be difficult to get without causing a huge commotion. With that, here's what you need to do to complete Sugarcane and Its Yields as smoothly as possible.

Black Flag Resynced Sugarcane and Its Yields walkthrough

After following James Kidd across Andreas Island to the elevated lookout point, here's what you need to do to find the Warehouse Key and complete the Sugarcane and Its Yields quest without getting into a massive fight:

1. Find Beckford's agent, who usually patrols the parts of this British dock camp furthest from the lookout point you start at. Sneak forward and use Eagle Vision (R3/R3) and aiming (L2/LT) to mark enemies until you find the agent.
2. Kill the agent and loot his body to collect the cargo manifest. It's good to use whistling, hiding spots, smoke bombs, and tree hangings to your advantage to secure the kill without causing a ruckus as this dock has quite a lot of soldiers inside.
3. Return to the Jackdaw and sail to Cat Island (706, 669). Dock the Jackdaw when you arrive then sneak onto the island plantation.
4. Sneak past the plantation guards using the available buildings and shrub hiding spots and head straight for the manor in the southwestern corner of the Cat Island plantation.
5. Climb onto the roof of the manor and peek into the garden to locate and mark Emmerson Beckford at roughly (705,664). He holds the Warehouse Key you need.

6. When Beckford eventually goes inside the manor and isolates himself from his guests, drop from the roof out of sight, go inside, and either pickpocket the Warehouse Key from Beckford or assassinate him and loot the key from his body.
7. Sneak over to the Warehouse towards the north beach of Cat Island at (706,669) and use the key to unlock the doors. Edward and the Jackdaw's crew will safely plunder the Warehouse in a cutscene.

From the Warehouse, you should loot a piece of art called "The Burning of the 'Royal James'", 1,250 Reales, and 12 Wine. That also marks the end of the Sugarcane and Its Yields quest!

However, you may want to return to Cat Island later to rob this warehouse again as, like other warehouses, it replenishes based on a timer (hover the map cursor over the icon to see how long you must wait). Once it has been restocked and you can get the key off one of the plantation guards and loot the warehouse again, helping you get fragments of Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps, more Reales, and precious resources. If you've got access to Kenway's Fleet, you can also send your ships on missions that resupply warehouses so that you can loot them again.

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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is here, and despite releasing to "Mixed" reviews on Steam, it's doing – and selling – pretty dang well.

Standing as the first Assassin's Creed game to hit over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, the Black Flag remake is performing quite nicely on PC – and beyond, for that matter.

Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, explores some of the numbers Resynced has already managed to pull off, under a week after its launch, in a new post on his Substack. He first dubs the game a "much-needed win for Ubisoft.

This aligns quite well with what the analyst previously said: that Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced "is on track to be a much-needed hit for Ubisoft" – which he evidently was right to say.

"Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has been a much-needed win for Ubisoft on Steam," as Elliott writes, "selling 701,000 copies for $35 million in gross revenue, plus almost $1 million more from day-one DLC."

Now, that's a lot of money – especially when you consider all the controversy the DLC has stirred up with fans.

Heck, many of the negative reviews over on Steam have to do with these "optional" purchases and microtransactions, which add up to over $80 in total. It appears that hasn't stopped folks from buying the DLC, though. A million or so bucks is, well, pretty significant, all things considered.

That's not all, however. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is outperforming predecessor, Assassin's Creed Shadows, on Valve's platform, too.

"Shadows was the first Assassin's Creed to go day-and-date on Steam, and it set the revenue bar early last year," as Elliott notes. "Resynced cleared it comfortably, and did so while selling for less ($59.99 versus Shadows’ full-RPG price)." For reference, Shadows is usually (off-sale) $69.99.

"On day one alone, Resynced pulled in $22.4 million on Steam, 2.35x what Shadows managed on its own launch day ($9.5 million)," the analyst continues. "Four days in, Resynced's revenues via unit sales sat at $35.1 million cumulative versus Shadows' $22.2 million, roughly 1.58x ahead and pulling away."

Wild figures, eh? Ubisoft is finally settling nicely into the PC market, it seems.

"Against the pre-day-and-date era, it's no contest: Resynced has out-earned Valhalla by 9x and Mirage by nearly 19x at the same point, a reminder of how much Steam has grown as a launch platform for Ubisoft in just a few years," as Elliott concludes.

"It's proof that day-and-date Steam releases are now doing serious money for a publisher that spent years treating PC as an afterthought (outside of an ill-fated launcher)."

He does clarify that Resynced is still facing criticism for its DLC – but as I said earlier, that doesn't seem to be slowing down the game's (or the optional purchases') traction.

Interested in one of the biggest new games of 2026 yourself? Read through our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review to learn what we think of it.

There's one Black Flag Resynced Grand Cayman chest in particular that's very difficult to reach, despite being so obvious. It's more of a puzzle than a parkour or exploration challenge compared to the other two chests you can boot open in this small Black Flag Resynced settlement. To help you get these lootable chests off your checklist, I've how to get to every chest in Grand Cayman below.

Black Flag Resynced Grand Cayman secret chest

The hardest chest to reach is the secret one on the cliff found at (357,298) where an old man is getting shouted at for drinking too much. It's impossible to climb up to so you instead need to follow the man's lead and get Edward hammered too.

Head to the Grand Cayman tavern (you may need to complete a bar fight to properly unlock it first) and buy five drinks at the side of the bar. After the fifth drink and a fade-to-black, Edward will wake up in a pile of palm leaves on the ledge where the old man was. You'll get the "Hungover" trophy/achievement for getting up here, and you can open the secret chest to get the Yoke-Form Vessel art collectible.

Black Flag Resynced Grand Cayman chest 1

To reach the chest at (358,295), you need to go to the cave pool on the southwestern side of Grand Cayman with a Mayan statue nearby. Wade into the pool and dive down when you reach the end of the downward steps. Swim through the small doorway at the bottom of the cave and follow the steps up to the surface and you'll emerge right in front of a chest containing some valuables worth a few hundred Reales in total, so it's not the most rewarding of discoveries.

Black Flag Resynced Grand Cayman chest 2

The chest at (365,303) is easy to spot on the northeastern side of Grand Cayman. The only issue is it's in a small encampment of Spanish soldiers, so you'll have to assassinate or fight your way to it. This chest also contains an assortment of valuables worth several hundred Reales.

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An Ubisoft Barcelona developer who worked on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has responded to praise for their team's work as Ubisoft looks to lay off 51 developers from the studio.

Ahead of the remake's launch earlier this month, news broke that Ubisoft Barcelona developers are going on strike after Vantage Studios – the Ubisoft-Tencent conglomerate established last year – informed the studio that the Assassin's Creed team at Ubisoft Barcelona will be let go at the end of July, according to a former developer. Resynced is the fourth-highest-rated game in the series, has seen the biggest Steam launch in the series' history, and is receiving praise from fans of the series.

Over on Twitter, Assassin's Creed fan account TheRealZephryss made a post praising the game's underwater tech and exploration segments, which was reposted by Manel Cota, tech and gameplay animator at Ubisoft Barcelona, as part of Black Flag Resynced's development. Cota responded to the praise, saying, "Thanks! Ubisoft Barcelona did all the underwater levels. And that same team is being fired right now because Ubisoft thinks that's what we deserve."

Ubisoft Barcelona are striking today, tomorrow and Thursday in response to Ubisoft's planned layoffs, with Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo's bulletin confirming the strike aims are to ensure that the 51 staff who are set to be laid off are retained, to prevent more mass layoffs for "a minimum of five years" by requesting job protections, offering staff the option to work from home, a demand that already-agreed promotions be given.

Ubisoft says it's going a little quiet after Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced ahead of "significantly bigger" years with more games.

Anotto Bay in Black Flag Resynced has a handful of treasures to find, including buried treasure from a map found in a Havana warehouse. There are two chests to find, both of which are in the shark -infested underwater tunnels that you must navigate to even reach the smuggler's den, and one secret chest that requires a key. It's a simple location to clear in Black Flag Resynced, but the treasure and secret key can also be quite easy to miss, so here's how to find every bit of loot in Anotto Bay.

Anotto Bay also happens to be where you need to go for the Black Flag Resynced Blackbeard's Treasure quest, so if you need help uncovering that too, check out the linked guide.

Black Flag Resynced Anotto Bay location

If you've got the Black Flag Resynced Treasure Map for Anotto Bay from the Havana Warehouse and want to know where Anotto Bay even is, you need to head to (590,245). It's on the north side of the main island in the Charlotte region of the map and is north-northwest of Kingston. To get inside the smuggler's cove here, you need to dive where the shipwreck is and look for the underwater mineshaft tunnel entrance.

Black Flag Resynced Anotto Bay treasure

The buried treasure marked on the Black Flag Resynced Treasure Map for Anotto Bay is found in the den area at the end of the underwater tunnels. In the middle of the den, you'll notice there's a patch of dirt amongst the wooden floorboards next to a large stack of wooden boxes. The dig spot is in this dirt patch!

The chest within contains 2,000 Reales and the Crimson Cloak outfit for Edward – it's not the most interesting of Black Flag Resynced outfits, but it gives Edward's assassin pirate garb a more striking look.

Anotto Bay Chest 1

The first Anotto Bay chest is in the underwater mineshaft tunnel that leads to the den itself. As you swim through the tunnel, take the first left where the dead pirate is, follow the tunnel around to the right (watch out for the sea urchins), then take the next left. As you swim towards the wooden barricade ahead, a shark will burst out, so be prepared to dodge. When the shark is out of the way, the first Anotto Bay chest is straight ahead and holds 1,000 Reales.

Anotto Bay Chest 2

To reach the second chest, continue swimming down the tunnel until you reach an area with a ladder leading upwards and a spout of bubbles. Follow this up, then look around and you'll find chest 2 in the opposite direction to the rest of the tunnel. This chest also contains 1,000 Reales.

Anotto Bay Secret

Like the buried treasure, the secret in Anotto Bay (which is another chest) is found in the den area. The chest itself is tucked in a corner on the left as you walk into the den, but the key you need is on the smuggler leader Lorenzo – use a combination of Eagle Vision and aiming to mark him and the key. All you need to do is kill Lorenzo, loot the key from his body, and open the chest to get 4,922 Reales and a Weathered Map Piece!

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Black Flag Resynced codes are in high demand, as they can be used to claim free rewards in this updated swashbuckling adventure. Some are cosmetic, such as fresh sails to adorn your ship, but you can also redeem them to get Animus keys – and there's enough on offer to unlock one of three new swords for Edward Kenway to wield. To find out more, here are all of the Black Flag codes and how to redeem them for rewards.

All Black Flag Resynced codes

The following Black Flag Resynced codes can be redeemed for rewards:

• ACBF-PHGN-SYBJ-RTRF – 1,500 Animus keys, Crimson Storm Sails
• ASC-BFR-PMK-000 – Shipmate Monkey Pet

Neither of these Black Flag codes have an official expiry date, although when the first one was announced producer Justin Ng said it "will remain available for a limited redemption period" – so make sure you claim it as soon as you can.

There are also some other routes to claim rewards for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, such as:

• Watch 2 hours of Twitch streaming – Rustborne Swords (expires August 2, 2026)
• Watch 4 hours of Twitch streaming – Cheetah Claw Cat Pet (expires August 2, 2026)
• Complete Red Bull Quiz – Wings of the Tempest Sails (expires September 30, 2026)

For the Twitch Drops you simply need to watch participating streams for the length of time stated, which is cumulative so you don't need to do it in one sitting. If you need any help with linking your accounts then this Ubisoft Support article has you covered.

To complete the Red Bull quiz, scroll down the page until you find the 'Spin' button and hit that to start the questions. There are six in total and you only need to answer one of them correctly, then provide your name and email at the end to receive a unique code. When you redeem that code a message which pops up suggests this reward may not be available yet, and you'll receive a further email from Red Bull once it's in the game, so don't stress if you can't immediately find it.

How to redeem Black Flag Resynced codes

The most direct way to redeem Black Flag Resynced codes is to activate them in-game, by entering the pause menu then following the Store prompt in the top right corner of the screen, before hitting the Redeem Code option to the bottom left of the screen.

However, some players (especially on consoles) have reported issues with this process, so you can also redeem Black Flag codes though the Ubisoft Connect app by tapping your profile icon then choosing the Key Activation option, or going through the official Redeem codes site and following the steps there. You'll need a Ubisoft Connect account for either of those routes, so if you don't have one already then complete the process to set one up.

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The Black Flag Resynced Antocha Wreck is one of the many shipwrecks you can plunder for long lost loot, with one chest in the wreck itself being quite tricky to find. Grabbing all eight loot chests in this wreck is really useful as well, since you'll gather both a load of Reales and the Mortar Ultimate Plan, which is arguably one of the best in all of Black Flag Resynced. With that, I've detailed the locations for all seven chests in the Antocha Wreck below.

All Antocha Wreck chest locations in Black Flag Resynced

As mentioned, there are eight chests to rip open in the wreck of the Antocha – seven containing Reales and one secret chest containing the Black Flag Resynced Ultimate Plan for the Mortar – with four of them stuck within the two halves of the destroyed ship.

Starting with those since they're the hardest to reach, here's how you can find every chest in the Antocha diving spot:

1. At the very bottom of the south edge of the northern half of the wreck (the stern of the ship).
2. In a small room on the middle deck of the stern wreckage. Swim into the deck, take the second left, then turn left again to reach it.
3. Deep within the stern wreckage on the upper deck. From chest 2, turn around and go straight ahead, then up to the next deck to find the chest straight ahead.
4. At the end of a corridor accessed via an opening on the east corner of the stern wreckage. The opening is roughly halfway down the ship and there is a shoal of fish plus some coral and plants surrounding it.

5. On the top deck of the southern bow half of the shipwreck, near the bowsprit.
6. In the small shipwreck part closest to the diving bell.
7. In the small shipwreck part directly south of the diving bell.
8. Secret: In the small shipwreck piece furthest from the diving bell. This contains the Mortar Ultimate Plan.

When looking for these chests and secrets in the Antocha, or any shipwreck accessed via the diving bell for that matter, remember to scan the area by holding L2/LT to look for white dots as these are the chests, then check your map often to see where to go. Obviously, you also need to watch out for sharks and ensure Edward doesn’t drown, so make sure you return to the diving bell and use the barrels to refill the oxygen meter – barrels can only be used to replenish Edward's air once each!

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Calmness washes over me as I place a brig on the shelf, nestled lovingly between a schooner and a fishing boat. There's something deeply satisfying about building out my collection of ship models in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, each awarded to me after defeating a vessel of its likeness in the clear blue oceans connecting the West Indies, and it keeps me coming back to Great Inagua for more.

The magpie-like thrill doesn't stop there. In fact, one of my favorite things about the Black Flag remake is its curated approach to base building. I love wafting about my splendid mansion between missions, admiring all my trinkets like a wistful, somewhat inebriated old widow looking back on her life with pride. What good is all that pirate booty if Edward can't put it somewhere special?

Warning: spoilers for major character deaths ahead!

Home and hearth

I didn't expect the mansion on Great Inagua to become such a warm, inviting space when I liberated it from a Templar in the game's early hours. Yet here I am, rushing back to the island hideaway with a backpack full of paintings, vases, and even an intricately-designed wardrobe to adorn its halls with.

What started out as a lengthy side quest – restoring the late lady-of-the-house's art collection by request of her devoted butler, whom I seem to have inherited along with the mansion itself – has become a pronounced obsession. It's a different approach to the base building elements seen in some of the best Assassin's Creed games of late. With its grid placement system and massive library of structures, landscaping, and design tools at the ready, Assassin's Creed Shadows leaned heavier on the sandbox elements of life sim games like The Sims. It made sense for Shadows as a dense open world RPG, fleshing out the system as seen in Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Ravensthorpe base camp.

But Black Flag Resynced's mansion of trinkets sits a little closer to the likes of Assassin's Creed Syndicate's procedurally-decorated steam train hideout, which sees new items and mementos unlocked after completing mission sequences.

There's no grid system in Edward’s mansion, but individual gaps in its art collection. Tasteful portraits have their own ascribed wall hanging spots and cannot be displayed elsewhere, as do furniture items, while tabletop decorations and miscellaneous paintings can go on any suitable surface. There also seems to be a finite number of artworks, art pieces, and furniture items to collect, which does make narrative sense. Edward is supposed to be restoring a curated suite of items that have been doled out to various Templars across the West Indies, each with their own pride of place in the mansion – not redecorating the house as he pleases.

That in itself adds a rich bit of texture to Black Flag's overall world building. Edward might be the current occupier of the mansion, but he is not its owner. He did not purchase it; much like the Templar Du Casse before him, Edward had to kill to take what wasn't his. I've mentioned before that I think he's a huge bastard, and, well.. Put like that, can you really disagree with me?

Know your place's place

To my utter surprise, though, Edward does not meet the butler's request for him to restore the art collection with a sneer. Nor does he threaten to sell the items off for profit, as would befit a pirate.

Edward agrees to this strangely sentimental side project, setting out in earnest to get the mansion back to the state it was in before its rightful owner died. He accepts that this house is not truly his, and that there's no point trying to wrest it from the long-dead Lady's hands when her butler is still here laying claim to it in her stead. Edward shows the butler deference instead of derision, and after all his mouthy blustering, I love seeing him humbled.

There are still inflections of Edward's own personality shining through as he restores the place. He starts collecting ship models, for a start, displaying them in his large office space, and can display his armor and weaponry in one of the parlors. There’s even a basement passage leading out into Great Inagua’s village center with extra painting spaces, each waiting to commemorate one of Edward’s lost comrades. They become little vigils once a portrait is placed, creating a space where Edward can stop and take a moment to remember friends and adventures past.

It's become one of my little rituals. I always make time to stop by the house to reflect on Edward's journey so far after a particularly grueling main mission, having a little cuddle with pet monkey Albert on the way to Blackbeard's portrait, perhaps sneering "prick" at the likeness of a slain Templar and plantation owner en route to his miniature collection.

All it takes is a mild word from the butler ("there's still more art to be found, Mr. Kenway") I'm off again, hunting down my next mission marker in hopes of securing another fine painting. But first, I collect my protection money. He might have a disarming respect for culture and art, but Edward Kenway is still a pirate after all.

Check out our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review for our Games Editor's thoughts on Ubisoft's latest.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced might be a single-player game – which Ubisoft says is "playable offline" – but that didn't stop the revamped pirate adventure from being temporarily unplayable on PC for many during its launch weekend thanks to issues with Ubisoft Connect.

On July 11, many Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced players on PC reported being unable to load the game at all, experiencing an "insta crash" when Ubisoft Connect popped up. "Even 'Play offline' doesn't work. What a disaster," one affected user wrote, as another said: "Can't start a single player game offline.. ggs ubisoft."

This problem seemingly didn't affect everyone – some on Reddit noted that "it didn't log me out or make me not able to play it," and that "I've played offline just fine. I was playing offline when this happened."

It seems likely that many of those running into issues may not have launched the game at all up until that point – in a frequently asked questions section on its website (specifically, the part that asks if Resynced is playable offline), Ubisoft says: "Yes. A one-time internet connection is required to download the game. Once downloaded, the full main campaign of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is fully playable offline. However, an online connection will be needed to play live content linked to the Animus Hub (Store, Anomalies, Projects, Vault)."

With that said, that doesn't appear to have been the case for everyone. Looking at the game's Steam reviews – which have taken a hit since Ubisoft Connect went down – many players had multiple hours on record by the time they left their negative ratings. "Can't play game in offline mode because I can't reach servers. 0/10," one reads, with over nine hours played at the time of submitting it.

Because this was a Ubisoft Connect issue, it wasn't just Black Flag Resynced that was affected, mind you. One Reddit user stated: "Tried to play Fenyx Rising on GeForceNOW, and couldn't because of it."

Regardless, the timing of this happening couldn't have been much worse given that it was on Black Flag Resynced's launch weekend, when many fans would have been starting it for the very first time.

Thankfully, everything appears to be back to normal now, and the game's reviews on Steam are still Mostly Positive, but it seems that console players definitely had a better experience on Saturday than many of those on PC.

Be sure to take a look at our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review if you're yet to play, or our roundup of the best Assassin's Creed games if you're looking to revisit an older adventure.

Although Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced launched to "Mixed" reviews on Steam, it's proving to be one of the most popular entries on PC from Ubisoft's legendary franchise. On Steam, at least.

Standing as a remake of what might just be the series' peak title, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has climbed its way up Steam's ranks over the past few days – so much so, in fact, that it's set a new record for the Assassin's Creed name.

As per SteamDB, the revamped gem hit over 100,000 concurrent players on Valve's platform yesterday… only three days after its July 9 release date. That's quite a figure, considering the game's predecessors' own.

The second-highest concurrent player count ever hit by an Assassin's Creed game is 64,825, for comparison – and yes, that number belongs to none other than Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft's previous entry to its nearly 20-year-old series.

After that, Assassin's Creed Odyssey sits in third place with a peak of 62,069. Then, the figures drop a bit more with Assassin's Creed Origins, with only 41,551 players back in 2017.

It only gets lower – quite a bit, too – from there, with every following game dropping below 20,000 concurrent players. Interestingly, the original Black Flag boasts a peak of only 16,049… a good 88,707 fewer players than Resynced, with its own 104,756.

That's one heck of a big difference, but I suppose it makes sense. If most folks are anything like me, they were probably playing the OG game on Xbox or PlayStation back in 2013.

Now, PC players have grown in number – and Resynced's peak concurrent player count on Steam only proves as much.

Interested in one of the biggest new games of 2026 yourself? Read through our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review to learn what we think of it.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is here, but looking back at the OG 2013 game, the remake's creative director thinks that it only "became a classic" once players learned to love protagonist Edward Kenway.

Speaking in the latest issue of Retro Gamer, Paul Fu – who also served as a game designer on the original Black Flag – notes that while there's a lot to love in Ubisoft's pirate adventure, back at launch, not everyone was completely in love with quite how piratey it is. Namely, some felt that "Edward didn't really feel like an assassin."

Fu explains: "People really like the pirate fantasy and the characters, Blackbeard especially. I also remember what they didn't like early on was that Edward didn't really feel like an assassin."

Obviously, this wasn't a sentiment that stuck around forever. "I think people quickly came around in the next few years, and soon enough it became a classic," as Fu says. "I remember being really proud of the Montreal team for having the foresight to make an anti-hero."

He's certainly right about it becoming a classic – there's a reason why we rank it so highly on our list of the best Assassin's Creed games. With that said, it'll probably take a while before we can properly assess whether or not folks think its remake has been able to surpass it.

In our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review, we gave the remake three and a half stars out of five, praising its pirate atmosphere and excellent voice acting. However, games editor Oscar Taylor-Kent writes: "It splashes between wanting to be faithful, and wanting to make adjustments, not quite able to find an elegant middleground between the two. Combined with bugs and other annoyances, this isn't the bold, confident swing its predecessor was, but still a fun outing."

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced "is on track to be a much-needed hit for Ubisoft," says analyst, selling 5 times the Steam copies Assassin's Creed Shadows did pre-release.

The pizza crust might not be anyone's favorite part of a delicious, cheesy pie – but it is an integral part of the munch experience. They're a break from the main event that helps you appreciate the foundations of each bite. And, they can be killer with dip. That's exactly what Assassin's Creed's modern day sections and storytelling does for a complicated series like this – and it was a mistake for Black Flag Resynced, as a remake, to remove the 2013 original's present-day chapters.

Only with their removal do I really appreciate how important they were to grounding the overall package. A crustless pizza sounds all well and good until you're trying to lift it.

A hood in time

There's a lot I loved about Assassin's Creed Shadows, the first game to offload almost all of its 'modern' storytelling (it's now shifted to a few decades in the future). But when I look back on Naoe and Yasuke's adventure, it feels like a forgettable and insubstantial part of the series as a whole.

In fact, the further away Assassin's Creed moves from its overarching modern day stories – explaining why you, as a player, are using a digital device to relive ancestor memories from across time – the more adrift I've come to feel as a long-time fan of the franchise.

The first five Assassin's Creed games follow Desmond Miles as he's forced to use the Animus to relive the DNA-stored memories of his Master Assassin ancestors, helping the evil Templars locate mythical artefacts capable of reshaping reality on a whim in the present. The side effect of this device is that it awakens the skills and abilities of those ancestors within Desmond himself, leading to a handful of linear modern day missions where Desmond gets to show off his parkour and assassin skills.

It always felt like this set-up was building towards a modern-day blowout of 21st century Assassin action (which feels like it wouldn't be a stone's throw from something like Watch Dogs 2, in all honesty). It never came to pass, as Assassin-like gameplay in modern times was de-emphasized after Desmond's story concludes in Assassin's Creed 3.

Yet this bleeding effect, and the modern sequences, still serve a purpose. Through Desmond, the connected quest between Altair, Ezio, and Connor to protect the Pieces of Eden and unlock the Grand Temple, pivotal for humanity's survival, forms a cohesive whole. Bouncing between the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, and the American Revolution would feel random and directionless without the modern day sections creating a throughline.

The original Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's modern story was a big shift, becoming narrative-heavy first-person sections with light puzzle-solving as you're goaded into investigating your evil game developer employer, Abstergo Entertainment. But, it still contributes to what we've been doing in all the previous games.

These aren't just brief palette cleansers that provide space for Edward Kenway's pirate journey to more naturally have some big time jumps, but important moments that deal with the fallout of Assassin's Creed 3's storyline. Poking around the office has you piece together what happened with Desmond and his friends, and new lore elements with the precursor Isu civilization even create some direct connections between the Age of Piracy and the time in which you find yourself.

With Black Flag Resynced especially, because it was originally designed to connect to the other games in this way, excising that content creates unsatisfying pace issues. As I mentioned in my Black Flag Resynced review, it even means one character arc is missing its bombastic ending and just fizzles out.

Speaking of fizzling, it's all the modern day storylines have managed to do since they've become de-emphasized. Rather than fixing any issues, the step back has made me feel directionless as a fan who wants to appreciate Assassin's Creed as a whole. While even Assassin's Creed Syndicate managed to somewhat incorporate the narrative thread around Juno (a digitized entity from the Isu civilization) escaping her prison, the conclusion of this was instead wrapped up in comic books as the series' RPG era entered the picture.

New modern day protagonist Layla Hassan wasn't perfect, but exploring the origins of the Assassin and Templar conflict at least gave the games some direction, especially through her connection with Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Kassandra. She, like the Isu Civilization's constantly reincarnating Sages, gives an additional timeline-spanning hook alongside the Animus' memory exploration.

Like it or not, past threads connecting is vital to Assassin's Creed DNA – and those threads have to connect somewhere. But, these plotlines struggled to mesh with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and while Basim's own connection to the modern day through Valhalla and Mirage are super interesting, once again they peter out with Shadows.

New sections set within the Animus Ego attempt to connect Black Flag Resynced and the other, recent open-world RPG era of the games together. But, even within these segments of play, the all-digital world means all it can muster is gesturing towards these historical memories sitting together in a space almost as disconnected as the launcher-like menu that opens when you boot up either Black Flag Resynced or Shadows.

Assassin's Creed's modern sections were the glue holding the whole thing together – doing a lot with just a little. Assassin's Creed 2's morsels of action with Desmond, and absurd reveals about who throughout history has been on the side of the Assassins and Templars, can easily be forgotten about if it's not your thing. But, to others like me, they're an invitation to revel in the sometimes-absurd, sometimes-engrossing spiraling worldbuilding of the series.

It makes me feel like part of a club as a fan. Ubisoft acting self-conscious about that part of the series identity can feel off-putting in its lack of confidence, and make it feel like the clubhouse door has creaked close for business. How can I be a fan of something that isn't sure what it even is anymore? I need something to nibble on again. I need my crust.

Check out the best open world games for more massive adventures!

Looking back on the infamously buggy Assassin's Creed Unity after 12 years, Ubisoft veteran Jean Guesdon admits "this opus maybe pushed too many things at once."

As part of a new feature about Assassin's Creed in a new issue of Retro Gamer – on sale now, by the way – Guesdon offers a sense that ambition is largely behind the game's tricky release.

"Sadly, Unity's launch was a huge challenge because of several reasons," he says. "Like AC3 with AnvilNext, Unity's development was impacted by the incredible new tech allowing for 1:1 scale, interiors, massive crowds, a brand-new parkour system and an integrated multiplayer component. Pushing content and tech at the same time is always very demanding, and this opus maybe pushed too many things at once."

"[AC Unity] is one of the most underestimated games in the series," he says.

If you care for a history lesson, one of the big pitches behind Assassin's Creed Unity was the ability to play co-op with three of your friends online. Sounds neat, doesn't it? Four players sneaking around to assassinate targets and work together to achieve a common objective attracted the interest of many.

As you might have figured by now, though, Assassin's Creed Unity wasn't really able to handle it, among other things. Not long after launch, the interest was awash with clips of various graphical issues and bugs, leading to an apology from Ubisoft and a free expansion to make up for the bother.

Despite the bumps, Assassin's Creed Unity ultimately sold well, but Ubisoft certainly had to learn a lesson or two about matching ambition to what's deliverable.

"This is not how I imagined it would end": Ubisoft to lay off Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced devs at its Barcelona studio, with one calling the remake's release "bittersweet."

I'm surrounded by enemies in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, and I'm getting my ass kicked. Two swordsmen flank me either side, one heavy axe-wielding brute boxes me in dead ahead. I don't have enough room to swing my sword – but I do have one last smoke bomb.

Executing targets big or small with the hidden blade is immensely satisfying in any of the best Assassin's Creed games. But it feels especially welcome in Edward Kenway's slick new remake given how challenging regular melee combat can be. It's precise art, "modernized" compared to the original as Resynced's technical director told me in an interview, but with just enough of that hitbox-based hack and slash flair to remain faithful to its old school roots. But there's one game in particular it reminds me of most. I'm impressed to say that Assassin's Creed Unity has been unseated as the unofficial king of finicky combat in the series as a whole.

Down but never out

As it turns out, a pirate's life is not always for me. It takes me a bit of practice to get comfortable with Edward's fighting style in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: it's built around parrying, dodging, and timely hits in between, with the opportunity to counter after performing a perfect guard or dodge.

Now this is all well and good when I have just one foe to focus on. There's a skill and finesse to combat here, something best approached with nimble thumbs on the joysticks and a sharp eye watching for blue warning flashes, alerting me to an imminent attack. Edward's sneaky dodge-rolls over foes' backs, powerful heavy attacks with his double cutlasses, and general pirate panache reminds me of Arno Dorian's different yet equally stylish fighting style in Paris-set Unity.

But unless he's using enemies as human shields when confronted with a mob, a swarmed Edward certainly suffers for his art. Given that's exactly how boarding ships after naval combat plays out – that's an awful lot of cutlass moshpits. Which is where the privateering gets shoved to the wayside for a touch of sneaky assassin charm.

Deploying my last smoke bomb in the midst of a heavy close-quarters firefight, I'm able to walk around the obscured bubble and quickly dispatch any baddie while they're distracted. Meanwhile, throwing out the rope dart with the right button on my D-pad lets me interrupt even red-flashing power attacks and rain down some pain with my own blades instead.

Bar Yasuke from Assassin's Creed Shadows, who was no assassin and didn't have access to hidden blades, I can't recall the last time a non-RPG Creed protagonist's personal fighting style felt so distinct from their assassin moves. There's a graceful, almost feline way about Arno's that lends itself well to assassin-like stealth. Evie Frye of Assassin's Creed Syndicate wields her cane sword just as elegantly, and even her tankier brother Jacob knows when and where to reign in the brawn and take to the shadows. When Edward Kenway is boarding your ship after peppering it with non-so-subtle cannonballs, you know he's coming.

Edward, with all his rough edges and swashbuckling privateer moves, is by far the least graceful hero of the bunch, and it shows in how he fights. He plays dirty and mean because that's how a pirate rolls, not to mention he's not really an official assassin at all to start out with. He doesn't operate by the Creed; he writes his own to suit his own needs.

Where does the original Black Flag rank among the best Assassin's Creed maps in terms of aesthetics and utility? Go find out...

Animal pelts, skins and hides in Black Flag Resynced are all an important part of how you improve both your maximum health and your ability to carry around ammo and equipment generally. However, finding animal pelts isn't easy, as you'll have to explore the world to find and hunt various creatures and critters, from deer to jaguars to monkeys. Fortunately, I'll show you where to find all the pelts and animal locations in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced below, as well as how to get them all quickly without even having to leave Inagua.

All animal hunting locations in Black Flag Resynced

Below we've laid out where to find every animal you can hunt in Black Flag Resynced, with coordinates and islands attached. When you reach the marked area, use your eagle vision to find and mark the animal nearby, and use common sense a little. Crocodiles are usually in water, while monkeys are usually up trees, and so on.

It's also worth remembering that certain animals behave differently in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced . For example, deer will flee, while jaguars will fight back and potentially kill you if you're not careful. Keep in mind when hunting them!

Once killed, just approach the animal and choose to "Skin" with the button shown to harvest the skin and bones. It doesn't matter how you kill an animal, they yield the same amount of rewards whether down by assassination, bullet, sword or blowgun.

How to get animal skins and pelts easily in Black Flag Resynced

Though you can hunt animals for free, there's another option: upgrade both the general store and treasure dealer in Great Inagua. Once upgraded, the merchant's store will allow you to buy any animal pelt and skin in exchange for bones (the cost changing depending on their rarity.

Bones can be obtained by killing any animal in the game, but you can also buy them for 5000 Reales each from the Treasure Dealer, once unlocked. This leads to a straightforward cash-for-bones-for-skins arrangement that isn't cheap, but is at least highly efficient, especially if you're flush with cash in the late game. You can also spend some of your pelts at the Treasure Dealer to earn special Black Flag Resynced Outfits!

For animals you can treat slightly better, here's how to get all the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced pets. Or while you're hunting for animals, hunt for the different Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps too!

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Line up Arno Dorian, Jacob Frye, and Ezio Auditore, and they'd all have something Edward Kenway does not: being likeable blokes. The Welsh pirate was never meant to be a decent guy from the off. As an aimless drunk trying to find himself in the West Indies after royally fumbling the bag when it comes to his estranged wife back in Bristol, that offputting loser vibe was already there in the 2013 original. But it has to be said that while Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is an absolutely gorgeous and incredibly fun new game, it magnifies its protagonist's asshattery by dragging out his redemption arc for an unbearably long time.

I get it. We all love a rehabilitated bad boy, as anyone who plays dishonorable Arthur up to a certain point in Red Dead Redemption 2 will tell you. But, unlike a gruff outlaw atoning for his none-too-egregious sins at the dawn of a new world order, Black Flag Resynced gives me very little to root for in Edward. His personality traits are money, dubloons, and reales, and I am so very bored of it. How is it possible that over five hours and four sequences into the remake, I'm still rolling my eyes at a very two-dimensional anti-hero, waiting for the moment he starts feeling worth the emotional investment?

Ye olde frat bro

I've been trying to work out why I am so repulsed by Edward Kenway's character in Black Flag Resynced. Maybe I just hadn't noticed it before, and seeing such a faithful remake has exposed how simplistic the character has always been: from the faded leathers to the alcoholism, near-constant money-grubbing, and self-aggrandized dreams of rising above the derision he'd faced in the "old world", Edward is a stereotypical wannabe pirate. So much so, it starts to feel forced.

Others in the game recognize that. His friend Vane sneers at Edward’s twisted view of piracy, how he views it as a means to an end rather than an earnest movement for complete freedom from the shackles of Crown, Country, and Colony. James Kidd notes his equally shallow motives for dealing with Templars initially, Edward's interest piqued by the promise of a snazzy new get-up. There's also the matter of his most un-pirate-like commitment to his estranged wife back home. He intends to win her back with a fortune amassed as a temporary pirate, rendering him little more than a well-connected tourist in the West Indies.

Resynced does a great job of highlighting how hard Edward's intentions have been clocked from the start. Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still righteous, Kidd remarks mildly, but it's clear that Edward's self-interest immediately grates on his companions very early on.

Only for me, it's not that early on. Six hours into Black Flag Resynced, Edward is still a goofy, greedy caricature of a peg-legged pirate, lacking only a Pretty Polly parrot on his shoulder squawking for a cracker. I'm starting to wonder if it's not the game that's making his simplistic bad boy era drag on for so long, but the way I'm approaching its new spatial parameters.

Thanks to being rebuilt in the powerful Anvil game engine, one of the most exciting tech advancements seen in Resynced is the seamless open world. As soon as I gain access to a ship of my own, I'm free to cut about Havana as I please – which means that I'm taking too long to get stuff done.

Too cool for charm school

The original's tight, linear narrative pacing has been well and truly let off its leash in Resynced. There are plenty of islands to explore (though the maps therein are quite limited), a vast ocean I can freely dive into at any time for some treasure hunting, and I can even indulge in a spot of harpoon fishing when a compass marker pops up. Then there's sea shanties to collect after chasing down sheet music over rooftops, Helix glitches to explore alternate timelines, pirate contracts, brief in-world events, and a host of side quests after unlocking Edward's island hideout.

All this is excellent, because I adore exploring the best open world games and letting myself get sidetracked, yet I can already feel how it's damaging my journey through the story as a player. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not an RPG. I could storm all the main early-game quests (is six hours still early game?!) to keep myself on the straight and narrow, but am too much of a magpie not to get pulled off-course.

Why would I jump straight into the next mission when I could go climb every vantage point in sight, something I do in many of the best Assassin's Creed games to open the world up before I get stuck in? Resynced's biggest problem is that it trusts me, the player, far too much to let its story play out as intended. As a result, I'm dragging out the worst of its hero.

Looking back at the stealth-action Assassin's Creed games, I don't recall ever feeling this much like a kid in a Havanaen candy shop. City-based Creeds have plenty of side quests, challenges, and collectibles, but the close-quarters element means I am never more than a few seconds away from fast-traveling to the nearest quest marker if I want to get back into the main story.

But as I set sail again for a distant island and pray to God I don't get swept up in another spot of naval warfare which was totally not my own fault, I realize that I have been intending to visit this map marker for the past thirty minutes to no avail. Resynced is almost too big and enticing to keep up the narrative momentum at times, meaning I am accidentally spending far longer in Edward Kenway's bastard era than I'd have liked. Help! My pirate game is too beautiful and distracting, and my lobster is too buttery!

I know that Edward Kenway's days in a pancake-flat pirate fantasy are numbered. His ego death is rapidly approaching, and embarking upon my first proper Templar Hunt, I am so very ready to see it. I don't know whether I love or hate Resynced's open world for being so good at its job that it makes an already unlikeable character even more of a tool, but I'm having such a good time getting lost in it that I can't even stay mad. Especially when, if I ever feel he is in need of karma points, I can send him out to feed chickens or pet cats to right the cosmic wrongs he inflicts upon myself and others (and his poor, poor wife).

Check out all the other upcoming Ubisoft games to anticipate next!

Outfits in Black Flag Resynced are purely cosmetic, but they're a way for Edward Kenway to show off his style and lean either into Assassin aesthetic, the classic pirate look, or everything between and beyond. There's plenty of clothing and outfits you'll get while doing the main story, but others require you to go off the beaten path and find various treasure chests or complete certain side quests. Below I'll show you how to get every outfit in the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake, as well as our pick for the best ones.

How to unlock all outfits in Black Flag Resynced

There 34 outfits in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, though some can only be unlocked in paid DLC. Below we'll lay out how to get all of them for yourself.

Best Outfit in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

As mentioned, outfits in Black Flag Resynced have no mechanical function and it doesn't matter what outfit you wear, unlike in the previous game where they did have certain effects. That means you choice of outfit is fully dictated by fashion and personal preference as you explore Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, and the general vibe you want to give off. Speaking personally, I am enormously fond of Captain Morgan's Redingote, which is probably the most "piratey" outfit in the whole game.

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Ubisoft Barcelona – one of the development teams behind Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced – will be laying off 51 staff by the end of the month, one dev says.

In a post on LinkedIn (via Kotaku), Isabel Codina García, quality assurance/quality control lead at Ubisoft Barcelona, said yesterday, "Today is a bittersweet day."

She continues, "Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced releases today, the project I have been working on for the past 2.5 years. However, two weeks before launch, the whole AC team at Ubisoft Barcelona was informed of a collective redundancy plan."

The dev explains that Vantage Studios – the Ubisoft-Tencent conglomerate established last year – told the studio that there "will not be further mandates for the Barcelona studio, despite the team proposing new AC projects." As for the scale of the layoffs, she says "51 people, myself included, will be affected by the end of July."

The studio's LinkedIn lists it as being made up of "51-200 employees" with 119 of those employees being members of the site, so it seems a large chunk of the studio is set to be affected.

At the end of June, staff at Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo released a bulletin stating that Ubisoft Barcelona staff were going on strike (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz) over the proposed layoffs, with attempts to ensure that the 51 staff were retained, requests for job protection to prevent more mass layoffs for "a minimum of five years," a demand that already-agreed promotions be given, as well as the option to work from home.

Codina García adds, "After 7 years at Ubisoft Barcelona, this is not how I imagined it would end. But I am genuinely grateful for the people I have met and everything I have learned along the way."

Frustratingly, it's becoming increasingly common occurrence in the games industry that even if your projects are successful, that isn't enough for execs. Resynced is the fourth highest rated game in the series, saw the biggest Steam launch in the series, and will undoubtedly sell millions as a remake of the series' most beloved game.

And those making these decisions aren't the people affected even if the game somehow was a flop. But now, years of experience is leaving the studio, which will in turn leave future projects in a worse place, and more importantly, 51 people looking for work in an industry that feels like it is laying off far more often than hiring.

We have reached out to Ubisoft for comment on this situation, and will update should we receive a response.

Before you walk the plank and dive into the deep end of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, there's one early-game item that's a total time-saver for both prospective sailors (those who haven't started the game yet) and veteran pirate legends (those who are planning 100% completionist runs).

This being an Assassin's Creed game from the open-world fanatics at Ubisoft, Black Flag Resynced is expectedly massive. A full completionist run can easily take up to and over 60 hours to beat once you fold in all the enemy forts, sunken treasure, side quests, collectibles, and unlockable upgrades.

Worry not, freebooter, as there's a trinket called Exotic Sea Shells that can help shave that time down quite nicely. When equipped, Exotic Sea Shells "increases the wildlife products gained from skinning animals" – resources used for both unlocking upgrades and outfits.

Best part, you can find the trinket super early on. In southeast Havana, to be exact. To be even more exact, you can head to the coordinates 213, 568 and find a treasure chest containing the Exotic Sea Shells there. (Thanks, Game8!) As one fan puts it on Twitter, "this is one of the best trinkets you can get early" in the remake.

Grinding and hunting for pigs, let's say, should be over much quicker with a seashell necklace on hand (I love video game logic), as should getting all of the game's outfits and upgrades, which are tied to how many animals you can skin and how many sea beasts you can harpoon.

Just make sure you don't fall victim to a bug that can wipe hours off your Black Flag Resynced save file, OK?

You can read our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review to see our thoughts on Ubisoft's new remake and see if it's up there with the series' best Assassin's Creed games.

The Black Flag Resynced Salt Lagoon treasure is quite well-hidden, overshadowed by a massive rock formation on the small island. This is one of the first treasure maps you can complete in Black Flag Resynced, and it's surprisingly easy to miss dig prompt. If you're still very early in Edward's journey, you'll definitely want to dig this treasure up for a nice pouch of Reales too, I've explained precisely where to go to dig up the Salt Lagoon treasure below.

Black Flag Resynced Salt Lagoon treasure location

The Salt Lagoon treasure from the map found on Abaco Island is located at 719,607, just south of the tall rock formation on the northwestern beach.

This dig spot can be quite easy to miss compared to some of the other buried treasure spots – make sure you get right up to the green ferns growing by the tall rock – but unearth the buried chest and you'll get the Serpent Figurehead Design Plan for the Jackdaw and 3,000 Reales.

Treasure is normally a bit easier to find than this, but our Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps guide details where to find every bit of treasure, so that you can easily find and plunder every dig spot.

Otherwise, there are a few other things you can do and find on Salt Lagoon to complete the checklist: one Viewpoint, one chest, and one secret, and you need to hunt a deer. The Viewpoint is on the end of the bowsprit of a wrecked ship on the southwest beach; the chest is in the sea off the south beach and contains 1,000 Reales; and the secret is another treasure map on the northeast side of the beach. Finally, deer are found towards the middle of the island.

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Is Black Flag Resynced coming to Xbox Game Pass, and if so, when will it be? The Assassin's Creed series as a whole has a pretty reliable history of coming to the Game Pass subscription system, but with business challenges for both Ubisoft and Xbox recent months, it's worth looking to see if that's likely to be reappraised any time soon.

Is Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced coming to Xbox Game Pass?

No, the Black Flag remake is not currently on Xbox Game Pass, and there's not yet been any sign of when or if it will be added.

However, it's worth acknowledging that most previous Assassin's Creed games have been added to Game Pass some time after release, though this doesn't include 2025's Assassin's Creed Shadows at time of writing, so we can't say that it's a definitive guarantee, or at the very least may take a while for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced to be added.

That being said, you can play the original from 2013 on Game Pass, if all you need is some form of Edward Kenway's adventures. Our own Black Flag Resynced review felt uncertain about whether it truly outshone the acclaimed original, so it's possible you might get the better experience from going back to the first incarnation.

If you're a PC gamer, it's also true that you can get Black Flag Resynced as part of the Ubisoft+ Subscription service, as long as you get the Premium subscription.

If you're getting into Edward's adventures, you might want to know how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced, so we've laid out some estimated completion times for you. And if you want to know how it differs from the 2013 original, check out all the Black Flag Resynced changes.

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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is finally here, and it's not doing so bad so far – but it's safe to say there's one thing folks aren't too thrilled about in Ubisoft's revamped adventure.

Unsurprisingly, it's the price of the game… and its optional microtransactions. If you have a quick look at Steam, you'll find that the game has "Mostly Positive" reviews so far in English – and "Mixed" overall.

That's not bad, per se, with various fans praising the remake for how faithful it remains to the original and the fact that it's "super fun" to play. Over on the more negative end of things, players also aren't really criticizing performance. Sure, there are a couple of comments on the game's frame rate and the like here and there, but it's mostly all about money. After all, if you add up every optional purchase, you'll get some $84 or so.

As one reads, "Releasing a 70-euro game and on the DAY of the release you slap us with 85 euros worth of DLC packs that are just not cosmetic but give you a gameplay advantage," adding: "I will be refunding!" Interestingly, Ubisoft actually responds to such negative reviews directly.

It's always the same cut-and-paste response, too – at least to reviews regarding Resynced's price and microtransactions.

"We've seen your feedback since launch, and we're reading all of it," writes Ubisoft. "Thank you for caring this much about Black Flag Resynced. We want to be clear on one point: the standard edition is the full, complete experience. Every mission, every island, the full story, and the complete world are all there, with nothing held back."

Ubisoft concludes: "The additional packs are entirely optional extras for players who want them, never a requirement to enjoy or complete the game. We'll keep listening as you play!"

It's certainly an interesting reply – but I'm not sure it's enough to change fans' minds about optional purchases and the like. It does, however, line up with what the developer and publisher has said in the past about microtransactions.

Last year, Ubisoft declared that microtransactions help players "experience more fun" – a controversial statement, to say the least.

It's important to note, though, that in the case of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, the studio is replying to positive feedback as well. It's not a case of simply sweeping issues under the rug, I'd say. In one such comment, Ubisoft says, "We wanted to thank you for your positive review."

The devs state they've "poured our hearts and souls into that remake, & we are fans of the original game too. So reading some positive reviews matters more to us than you would think."

I'm personally interested in seeing how the game continues to perform, honestly – it's likely we'll witness some patch drops here and there, and perhaps a higher rating on Steam as more fans get into Ubisoft's new remake.

Be sure to check out our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review to read our thoughts on the remake, or our list of the best Assassin's Creed games to see how we rank the rest of the series.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has only just set sail, but the pirate romp has already left its predecessors in the wind and is now enjoying the biggest Steam debut in series' history.

Despite having released only a few short hours ago, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has already courted over 99,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB stats – that number shoots up by a couple thousand every few minutes, so don't expect it to fully settle anytime soon, either.

Last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows previously held that honor with a peak that sits just over 64,000. For context, the lush and hilariously horny Assassin's Creed Odyssey attracted a peak of 62,000, while the sandy epic Assassin's Creed Origins held a peak of 41,000.

The original Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's record was also absolutely demolished in no time at all – its peak of 16,000 or so players was passed within the blink of an eye, though that game's PC port came a month after its initial PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U release in an era when Steam's audience wasn't as monstrously large.

Many of Ubisoft's other Assassin's Creed games also had inconsistent releases on Steam, too. One of the biggest games in the entire series, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which only peaked at about 19,000 players, didn't actually come to the platform until years after it first hit consoles and the Epic Games Store, for example, so they're not all competing on a level playing field. That is the pirate way, I suppose.

Despite the various asterisks you could place on the new series record, Black Flag Resynced is hitting huge Steam numbers no matter how you look at it. Perhaps not a surprising turnout considering the acclaim and nostalgia that's followed the original piratventure.

If you happen to be part of the mass flooding Ubisoft's revamped high seas, look out for an Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced bug that could potentially wipe a couple hours off your save file.

The Black Flag remake might have the other games in the series beat here, but check out how it fared on our list of the best Assassin's Creed games ever. You can also read our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review to find out if it's worth playing.

How long it takes to beat Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced will entirely depend on how you like to play, whether you like to stick to the main quest or want to leave no stone unturned in the Caribbean. Clocking in at bit over 30 hours on average, Black Flag Resynced isn't all that different to the original in case you were expecting a big expansion. With that, I've laid out some estimates for how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced below for different playstyles.

How long is Black Flag Resynced?

From my experience playing Black Flag Resynced and that of some other members of the GamesRadar+ team, you should expect to sink roughly 35 hours for an average playthrough, one that takes in a bit of everything before rolling the credits on Edward's story. But, as ever, your completion time depends on how you play and how many things you do on the Black Flag Resynced mission list:

• Focused on critical path: 25-30 hours
• Main quest and side activities: 30-40 hours
• 100% completion: 50-60 hours

If you're only interested in Edward Kenway's story as he tries to make the pirate life work in the Caribbean, you'll likely spend 25 hours or so playing through it – with no essential modern-day sections to play, the story is a bit more streamlined, and you can read about the other changes in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced here. You may be able to get through the main quest in under 25 hours if you're particularly dedicated and you're playing on the easiest difficulty settings, but with important upgrades systems to manage for the Jackdaw, it's difficult to play through the whole thing quickly without dipping into at least some side activities.

Alternatively, if you want to see everything Black Flag has to offer, you're looking at spending around 50 hours – perhaps a bit less if you're efficient. With plenty of Forts to destroy, upgrades to unlock, Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps to dig up, and side quests and contracts to complete, there is a lot to do beyond seeing Edward's story through to the end. And the endgame-level Black Flag Resynced Legendary Ships will require you to have all the Black Flag Resynced Ultimate ship upgrades applied to the Jackdaw.

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Rousing seafaring anthems are as vital to Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced as they are in the original, but sea shanties do not exist in isolation. Waves crash rhythmically against the hull as birds join the chorus of voices on-deck. Wind snaps the large black sails to and fro, a meditative drum beat as The Jackdaw journeys across Dry Tortuga. It's everything I remember from Black Flag, only better.

"I think that's one of the good things about a remake: that there was a blueprint that we could follow." Sitting down with Ubisoft's Erik-Jon Evangelista, audio director for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, it's clear this is a blueprint he knows intimately. He's been with Ubisoft since 2012, having served as an audio designer for the original Black Flag and 10 others among the best Assassin's Creed games, but Resynced is a very different beast.

"It's an iconic game, so we had to be faithful and familiar, but not necessarily the same. So I tasked my team with three different things – three different pillars: to recreate, elevate, then innovate."

One more, with keeling

The first of those three pillars – recreation – is where it all starts. Presented in the brand new Anvil engine, much of the original sound assets had to be remade for Resynced.

"It really wasn't a cut and paste job, something that we could just port over," Evangelista says. "It was showing its limitations based on the current hardware of that time, so we wanted to make sure that we leveraged and took advantage of [Anvil]" – for example, in creating realistic spatial soundscapes using physics-driven Doppler effects – "while at the same time being faithful to the original. So, one example was with music.

"I'm not going to change Brian Tyler's music – it's iconic, it's familiar," Evangelista says, meaning elevation was off the table here. Rather, Evangelista sought to work around the limitation of some tracks being "short and possibly repetitive, depending on the difficulty level you play at." I'm reminded of the combat stings of Assassin's Creed Unity, how frequently (and sometimes comically) the combat music would stop and start after the most minor scuffle.

"I wanted to make sure that we modernized it and innovated in a way that was still familiar, and that was to implement a system that had the music react to gameplay animations or stabs, in this case." This responsiveness is clear in game; at the end of my first boss battle, I hear the music growing louder, more urgent, desperate to reach its crescendo as I hurl smoke grenades at Templar Du Casse's feet. When my Hidden Blade hits home, the backing track mirrors that instant relief.

It makes for incredibly cinematic encounters, more immersive than anything I remember hearing and feeling in the original Black Flag. "It was a time before John Wick," Evangelista reflects. "Now, you can't not think of action being tagged to music, so I wanted to be able to try to do something like that because of how dynamic it is. This makes very familiar music have a very different experience per player."

Many unique actions are tagged to specific character actions and movements, including stealthy Hidden Blade takedowns. "If you played without ever doing takedowns, you'll just hear the music as it was, but if you do a lot of takedowns, you may never really hear the music in the same way."

The sound of pirates

Returning to Black Flag, Evangelista brought more experience to its all-important sea shanties. "My team here was in charge of making the shanties on the long ship for Valhalla," Evangelista says as an example. "I'm definitely leaning on the experiences that I've had previously, and I think part of what we do is being able to make a sonic signature for the game, regardless of whether it's a remake or it's a new game."

Everything from the Spanish songs of the Havanaean NPCs to the more Euro-centric language and subject matter of the sea shanties – and Evangelista's favorite track "at the end of Stede Bonnet's questline" – point to a specific historical context in the 1700s West Indies. But it's the subtle layers of environmental texture that root players in a specific time and place.

"Sound that is tied to gameplay, whether it's by player input or from something that happens in the world that the player can hear, tends to have the highest value," Evangelista says, with the goal being to "create the illusion of you being in a very specific geographical position." Think again of the wind whistling past the Jackdaw as the crew breaks into song, one sound complementing the other to achieve a far more powerful scene-setting effect than either in isolation.

Method and the madness

But with all the recreation, elevation, and innovation on the table in Resynced, some things stay the same. Like, the sound of Edward drowning.

"Edward's drowning voice is me!" Evangelista exclaims, to mine and our Ubisoft PR's surprise. "We were in charge of the underwater [environments] back then, so all the swimming sounds and everything was done by myself and another audio designer.

"When it came to drowning sounds, I clearly didn't drown, right, but it's more of the fact that we had to make sure that it sounded like I was struggling." For this, Evangelista stuck his head in a barrel of water and choked. "I could only do like three max [gulps] before I had to come up for air and go down again. We used hydrophones to be able to record those, but they needed to be at like a depth of at least like two meters-ish, so that at least you don't hear the bubbles pass by and pop [on the surface]" – which would shatter the illusion of Edward drowning in more than a few inches of water.

"Back then I recorded it as an audio designer, and as audio director now, I'm keeping it!"

It's subtle sound design choices like these that make a game feel grounded in reality, and if drowning for your art was commitment personified back in 2013, it's almost expected of game developers in 2026.

"I think there's a lot more appreciation for not just music, but how sound also makes people feel in games these days," Evangelista notes. It does feel like every month another touring video game concert is announced, from Death Stranding: Strands of Harmony to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Painted Symphony. How does it feel to see game audio design finally having its moment just as Resynced drops anchor?

"What a time to be in," Evangelista laughs. "I'm used to people not noticing audio. Like, 'no news is good news,' and if they mention it, it means that you've been found out, or you've been noticed. We're usually like quiet ninjas in the background. We teach the player a language that helps them to comprehend gameplay feedback – setting, size, scale. I'm glad we have an audience that appreciates that nowadays."

What's next for the publisher? Here's all the upcoming Ubisoft games we know of right now.

Blackbeard's treasure map in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is given to you partway through the game after a story mission called "Do Not Go Gently", but finding where it leads and where you need to dig isn't necessarily the easiest thing. Unlike the other Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps, this one doesn't have marked coordinates to tell you where to start looking. Instead you need to interpret the scratches and scribbles on the map until you work out where you're supposed to go, and once you're there you need to solve a series of puzzles and challenges until you can find Blackbeard's treasure. I'll lay it out below with a comprehensive walkthrough that shows you how to find Blackbeard's treasure and complete the side quest.

How to solve Blackbeard's Treasure Map in Black Flag Resynced

Blackbeard's Treasure Map, obtained after the Do Not Go Gently mission in the main story, is directing you to go to Anotto Bay, the Smuggler's Den found at coordinates 590, 245.

We'll go into more detail about what to do once you're below, but keep in mind that you can't find Blackbeard's Treasure until you first obtain the map. If you're earlier in the game and have yet to uncover it, you can enter Anotto Bay, but you can't complete the steps for Blackbeard's Treasure until you actually get the map from him.

How to find Blackbeard's Treasure in Anotto Bay in Black Flag Resynced

Once you reach the Bay, there's still a way to go before you can reach Blackbeard's Treasure. Here's the full series of steps.

1. Swim to coordinates 591, 249 and dive downwards. You should see an underwater tunnel you can swim into. A jellyfish floats nearby, which serves as a visual marker.

2. Swim into the tunnel and dodge the shark that lunges at you. Follow it around and up until you finally reach a section you can climb up through into a small cave with a complaining pirate.

3. Dive back into the water ahead and keep following it around, using the wood beam boosts until you climb up into a cave lair with a smuggler's chest (if you've been to Anotto Bay before, this is where it normally ends).

4. This area is full of enemies. Clear them out, then pick up one of the small red powderkeg barrels in the middle and place it near the collapsed cave on the East wall. Shoot it from a distance to clear the cave-in and allow you to progress.

5. This tunnel will lead you to a huge cave full of more enemies, including another complaining pirate. Take them out so you can do the next step.

6. Get another small powderkeg from the entrance to this larger cave, and place it at the top of the raised path on the right of the waterfall. Shoot it to blow open a new cave.

7. Enter the new cave to find a chest inside and complete this quest!

What is Blackbeard's Treasure?

If you want to know if this whole sidequest is worth doing and if Blackbeard's Treasure lives up to the legend... Well, that depends on whether you're in this for the gameplay or the story. Finding the chest leads to a cutscene wherein it's revealed that the "Treasure" is the farming and infrastructure supplies needed to make the Great Inagua hideout self-sustaining, effectively giving them the chance to try again at the free paradise that Nassau failed to be. If you go back to Great Inagua, there's a final step to complete the side quest and alter the landscape of the town, though this has no gameplay effect as far as I can see.

Blackbeard does mention that he had other treasure, but no map leads to it. At time of writing it appears as though there's basically no way to get the rest of his loot, and it will remain forever hidden.

Make yourself the best possible pirate with our guide on how to destroy all the Black Flag Resynced Legendary Ships here! Or to make a little more money, find out how to conquer the Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoys as easily as possible!

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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is sailing into harbour, which means a bounty of goodies and gadgets to game with. Art books, replicas, wallets, there are even Assassin's Creed slippers to get cosy with while you sail the high seas.

PureArts, Titan Books, and Ubisoft's own kit is all rolled into this kit list of the best Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced merch, perfect for those still finding their sea legs and salty veterans returning to the oceans once again.

Of course, Edward himself features quite prominently here, but there's also plenty of booty for those after some more franchise-wide gadgets - a pack of AC-themed playing cards with a hidden blade in the box always goes down well.

You'll find all my top picks of the best Assassin's Creed merch to get you ready for Black Flag Resynced just below.

Be sure to check out our top Resident Evil merch or take a look at our favorite Pokemon merch.

I loved the original Black Flag back in 2013. After the wobbly Assassin's Creed 3, it reminded me why I fell in love with the open-world, parkour-focused stealth series in the first place. While that nostalgia was enough to carry me through Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, the hundreds of hours of familiarity with the classic has also left me feeling like this ambitious remake – while good enough fun – missed the mark at truly living up to my memories, even while it tries very hard to be a faithful remake.

I detail some of this to what some might call an exhaustive degree in my full Assassin's Creed Black Resynced review – how removing some story and mechanical elements flatten aspects of the original, how the updated combat changes the pace of play, or how there's dissonance between enhanced stealth detection system and still very simplistic enemy AI. For the many ways it tries to remain as faithful as possible as a remake, it can trip over itself with what it changes, with each update that works for me matched by another that just feels off as a fan of the original.

It's alive!

The best thing about Black Flag Resynced is that it's forced me to consider what I even want from a video game 'remake'. It's a definition that can sometimes feel hazy among an industry filled with remasters, ports, and definitive editions – especially when there's little consensus over what can separate titling or marketing a release as a remaster or a remake between publishers. To me, a video game remake means a partial if not full rebuild of a core part of the game.

Black Flag Resynced skews so close to the 2013 original that I've already seen some confusion around whether it's a remake or a remaster, and at a quick glance I can't blame anyone. Ubisoft say it's definitely a remake, and that it's been "fully remade from scratch" – but, level geometry is often one-to-one, despite the huge graphical overhaul and some tweaks to density and elevation. Keep playing, though, and it becomes apparent that fights feel very different to swashbuckle through, that you can now crouch-walk anywhere, mission objectives can diverge when you mess up instead of resulting in instant failure, and much more (including the complete removal of the original's modern day story sections).

The differences hounded me throughout play – especially as I replayed chunks of the original to remind myself through the review process. Despite Black Flag Resynced definitely being prettier (if, at times, a bit too dark at night), I prefer the snappier combat of the original. And I don't like that some story content is removed. The more I played, the more I kept thinking about Ubisoft's promise for Black Resynced to be "faithful", and couldn't help but wonder if what that means to me compared to the developer is just not the same thing. More power to you if you never played the original and love this – I agree the foundations are solid – but I still think it's worth critically examining the differences. When the f-word is deployed, it naturally positions a remake as a sort of replacement, even if unintentionally.

The problem with pursuing a faithful remake is that there are fine degrees between pulling it off, and simply feeling off. To me, Demon's Souls on PS5 is close enough to the original thanks to leveraging the original code, and the dark fantasy visual overhaul is welcomed compared to the muddier PS3 source material. For others, that aesthetic shift undermines a gaming experience they hold dear. That's totally valid. Likewise, Black Flag Resynced's many changes, even small ones, alter moment-to-moment play enough where even with the same mission structure and map design, it doesn't feel faithful to me – at times this can be an improvement, at many others, I dislike it. Good game or not, it fails as a faithful remake when I end up feeling that way.

Even though I still love the likes of Demon's Souls or Metal Gear Solid Delta, the more remakes I play in a gaming generation inundated with them (with constantly inflating AAA gaming budgets, and more profits required than ever, why bother with risk?), I'm beginning to think I don't want remakes beholden to faithfulness. Too often, it can be a poison to the game's design.

I much prefer iteration. Just as I love me a spiritual successor to a gaming great, like Jet Set Radio being succeeded by the indie developed Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, I like to feel that same energy in a remake. Resident Evil 4 remake isn't simply redoing the 2004 original, it's using what made it great as a springboard to try something that's a fresh take on the same blueprints, being willing to accept stumbling in the process in the name of creativity. It's as much homage as it is a remake, and, in other mediums like film, that's very much the point.

There's a reason 1998's Psycho feels so strange as a short-for-shot remake. More often great movie remakes aren't simply for the sake of re-releasing the original, but a way of continuing the cinematic conversation. Sometimes the results can be diabolically bad (2024's The Crow jumps to mind), but it's still a creative swing – dialogue in the medium.

Resident Evil 4 remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are great examples of turning a remake into an opportunity to also try something new. In doing so, they've defined Capcom and Square Enix's successful approach to remakes while also reshaping how they approach brand new game development. It's doubtful Resident Evil Requiem would be the way it is without the connective tissue re-exploring star Leon Kennedy's past brought to the fore. They've brought fresh life into their long-running series that were otherwise treading water.

I can't help but wonder if Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced had taken a bigger swing, if Edward Kenway would have a better grasp of the rudder and be able to steer the franchise into a fairer wind. For now, the upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe will have to do the job. But, for other series eyeing up remakes, I hope they're able to keep the conversation going rather than just end up repeating themselves.

Remake or not, our best Assassin's Creed games ranking will guide you to which historical adventure deserves your time next.

To repair your ship in Black Flag Resynced, you need to either pay up with Reales while you're in a port, or plunder enemy ships. Both have their drawbacks, but it's important to know how they work and how the crew can help you keep the Jackdaw in working order between battles on the high seas in Black Flag Resynced. To help you out, I've explained the two main ways to repair your ship below.

How to repair the Jackdaw

There are two ways you can repair the Jackdaw in Black Flag Resynced, which are as follows:

• Visit a Harbourmaster and pay for repairs: The Jackdaw will be instantly repaired to full health after you pay 250 Reales per section in need of repairs. Due to the passive health regeneration mentioned further down, you will only ever have to pay for a maximum of two section to be repaired, so a full repair should never cost more than 500 Reales.
• Successfully board an enemy ship and select the Repair option: Doing so restores the Jackdaw's health by a significant amount but seems to be capped at two full sections, so it might not fully repair the ship.

The Jackdaw also has limited passive health regeneration which kicks in whenever you're not in combat. Your crew will repair the ship's health up to the next section, so if you've taken heavy damage, you'll need to use one of the above methods to get the Jackdaw back up to full health.

If you find that the Jackdaw keeps getting destroyed or severely damaged to the point of needing lots of repairs, make sure you focus your upgrading efforts on the hull, bolstering the ship's maximum health (it's also probably a good idea to get some pointers on how things like Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoys work). That makes each of the health bar's three sections sturdier, and means you'll be saving Reales on repairs.

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Be warned, fellow landlubbers and prospective high seas plunderers, legend says a curse comes buried with the treasure known as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resycned - in the form of a bug that might wipe a few hours from your save file, that is.

Ubisoft's remade and revamped open-world adventure is rolling out on PC and consoles today, meaning plenty of game reviewers have been poking around its oceans for a while now, but one noted journalist caught a pesky bug that apparently snuck onboard the full launch.

The Game File's Stephen Totilo put out a public service announcement last night on social media, warning that "if you're playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, do not leave any Templar Hunt sidequest chains unfinished" because "it produced a glitch that cost me five hours of playing time." Aside from losing five hours at sea, "the game's really fun and some of the new bits are interesting in unexpected ways," he writes.

For the specifics on how to encounter the bug - and, thus, how to avoid it - Totila says he was "several quests into the Templar Hunt in Kingston, had left the region to play other parts." He then eventually "triggered a main story mission in Kingston," only to find that the Templar Hunt quests and the main quests apparently "blocked each other."

A Ubisoft representative reportedly told Totilo that the team has identified the bug and is working on a fix that should arrive in an upcoming update. There's no time frame as to when the bug might finally be squished, so be extra careful if you're planning to jump in later today.

As for GamesRadar+'s Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review, we called it "a decent remake of a great game" that can unfortunately "feel a bit rudderless."

Does Resynched have what it takes to top our list of the best Assassin's Creed games ever?

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoys can be quite a serious challenge early on since you've got to fight multiple ships at once. But given how common these convoys are in Black Flag Resynced, and that they're a great opportunity for getting ship-based loot and plenty of Reales thanks to the Captain's Lockbox, knowing how best to tackle them is essential pirate knowledge. With that, I've explained exactly how these Naval Convoys work below, so that you can plunder the seas with ease.

How to complete Naval Convoys in Black Flag Resynced

To complete a Naval Convoy event in Black Flag, you need to board and successfully commandeer the lead ship in the convoy – that's the largest ship leading the way. The lead ship has at least two smaller escort ships which don't need to be destroyed, but as the tips further below explain, it's probably best to sink them.

To board and seize the lead ship, you need to damage the lead ship until it is immobilized, at which point you can sail the Jackdaw alongside and begin a boarding action by following the button prompt (hold Triangle/Y). Once you've swashbuckled your way on board, start reducing the morale of the enemy ship, by killing the enemy crew; cutting the flag, which can be done by climbing to the top of the main mast and following the button prompt; and destroying gunpowder stores on deck, though not every ship has these – just make sure you don't blow you and your crew up when you shoot these.

Once morale has been reduced entirely, the convoy crew will surrender and you'll be presented with the usual boarding action choices, as well as the Captain's Lockbox:

• Get Captain's Lockbox: This provides additional loot on top of your current earnings. From my experience, the additional rewards tend to be extra Reales and sometimes crew members. Unless you absolutely must choose a different option, you should always choose this to get greater rewards.
• Repair: Recover a portion of the Jackdaw's health.
• Send to Kenway's Fleet: If you have an empty fleet berth, you can add this ship to Kenway's Fleet, letting you send it on missions around the Caribbean to get you extra resources.
• Lower Wanted Level: Reduce your Wanted Level, lowering the risk of Pirate Hunters tracking down the Jackdaw.

Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoy tips

There's a good chance that you've been scuttled by one of these convoys in Black Flag Resynced as they're quite tough, especially early on, so here are some tips for making them as easy as possible:

• Upgrade the Jackdaw: The reason Naval Convoys are tough at first is because the Jackdaw is far too weak for fighting multiple ships at once, especially if the enemy ships are rated three stars or higher. Visit Harbourmasters often and buy whatever upgrades you can, especially the ones that improve broadside cannons, the mortar, and the hull to make the Jackdaw stronger in both offensive and defensive capacities. Any Black Flag Resynced Ultimate ship upgrades will help a lot
• Target the escort ships first: These smaller ships can be annoying if not dealt with first and will wear down the Jackdaw to the point of sinking while you're distract by the lead ship. Start the engagement with a well-placed mortar shot on one or both escorts and, with enough mortar upgrades, you might even destroy both ships, taking them out of the fight before it's even started.
• Board the escort ships: Again, it's not essential that you board these ships, but it's a good idea to do so, giving you opportunities to get more loot and either repair the Jackdaw or reduce your Wanted Level to keep Pirate Hunters from interrupting. I almost always opt for repairs to ensure the Jackdaw has as much health as possible when going to attack the lead ship. Bear in mind that shooting or ramming immobilized ships instead of boarding grants reduce rewards too.
• Use the swivel guns when preparing to board: Once Edward releases the ship's wheel as you prepare to board, run immediately to the swivel guns either side and start firing shots at any red barrels or enemy crew members. Assuming you land your shots, you'll reduce their morale a fair bit before you've even properly boarded.
• Cut down the flag if you don't want to fight: Cutting the flag at the top of the main mast is a great way to reduce enemy morale significantly without having to be in the thick of the fighting if that's not your thing. Just watch out for any snipers in the other masts as any shots that hit you mid-climb can cause you to fall off the mast.
• Remember to brace: Holding Square/X to get your crew to brace reduces the damage enemy cannonballs deal, so don't forget to use this ability rather than going purely on the offensive. If you've got the Black Flag Resynced Officer upgrade, Perfect Brace, timing your brace just before the cannonballs hit the Jackdaw's hull will substantially reduce the damage. Just keep an eye out for the orange glow of cannon fuses on enemy ships, meaning a volley is inbound.

You'll notice that these Naval Convoys become much easier as you get more upgrades and Officers for your crew, helping you get plenty more Reales and useful resources that you can sell. Some of these can traded with the Treasure Hunter in Great Inagua to piece together ruined Black Flag Resynced Treasure Maps.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's Metacritic score makes it the fourth-highest-rated game in the Ubisoft series, but it hasn't outdone the original.

Over on Metacritic, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced currently sits at a score of 84 on PS5, based on 71 critic reviews. This score puts it in a comfy spot among the top 5 games in the series, ahead of Assassin's Creed 3's 84 and behind the beloved Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and original Black Flag, which have scores of 90, 89, and 88, respectively.

In the GamesRadar+ Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review, games editor Oscar Taylor-Kent gives the game three-and-a-half stars out of five and says, "Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced isn't smooth sailing. Strong pirate adventure foundations and roguish charm keep this remake afloat, but it splashes between wanting to be faithful and wanting to make adjustments, not quite able to find an elegant middle ground between the two. Combined with bugs and other annoyances, this isn't the bold, confident swing its predecessor was, but still a fun outing."

Reviews for the game are mostly around the eight and nine area, with a couple of full marks from Dexerto and Loot Level Chill, while the game's lowest scores are still only categorized as "Mixed" by Metacritic, with a few six or seven out of 10 scores sprinkled among the rest. From the sounds of things, if you already enjoyed Black Flag or Assassin's Creed in general, you probably won't be let down by the remake of the series' best entry.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has "modernized the combat" of the original but is more "action-oriented" than Shadows

Officers in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced are a new feature wherein you can recruit new crew members onto the Jackdaw to unlock extra abilities for your ship. While there are a couple of Officers who are recruited as part of the main story and can't be missed, there are also a few optional officers who you'll need to find and recruit off your own back. Below I'll show you how to unlock every crewmember for the Jackdaw in Black Flag Resynced, as well as what ability each officer unlocks.

Warning: the following guide contains minor spoilers for the plot of Black Flag Resynced, but all details are kept to an absolute minimum.

How to Unlock all Officers in Black Flag

There are a total of 5 Officers for the Jackdaw in Black Flag, but only three are optional and unlock extra abilities. I've laid out how to get all of them below.

It's Deadman that's the late-game unlock, which arguably makes sense considering that his abilities are some of the best. However, if you want to prioritize one early on, you should definitely recruit Lucy Baldwin, as her defensive Perfect Brace power is a serious game-changer - ship battles and Black Flag Resynced Naval Convoys become noticeably easier with this ability alone!

It's also true that each optional Officer has a quest chain of three-to-four missions, though you need only complete the first one to add them to your crew.

All Officer abilities in Black Flag Resynced

I've explained all the abilities provided by the three optional Officers below and what they do when unlocked and added to your crew:

• Lucy Baldwin: Perfect Brace. Bracing just before you take damage massively increases the Jackdaw's resilience and reduces that damage even further. You won't need to repair your ship in Black Flag Resynced quite so much if you use this well.
• The Padre: Ram-Dash. Press L1+R1/LB+RB to charge the Jackdaw forward and do massive damage to the first thing it rams. Has a long cooldown.
• Tobias "Deadman" Smith: Extra Salvo and Cohort Mortar. When first recruited, Deadman adds an additional Salvo to your Broadside Cannons, increasing their firepower. However, after completing several of his missions and reaching the quest "Very Little, But Something", he also unlocks "Deadman's Cohort Mortar", an alternative fire mode for the Mortar that allows you to fire a stream of bombs.

If you plan on taking on the ultimate endgame challenge for the Jackdaw and its crew - the Black Flag Resynced Legendary Ships - you definitely need all of these officers and the best Black Flag Resynced ultimate ship upgrades too.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is an extremely faithful remake of Ubisoft's original 2013 open-world piracy adventure – except for the many ways in which it isn't. Returning to one of the best Assassin Creed games, and one of my all-timers, has been a treat – but it's also left me wrangling with where a full remake should start and stop. Like the sometimes sunny, sometimes stormy ocean on which protagonist Edward Kenway sails, what seems like a one-to-one remake has a lot more going on beneath the surface.

With no knowledge of the secret Assassin and Templar conflict running through the ages, Edward will take any opportunity for a leg up throughout Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. A shipwreck after the battle that hurls us right into the action? A way to get into the Templars' good grace for coin. Meeting the shadowy Assassins? Side-mission contracts allow him to earn money even as an outsider. Imprisoned on a treasure ship? A chance to fight back, and steal a captainage for himself, putting him on a level field with Nassau's pirate greats – from Blackbeard to Hornigold.

Live, laugh, Libertalia

Caribbean pirate sanctuary Nassau – able to flourish as the Spanish and English empires battle one another as they seize land from its native population – are about "liberty" to Edward, he explains. Meant to have set to sea from Bristol for "two at the most" years away from his wife Caroline in order to bring home enough success to elevate his station, he keeps extending that time away. Likewise, he struggles to understand the Assassin creed of "nothing is true, everything is permitted" as anything more than a self-centered permission slip. He's a man struggling to tread water, weighed down by his own selfishness, clawing for any sense of purpose or validation – caught in a whirlpool of conspiracy, his capacity for growth will be tested, a rogue element able to scuttle either the Assassin or Templar plans on a whim.

But, where Edward Kenway struggles with his own sense of purpose, the original Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag was confident in its own from the get-go. The fourth numbered game in the series, it took the best ideas of the divisive Assassin's Creed 3, and reimagined it as a large, open-world adventure merging parkour assassinations across numerous islands with tight naval combat and a sense of discovery. Innovative and bold, it's no exaggeration to say that for many – me included – this was a salve that got us reinvested in Assassin's Creed again, and proved that the Ezio trilogy that began in Assassin's Creed 2 was no fluke. But, in changing tides, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced lacks that same clear purpose.

Solid foundations buoy this remake, but it can feel aimless and adrift, at times too beholden to the original to excite, at others using modern series mechanics to not-quite replicate the original; and laden with annoying bugs, glitches, and jank. It's far from the first time an Assassin's Creed launch has been rough, but when it's a remake which, by its nature, implies a definitive quality, it can be extra grating. I've seen Edward lock-up after skinning an animal, float across the ground like a ghost, had quest markers disappear off the edge of the map, and enemies suddenly revive after a thorough stabbing – sometimes requiring loading past saves to fix.

While Black Flag Resynced is incredibly pretty – whether that's sun and glistening sea, cannon fire lighting up dense fog, or the terror of gigantic waves through a storm – the geometry of most areas is very similar to the original if not one-to-one. It's neat to feel the muscle memory return, but it does create a discordance between the stunning high-fidelity graphics that feel like a wrapper over the strict environments of the original.

It's a nice touch to be able to have an 'advanced parkour' toggle, though, again, like in the source material, all these islands' maps are quite small in terms of both square footage and height, so there's not many opportunities to really get into it. That even goes for the handful of built out cities, like Havana and Kingston, which felt small in the original and still do here. At the time, the tighter, island-centric approach was a smart reaction to AC3's overly large, empty cities and its massive frontier. Now, removed from that context, they just feel basic.

Some of the rethought and additional areas work well. Making Sacrifice Island part of the main map is wonderful, as is allowing you to exit one of Havana's gates where you can rob a new shore-side plantation and sneak through a fort only previously glimpsed from afar. Other islands have segments smartly rearranged to make traversal feel more natural. Nassau, for instance, is now hillier and denser, making it feel like more of a hive of scum and villainy while otherwise keeping the construction the same.

The ability to properly dive underwater at almost any location to explore is great (previously, you could 'stealth swim', a binary ability that simply plopped Edward out of sight below the waves), especially in how it seamlessly connects some diving sequences and Smuggler's Coves. These were present in the original, but felt delineated – this is a real spot in which Resynced uses new technology to better execute on the original's ideas.

Some island treasures have been shuffled around so you now dive for them just off the coast too, which is welcome variety. There's fewer treasure and collectible icons littering the map, but they're still present – now acting more as optional bonuses for going out of your way to investigate smoke or circling birds ashore. However, these rewards are often drab – insubstantial amounts of money, or the Animus currency used for the online 'exchange' store. Even if Edward comments on some environmental storytelling that's unfolded on an island, you can never interact with anything in a meaningful way – even if NPCs are still present.

Sequences across the swamps of Charles-Towne and the sweltering African island of Principe are, like before, their own small areas off the world map designed for specific missions, which feel like missed opportunities for further expansion.

It's disappointing as even its immediate sequel, the underrated Assassin's Creed Rogue, iterated upon some of Black Flag's ideas in neat ways – such as connecting various in-land maps with denser areas connected through multiple ports, which it felt like Havana was teasing before I realized the new zone is just one small addition. I constantly find myself wishing Resynced would play it less safe.

Sword and rope-cery

There are big changes, though. Black Flag Resynced's combat is very different. But, like Assassin's Creed Mirage, I can't help but feel like it's trying to retrofit some of the series' classic elements into a system not really designed to support it. The original's fights were simple, but snappy and satisfying as you chained together brutal executions, assassinations, and pistol shots. Here, with the addition of stun meters, clashes feel looser, more flaily.

Like in the original, counters open up a window for an instant takedown, but I've had constant moments where the inputs seem to drop, whether that's when chaining takedowns, or being next to a tripped enemy. Alongside shifting the one-button quickfire pistol to an ability wheel, combat feels a bit overcomplicated for as imprecise at it feels, and I ended up getting a bit sick of the constant fights which – when you're boarding enemy ships so frequently – is a big part of the game. Revisiting the original Black Flag while playing Resynced, I simply prefer the source material's combat, which is more dynamic and cinematic across multi-countering groups or the way the camera spins to frame each pistol shot Edward fires off.

Many of Resynced's headlining updates ended up mattering little to me in play. The visuals are pretty, but once I get refamiliarized with the maps I stop gawking at them, instead noticing the higher fidelity and intense shadows can lead to a lack of clarity with interaction points. New story quests across recruitable officers and beyond, don't feel particularly additive – in fact, their constant reiteration around Edward being a bit of a deadbeat for leaving his wife just over-salts it thematically.

Being able to crouch anywhere in stealth feels minor considering Edward would auto-crouch in the original in 'stalking zones' anyway, and though I'm told day/night, and weather affects enemy perception, the enemy AI is still very stupid on normal difficulty no matter what so it hardly matters (kill one in tall grass, and watch them keep coming into your killbox on yellow alert).

The four new 'modern' missions are disappointing as well, essentially being vision quests you wander through within the Animus Ego while fighting waves of enemies while being monologued at. It's a shame as the initial mission makes a good first impression, questioning Edward's inability to return home as you platform through impossible digitized spaces while doing an escort mission with his precious chest of loot. Additional modern day storytelling being relegated to lore notes, some of which are connected to a bizarre battle-pass-like currency track, are as horrible to engage with here as they were in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

It's disappointing, as Resynced isn't purely about adding things on or updating mechanics. There are cuts as well – and I don't just mean how Edward no longer does the delightful splish-splash 'knees-up' jog as he runs through shallow water. The original game's first-person modern storyline that cast you as a game developer working for evil Templar-front Abstergo has been excised entirely. The modern day storyline might not be for everyone and, admittedly, the plot threads set up in the original never had a satisfactory pay-off – but, then, wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to redress that?

Black Flag's modern day storytelling was some of the series' best. Not only that, but it's one of the only games in the series where the narrative directly connects between past and present, meaning that Black Flag Resynced simply doesn't close the loop on a major character's arc at all within the game's main story. In turn, it makes the narrative feel oddly paced, and its ending feels particularly sudden and unsatisfying.

The idea of optional objectives in main missions to accomplish 'full synchronization' has also been dropped. Beyond providing replay value (you can no longer replay missions from a menu), these additional challenges added narrative context for how Edward Kenway canonically approached each mission – one of classic Assassin's Creed's many unique modes of storytelling that the Animus wrapper provides.

This leads to at least one change where, previously, full synchronization with Edward required you to sneak through an Assassin encampment non-lethally. Now, without that encouragement, that portion of the mission simply replaces those Assassins with generic enemy guards. Not only does Resynced remove the joy of replaying a mission to tackle the friction of additional challenge, but it has the side effect of flattening Edward's characterization.

There's conflict within Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced in terms of how faithful it wants to be. Even a change as small as removing the mini-map, which makes sense given how you can now scan and tag foes like in the modern games, nevertheless affects how you interact with many missions compared to the original – especially in the returning Templar Hunt sidequests and in naval combat.

Other changes fare better. De-emphasizing tailing missions so you can find alternative ways to a target if you mess up removes a lot of the original's frustration. But, there are still a couple of missions in which you're still forced to play them in specific ways or you instantly 'desynchronize', or another that slapped me on the wrist for sneaking through to the mission objective in a different way than intended, and turned me around to have a ship battle instead.

It makes Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced far from smooth sailing, even though I love the original. Resynced both changes too much and not enough. Decent improvements are here that I'd still recommend it to a lot of players interested in a pirate adventure, but I also think moment-to-moment the original game remains enjoyable and has better combat and more interesting challenges (especially if you can play it on PC with a stable higher framerate) – leaving me in that tricky position of having no firm favorite. Black Flag Resynced is a decent remake of a great game, but can feel a bit rudderless – an unenviable position for any remake with so much to live up to.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced was reviewed on PS5, with a code provided by the publisher.

Looking for another big adventure? Our best open world games list will whisk you away to new digital worlds.

Should you play Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced?

Play it if...

You've never played Black Flag before

At its core, this is a great pirate adventure that anyone craving swashbuckling should play at some point, remake or not – whether you're a series fan or newcomer.

You want to replay a prettier, modernized version of Black Flag

With higher framerates on modern consoles, and gorgeous graphics, this is a stunner. If you've played the game before, differences in content won't mean you're missing anything, either.

Don't play it if…

Changing the original's content bothers you

With updated combat closer to the recent games, and the removal of some challenge objectives and story chapters, Resynced is different enough that returning fans may miss the original's quirks.

You'd rather play the cheaper original

Price isn't everything, but it can be a factor. Given not every change in this remake is an improvement, picking up the cheaper original is still a great option if you've not played it yet.

How does Black Flag Resynced compare to the rest of the series?

This is a remake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag, which remains one of my favorite games in the series thanks to the pirate vibes and strong sense of exploration, even if this is an imperfect recreation. Sticking closely to the original's mission structure and maps, this feels more like a classic entry than a modern one. Fans of the Ezio Trilogy are likely to find Edward Kenway a similarly charming rogue, and I personally still prefer these stealthy, tighter Assassin's Creed games to the larger, RPG-like entries like Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

The recent games' RPG elements have shaped some of this – with things like gear, and its parry and stun-bar heavy combat. But, there are no player or enemy levels, and all foes can be one-hit killed with proper assassinations.

How does Black Flag Resynced compare to other open-world games?

Based on a game from 2013, this remake features a gorgeous rendition of the Carribbean to sail your own ship around, with lots of collectibles and activities to keep you busy. But, its scope still feels like an older game.

Compared to more recent open world adventures like Crimson Desert or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, or even Assassin's Creed Shadows, this is significantly more limited. But, in its own way, that focus can feel refreshing in a modern context.

The Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Sage and prison key are in the upper villa area of Torres' estate. Finding them isn’t too difficult, but the real challenge is trying to stay hidden to avoid a deadly battle with all the guards, especially if you're new to Assassin's Creed and Black Flag Resynced is your first stabby outing. Below, I've laid out the precise locations of both the Sage you need to rescue and the necessary prison key.

Black Flag Resynced Sage and prison key location

Both the Sage in Black Flag Resynced and the prison key are in the main villa area in the northern part of Torres' estate:

• Prison key: On the estate Warden, who can be initially found in the villa courtyard at 207,573.
• Sage prison cell: In the large square building in the northwest corner of Torres' estate, with the entrance at 204,575.

So, with this information in mind, the best way to complete rescue the Sage in Black Flag Resynced is to cross the plantation area and head up the stone steps in the southwest part of the estate, then head north towards the villa where you'll find a guarded gate. Climb over the wall to the left of the gate, then head east towards the villa. While not essential, you can also eavesdrop on some guards near the gate who mention the Warden mustering all the guards, so you can tail them towards the villa.

When you reach the villa, get onto the roof of the villa by climbing or using a lift (be aware of snipers up on the roof), then wait for the Warden to finish speaking to the guards. He'll then leave the courtyard and start patrolling the villa on his own, giving you plenty of opportunities to leap from the rooftops and assassinate him when no other guards are around. Loot the key from his body, then head over to the prison and unlock the door to complete the quest.

Just bear in mind that when you're skulking about trying to rescue the Sage in Black Flag Resynced, the estate is full of Spanish guards and alerting one or two of them may escalate into a large fight. Thankfully, there aren't any alarm bells for them to ring to bring the whole estate on you, which means that stealth isn't even essential, but it certainly makes things easier. Make good use of Eagle Vision (R3/RS) and aiming (L2/LT) to spot and mark guards; bushes and low walls to hide; whistling to lure guards over for assassinations; and smoke bombs to hide yourself and you'll get this quest done stealthily and smoothly.

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The Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced statue puzzles that you come across in the Mayan temple during "The Sage's Buried Secret" quest aren't especially difficult, but there are some sticking points. While each of these Black Flag Resynced puzzles is solved by repositioning some large statues and matching colors, each one layers on more mechanics than the last, making the third and final puzzle a bit of thinker. If you want to breeze through them all, I've laid out the solutions for all the Black Flag statue puzzles in this temple below.

How to solve the Black Flag Resynced statue puzzles

Climb your way across the chasm using the collapsed wall and gnarled tree roots on the left to reach the first statue puzzle:

1. Leap onto the red statue (or climb on top of it if you missed the jump for whatever reason). Edward's weight will lower the statue into place and open the first door.
2. Climb up the wall and onto the blue statue. Again, this will lower the blue statue, causing the second door to open and revealing the way ahead.
3. Proceed with James Kidd through the doorway to the next area.

Statue puzzle, part 2

The second Black Flag statue puzzle in this main quest, which uses the same mechanics as before but introduces a new turntable system:

1. Grab the capstan and rotate the turntable so that the red side is under the red statue on the left.
2. Climb onto the red statue so that it gets weighed down (you'll notice a counterweight statue moving up as you do this, which is important later). This will open the way to the next area.
3. Carry on following Kidd, including a short swimming section through some underwater cave tunnels.

Statue puzzle, part 3

After swimming through the caves and climbing up the temple with Kidd, you'll arrive at the final statue puzzle for this quest which brings in the ability to raise statues by climbing onto the nearby counterweight statues, allowing you to rearrange their positions on the turntable. While this puzzle is simply a case of moving all the statues to their corresponding positions on the turntable as before, here's the easiest way to do it:

1. Start by climbing onto the counterweight statue next to the blue statue (on the left side of the room) to lift the blue statue up.
2. Rotate the turntable counterclockwise once so that the blue section is under the blue statue, then climb onto the blue statue to lower it. This will complete the blue section and open the first door.
3. Rotate the turntable counterclockwise once, placing the red statue in the top-left section of the turntable.
4. Climb onto the left counterweight statue again to raise the red statue, rotate the turntable counterclockwise once again so that the red section is under the red statue, then climb the red statue to lower it into the matching section, opening the second door.
5. Rotate the turntable counterclockwise one more time, then climb onto the green statue to weigh it down into the green section.

Now you'll unlock the third door and launch into a cutscene to wrap up "The Sage's Buried Secret" quest! But if you've already started moving parts around for this puzzle, there is unfortunately no way to reset it so that you can follow the solution above unless you reload a previous save. Focus on just getting one statue in the correct colored section, and then the rest of the solution should become much more obvious until you can solve it.

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To skip time in Black Flag Resynced – a new feature that wasn't in the original game – you just need to find a good, clear spot for Edward to sit down in, then you use the D-Pad to start passing the hours and change time from day to night. But there are a quite a few limitations to this system that Black Flag Resynced doesn't explicitly lay out, so I've explained everything I know about how to skip time in the game below.

How to pass time in Black Flag Resynced

To skip time in Black Flag, you must briefly hold down D-Pad Right, which will cause Edward to sit down on the spot and time to speed up. Note that skipping time always takes you to the morning or evening – whichever is next – and you have no control over what time Edward gets up from his hours-long contemplative sit-down.

Importantly, you can't initiate a time skip in Black Flag resynced while in combat or during quests. From experience, you also can't skip time while you're on anything other than solid ground, so no time-skipping while aboard the Jackdaw or in or near the sea. You also can't seem to skip time when any sort of potential threat is nearby, such as wildlife, or if you're near vendors and other NPCs that aren't just the standard population. Essentially, you need to find a relatively quiet spot for Edward to sit down and pass the time.

Despite being a new feature for Black Flag Resynced (you can read about all changes in Black Flag Resynced here), I've not really found any notable uses for skipping time other than if you simply don't want it to be day or night. If a quest requires a specific time of day, it'll skip time for you, such as the Black Flag Resynced Sage and Prison Key quest Claiming What's Due. Really the only reason that you may want to use this system is if you either find night time too dark and want to skip to daytime so that you can see, or you want to skip to night to make stealth marginally easier, as Edward is a little harder to spot in the dark.

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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced finally arrives tomorrow, and according to analysts, it might just be the win that Ubisoft needs after the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake cancellation earlier this year.

There's no doubt that the Black Flag remake has garnered quite some hype from longtime Assassin's Creed fans, boasting everything from revamped visuals to entirely new areas to explore – and according to Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, it may just turn things around for Ubisoft with its potential success.

The analyst explains as much in a new post on his Substack, first looking back at the developer's history with remakes.

"Ubisoft has historically leaned on remasters over full remakes, but it now has a few proper overhauls in the pipeline," writes Elliott. "Alongside the troubled Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake and Rayman Legends Retold, first out of the gate is Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. It's a ground-up remake of 2013's Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, still widely considered the peak of the franchise."

I mean, he's not exactly wrong there. I still look back at Black Flag as one of the series greats myself, alongside other personal favorites like Assassin's Creed 2. There hasn't been a "pirate" game quite like it since.

According to Elliott, though, that's not the only reason that Resynced might prove popular – it also has a lot to do with the Assassin's Creed series' rising emergence on PC (via Valve's platform Steam, of course).

"While Assassin's Creed has been a console-first property, it's been gaining some ground on Steam," as Elliott puts it. "For context, Assassin's Creed Shadows has sold 5.7 million copies globally, splitting 53.6% PS5, 23.8% Steam, and 23.6% Xbox. Resynced looks poised for a hearty PC showing, already clearing 300,000 copies sold on Steam ahead of launch, worth almost $14 million in gross revenue."

Those are some big numbers.

That's not all, though – "Resynced has already outsold the entire Steam lifetime run of Ubisoft Singapore's previous pirate venture, Skull & Bones, before it's even out. And our estimates have Black Flag Resynced tracking far above AC Shadows on Steam pre-launch, too."

That's… wild. It's no secret that Skull & Bones didn't exactly deliver, but that's all still mind-boggling. Not to mention those Assassin's Creed Shadows comparisons.

"At the same two-day-out milestone, Resynced has sold 5.39x more Steam copies than Shadows did in its equivalent pre-release window." Nostalgia helps, too. In Elliott's own words, "Black Flag Resynced is on track to be a much-needed hit for Ubisoft" – it's a "timely strategy for a struggling Ubisoft."

The analyst notes it's been "a turbulent few years of costly development, delays, and high-profile misses" for the company.

That's why it's good that Black Flag already has an established community. "Building an unproven new IP from scratch is a six-to-eight-year gamble costing hundreds of millions." Resynced, on the other hand, is no gamble at all.

Between the already-solid forecast for its sales and the nostalgia, as Elliott notes various times throughout his post, it's likely to be anything but a gamble for Ubisoft.

Here's hoping the analyst's words ring true – although something tells me they will. He'll "be back next week with the full launch data for Black Flag Resynced" after it's had a moment to properly land, so keep an eye on his Substack.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has "modernized the combat" of the original but is more "action-oriented" than Shadows

The Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced release time is finally here, letting you hop into the modernized version of Edward Kenway's Caribbean cruise and foray into the world of Assassins and Templars. After a few years of leaks and Ubisoft's refusal to officially acknowledge the game's existence, it's hard to believe that Black Flag Resynced is actually here and playable for all. Here's everything you need to know about the release of Black Flag Resynced and how you can play it.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced release time

Black Flag Resynced is out now around the world on all platforms - that's PS5, Xbox Series X (not on Game Pass), and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and some cloud gaming platforms - so you can get started with Edward's swashbuckling story.

Black Flag Resynced had a global simultaneous release of 2PM UTC on July 9 for PC platforms. For consoles, the game had a much simpler local midnight release schedule for July 9.

Being a remake of the original Assassin's Creed 4, quite a lot has been changed, with new features getting added too - you can read about all the changes in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced here. If you're yet to pick up the game, you want to know what we thought of it in our Black Flag Resynced review, and I've also laid out how long it takes to beat Black Flag Resynced here so that you know what sort of commitment it is.

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These games to play before Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced are a great way to get ready for the remake of Ubisoft's swashbuckling stealthy adventure.

Whether you're looking to get in the spirit of Edward Kenway by diving right into pirate life, or you're wanting to polish off your hidden blades in some of the best Assassin's Creed games that either have direct ties or similar features to Black Flag, I've brought together a handy list of games I'd recommend playing before Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Of course, the new game is arriving on July 9, so you won't have to wait much longer to reunite with Kenway, or meet him for the first time. But if you're planning to hold off on playing the upcoming Assassin's Creed game straight away, the selection I've brought together below can offer up some great alternatives. And even if you are getting the remake on day one, you can also come back to this list if you're in the mood for something similar after you've wrapped up your time in the Caribbean. So, if you're ready to get on board and hoist your pirate flags, read on as I take you through some games to play before Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Games to play before Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Windrose

If you want to step into an open world set during the age of piracy before you navigate the Caribbean seas in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, then Windrose is your answer. With a unique setting made up of procedurally generated biomes that brings to life an alternate take on the 18th century, Kraken Express' adventure sees you become a pirate captain who commands your own ship and crew. As you try to survive the dangers of the high seas, the naval combat will surely prepare you for Kenway's seafaring battles.

When you choose to go from ship to shore and explore the biomes you come across, you can also make the most of the building, crafting, and resource-gathering ingredients at play to establish your very own settlements. With some familiar faces of legend making an appearance – including Blackbeard – you can also take on bosses, delve into dungeons and uncover mysteries. There are all kinds of swashbuckling adventures to be had, and while it's playable solo, you can even share the experience with any pals who want to be pirates in online co-op. If you're looking for some tips to get started, check out our guide to the best ships in Windrose.

Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

You don't need to be at sea to be a pirate. And no, I'm not talking about landlubbers who've never gone beyond the shore. I'm talking about pirates in the sky! Yes, I'm going a little rogue here (which is in the spirit of things anyway) with Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age. If you're after something a little unique that still captures the spirit of pirate life in a decidedly different and more fantastical way, then this is for you.

Set in the world of Ivalice, which is at war, the story follows Vaan, a young orphan who dreams of someday flying freely in the vast skies above. Enter sky pirate Balthier and his airship Strahl. Before you know it, you're navigating the skies with a ragtag group as you set out on a memorable journey to free your homeland. Being a pirate is all about freedom, so the story marries perfectly, and who wouldn't want to be a sky pirate? Airships are just undeniably cool, after all.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Now, if you're after a single-player pirate experience with a modern-day spin, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a very over-the-top adventure that brings RGG Studio's action to the Pacific Ocean. Playing as Yakuza series mainstay Goro Majima, you find yourself washed up on a remote island with no memories. And when you can't even remember your own name, what else is there to do but reinvent yourself as a pirate? As you commandeer a ship and set sail to try and get your memories back, you'll soon find yourself swept up in a wild, seafaring quest for legendary treasure.

Naturally, you can expect to come to blows against criminals and enemy ships as you explore the open world and its seas. With naval combat, you can also get stuck into some satisfying action that the best Yakuza games are so known for, with Majima boasting his own signature fighting styles that pack a punch. Let's face it: if any Yakuza character was made to become a pirate, it's Majima. I mean, he's already got an eye-patch and a rebellious spirit. For more, you can check out our Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review.

Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition

If you want to channel Edward Kenway and become a pirate legend of your own making, then you can't go wrong with Sea of Thieves. With the revised edition that was released in 2026 bringing together all of the permanent additions added to the base game throughout its many seasons since first launching, Rare lets you live out a pirate fantasy that's yours to shape in the shared open world. From exploring islands to delving underwater, you can take on quests, search for treasure, and work to build up your own reputation at sea. And if you're after a challenge, you can even try to take on big oceanic foes like the Kraken, or Megalodons.

Heck, you can even bury the treasure you plunder and create a map to it just like a true pirate. With lots of goals to work towards, side objectives to complete, and the option to create your own private sandbox with the recent Custom Seas feature that gives you the freedom to set your own rules and create the kind of pirate experience you want, Sea of Thieves is also still bringing in fresh features and in-game events. It's definitely a lot of fun sailing with friends, but you can try it solo, too.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Sure, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is quite a change in direction from the pirate-filled antics of Black Flag, but the adventure set in ancient Greece not only boasts a big open world, it also features its fair share of naval combat and seafaring exploration. Yes, if the vast open waters and ship-commanding side of things really puts the wind in your sails, Odyssey will absolutely get you in the mood for Black Flag in that respect.

Resynced is set to be even more action-orientated than the latest mainline entry, Assassin's Creed Shadows, too, with "hit-box based modern combat". Odyssey's real-time system is definitely more action-forward – albeit going more in the direction of an RPG with Spartan moves. But hit boxes also brings to mind the likes of Arno in Assassin's Creed Unity (which I have to give a little honorable mention here). Check out our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review for more.

Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered

Assassin's Creed 3 may not have managed to reach the same kind of heights as the likes of its predecessors, or the games that would follow it, but you can see how the third entry in the stealthy series paved the way for Assassin's Creed Black Flag. Nestled in the Assassin's Creed timeline after the events of Edward Kenway's adventures, Black Flag actually serves as a kind of prequel to Assassin's Creed 3, which takes place during the American Revolution in 1775.

Playing as Connor, a Native American who fights in the name of liberty for his nation, you'll come to meet Haytham Kenway, a member of the Templar Order who's actually the son of Edward. While you don't need to play Connor's adventure to follow Black Flag story-wise, Assassin's Creed 3 does bring to light some interesting ties, and it also introduces naval combat into the series for the first time – which was iterated and vastly expanded on for the sprawling open world of Black Flag.

Our guide on how to play the Assassin's Creed games in order is also here to help if you're looking to tuck into the series either chronologically, or by release date before playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is revamping the original in many ways. The combat will be deeper, there'll be more secrets to find, and more ways to find them, since the deep sea diving's been expanded to allow you plunge wherever you see fit, allowing you look around for all the extra treasure that's been buried, too.

"We still have those diving bell locations, but in addition, you can dive anywhere in the world now," Jussi Markkanen, technical director for the game, tells GamesRadar+. "We took the feature, obviously it's been in Assassin's Creed since Origins, that you can dive anywhere, and we utilize that, and we built all the underwater locations, there's a lot of new shipwrecks that you can find near the shorelines."

This is definitely the kind of curated expansion that works when revisiting a game like Black Flag. Coming out 13 years ago, the standards for both open-world adventures and Assassin's Creed installments were different at that point.

Sure the team could've just kept the diving as it was – the nostalgia would've hit just as well – but this seems like it'll maintain the feeling while giving Resynced a modern sheen. And finding all the gold and trinkets that are buried at the bottom of the deep, blue sea is the exact kind of treasure hunt I love losing myself in.

Markkanen teases there are other "little secrets," to give "one more dimension for the player to explore." Obviously, there are all sorts of ways that could go, but my mind immediately jumps to Titanic and Jaws. Perhaps we might be able to find a remnant of the unsinkable ship or the sunken boat of Ben Gardner, who fell victim to cinema's most famous great white.

Would these be anachronistic? Yes. Would they also be fun to see? Yes. Even if these aren't involved, the diving alone has me even more ready to hop back into Edward's shoes. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced star once alleged Ubisoft threatened to sue him over his remake tease, but now it's been turned into official promo.

After Ubisoft allegedly threatened to sue Edward Keyway actor Matt Ryan due to an Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced leak, the company is now using the slip up as part of its marketing for the remake.

It's no stretch to say that the Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake is potentially the worst-kept secret in gaming history, with leaks for the game being pretty widespread even as far back as a year ago. One of the biggest, however, happened when a fan met Ryan at the Nightmare Weekend convention last May, with Ryan asking them if they'd beaten the game, before adding: "Well you might have to beat it again." About a month later, another fan asked about it, and Ryan revealed he was unaware he was being recorded on the previous occasion and alleged that "the company threatened to sue me."

However, Ubisoft can't be too upset about it now, as the official Ubi-AssassinsCreed account on Reddit has now posted a short video featuring Ryan once again signing something and asking, "Have you beat the game?" This time, though, after saying "you might have to beat it again," he shows the release date of Resynced, while doubling down: "You're gonna have to beat it again."

Matt Ryan helped us Resync a moment from a year ago today. Remember what it was? Comment below for a chance to win one of the signed cards from the video. from r/assassinscreed

Granted, this isn't the first time Ubisoft has joked about its own leaks. As we entered 2026, the company went all in on the fact everyone already knew, using the San Andreas classic "Ah, shit, here we go again" in response to a new leak. And, when it was finally time to announce the game, they dubbed it its worst-kept secret.

Replay's July theme is Assassin's Creed: send us clips for a chance to win a £/$250 Amazon voucher!

July sees the release of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, so we're making this month's Replay theme all about the Assassin's Creed series. You can send in clips of any game for a chance to win a $/£250 Amazon voucher, with one prize for the best Assassin's clip, and a second general prize for any game full stop.

GamesRadar+ Replay is our community video series where you can submit gaming clips of anything you've been playing for a chance to win $/£250 in Amazon vouchers - one for the best clip overall, and one for the best Assassin's Creed video. If you've got something you think is cool, unusual, or just worth showing off, send it our way.

For a chance of winning, all you need to do is to submit your clips via the big orange button below. The winners will then be chosen by the GamesRadar+ team at the end of the month.

So, if you get a clip of anything amazing, interesting, or just plain weird, send it to GamesRadar and you could win a $/£250 Amazon voucher to spend on whatever you want.

By submitting your clip, you agree to the Terms and Conditions.

If you need a helping hand, here's how to record gameplay on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch/Switch 2 to save your highlights.

If we like your clip then we'll post it and share it, so you can join the Replay ranks like the videos you can see below.