What Is Going on With the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake?

For the last two years, Assassin’s Creed fans have been living in a strange state of confusion. While Ubisoft initially seemed all in on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it has canceled further support for the title after just one DLC. In addition to this, there are other rumored new projects, and perhaps even more exciting, a remake of the best Assassin’s Creed game ever made. The original 2013 classic remains one of the most beloved entries in the franchise, blending naval combat, pirate fantasy, and the traditional Assassin’s Creed formula into something that still feels ahead of its time. A remake feels inevitable. Yet instead of clarity, players have been met with a swirling storm of leaks, rumors, ratings, and silence.

With Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag absent from The Game Awards, fans are left asking a simple question: What is going on with the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake? The industry expected it to show up. Reporters expected it. Even insiders were sure it had to appear. But Ubisoft did not mention it, or the expected Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. For a remake that has leaked more times than an old pirate ship, the absence is starting to feel intentional.

Where is Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Remake?

This is the question the Assassin’s Creed community keeps shouting from the crow’s nest. Between Ubisoft’s massive pipeline: Codename Hexe, Invictus, and Infinity, it’s easy for a smaller project to get overshadowed. But the Black Flag remake shouldn’t be smaller at all. It’s not just one of the biggest hits in the series, but one of Ubisoft’s best games. Fans adore it. Critics adore it. And Ubisoft has already shown an interest in revisiting older titles, especially with updated tech and long-term live-service support. Yet the remake remains elusive.

Few games have been leaked as much as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s remake. Several credible industry insiders have leaked its existence, and there have even been jobs posted at Ubisoft referencing a naval-focused remake project, and we know this isn’t Skull & Bones. We’ve even been teased that Ubisoft Singapore has been involved in it, but one thing above points to the credibility of its leaks. PEGI seemingly confirmed Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, an already leaked title, by giving it a rating. When something leaks once, it could be a mistake. When it leaks repeatedly for over a year, across multiple sources, at different times, it stops looking like an accident.

So what is going on? Why has Ubisoft been so quiet about what could be its biggest remake? The most widely accepted theory is timing. Ubisoft may be intentionally holding the reveal for a separate event, either a dedicated Ubisoft Forward or a major shadow drop. With big games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows dominating 2025’s attention, the publisher may want to avoid overshadowing the most recent entry in one of its flagship RPGs by announcing another massive project in the same window. With holidays coming, it could be the last major push for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Another theory seems very likely, but cannot be overlooked. Skull & Bones has been promising a huge update, one that will add land combat, boarding, and more. As this is Ubisoft’s live-service pirate game, announcing a remake of the best pirate game ever made would kill any final hope of Skull & Bone. Again, given the reception of this game, it is hard to believe Ubisoft would choose to preserve it over releasing Black Flag’s remake.

Is the Black Flag Remake Even Real?

The answer is almost certainly yes. There is simply too much evidence that points toward a remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag to shrug it off as rumors or leaks. The rating by PEGI almost guarantees that Ubisoft is lining the project up, even if it does refuse to acknowledge it. This lack of comment does raise a few thoughtful questions about why. Reports suggested the game began development as far back as 2022, but we have nearly no official information. That said, here is what we do know.

Ubisoft Singapore, known for its expertise in naval systems, is taking the lead. That alone makes sense. The studio is responsible for the naval mechanics in Black Flag, Rogue, and aspects of Origins. If anyone can rebuild the original game for a new era, it’s that team. While Skull and Bones deserves its criticism, the sailing and ship mechanics are actually well done. This further proves the studios’ expertise in this area.

The leaked internal documents mentioned a modernized, rebuilt experience with improved sailing, enhanced stealth, and next-gen water physics. And then, just to pour rum into the already roaring fire, a ratings board listing appeared online for a game with a mysterious name many believed was tied directly to the remake. When a game appears on a ratings board, it usually means one thing: development is far enough along that the publisher is preparing for release. Ratings tend to happen months, not years, before launch.

Ubisoft often prefers full control over its messaging. If the remake is nearly finished, Ubisoft may want to give it a full spotlight separate from the traffic of The Game Awards. A short reveal-to-release cycle is increasingly common, especially with Infinity looming. Because Infinity will become the franchise’s central hub, Ubisoft may want the remake to launch into that ecosystem as a major nostalgic pillar. The question isn’t if the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake is real; the question is when Ubisoft will finally stop pretending the worst-kept secret in the franchise doesn’t exist.

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