Resurrecting 'Assassin's Creed: Black Flag': Ubisoft's brave move amid financial turmoil

Kotaku reports that the company is crafting a new version of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag as part of Ubisoft's fresh strategy. Revisiting one of the most well-received entries in the series is viewed as a path to resolving the company's financial troubles.

Kotaku has obtained this information from two unnamed sources who are privy to the plans. They contend that the remake of the decade-old Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game is currently in its initial phase of production.

Ubisoft Singapore, the team known for devising the technology that introduced naval battles to the "assassins" series (first with AC3, followed by its fully-fleshed version in Black Flag), is highly engaged in the project. Interestingly, this very studio has been busy with Skull & Bones since 2017.

The pirate-themed Skull & Bones was established as a response to player feedback post-Black Flag, highlighting that the game's best features were its swashbuckling elements, which did not necessarily require the "assassin" component. However, it seems Skull & Bones is stuck in an extended development phase with no signs of imminent progress.

In light of this, the news about a new rendition of Black Flag becomes somewhat ironic, as it may overshadow Skull & Bones. As per Kotaku, some Ubisoft employees have speculated for some time that shifting the focus from exploration and hand-to-hand combat to solely ship battles might not have been the optimum choice.