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[Kurotri]

According to two sources familiar with the plans who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to discuss them, a remake of the 2013 cross-gen PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game is still in its earliest stages and will not be complete for at least a few years. A team at Ubisoft Singapore, one of the studios that has led development on the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s evolving ocean tech, will be heavily involved in helping to modernize the Caribbean-based sailing game.

There's a also some tidbits about Skull and Bones:

According to an internal email shared with Kotaku, Singapore studio management is currently forcing all developers on the game to work from the office rather than remotely. It’s also providing onsite breakfast and dinner as a way of “thanking you for your unwavering commitment to our shared vision,” though it will also seemingly encourage staff to stay later and work more hours to ship the closed beta on time for a game that was due out years ago.

More at the link:

Sources: Assassin's Creed Publisher Remaking Black Flag, The Pirate One

Planning has begun while Skull and Bones still remains MIA

kotaku.com

EDIT:
Tom Henderson corroborates


My thoughts: This isn't coming out till 2027 at the earliest, as AC Red is slated for 2024 (could be pushed to 2025) and AC Hexe is for 2026.

 

[FoxMcChief]

What a waste

 

[killatopak]

They will definitely use Skull and Bones tech in this. They have to. So much time spent investing on that game and nothing turned out of it yet. They have to make returns from all the effort they put into it.

 

[Buggy Loop]

It doesn’t even look that old on PC. This is getting ridiculous.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Who wants to bet Skull and Bones is er...


Quietly buried?

Only to re-emerge as the premier PS3 title in 2027.

 

[ResilientBanana]

The Etzio trilogy would have been better.

 

[Draugoth]

Too soon.

 

[Muffdraul]

Not interested, never understood how that game became such a fan favorite. It's not bad or anything, but... I'm just not that into pirates, I guess.

 

[SlimySnake]

lol at providing breakfast as an incentive to come to work. Just pay people 1-2% extra and they will all show up to work the next day.

 

[FatallyYours]

Yeah, I can see S&B just being canabilized into Black Flag and never being it's own game. S&B is 10 years too late anyway

I'd replay Blackflag again with updated ship battles

 

[Pelao]

Nice if it's true!
Black Flag is by far my favourite Assassin's Creed game.

 

[KormaChameleon]

AC4 was goated but hard to get excited for this one.

 

[Topher]

I'd love a remaster. Don't see the need for a remake though.

I was really hoping they would patch BF, Unity and Syndicate like they did Origins and Odyssey

 

[iorek21]

How the fuck are they remaking this before Ezio?

 

[Sleepwalker]

I loved this game back then but nah im good.

Gimme ac 2

 

[Roman Empire]

Ubisoft probably doesn't want to throw away everything they worked on Skull and Bones so they decided those assets can be re-used to remake AC IV Black Flag.

Smart of them if you asked me. Not that makes it any less unnecessary. Black Flag still holds up quite well, so this is just Ubi milking their player base as usual.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Breakfast and dinner? No lunch?

 

[DeepEnigma]

I'd love a remaster. Don't see the need for a remake though.

I was really hoping they would patch BF, Unity and Syndicate like they did Origins and Odyssey

If they do, do this. Use the Snowdrop engine and push the effects to that "wow factor" when we first saw their weather/foliage models on the PS4/One versions.

Otherwise, if it's going to be a little vanilla looking like Mirage (visually), then don't bother.

 

[Kerotan]

10 year anniversary to the best AC game ever made.

 

[Comandr]

Black flag is easily the best AC game. Ship battles are so fun. Genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if skull and bones was just turned into this.

 

[LectureMaster]

Unity is the one that deserves a next gen version.

 

[Kurotri]

How the fuck are they remaking this before Ezio?

Like some already said it's probably because of the Skull and Bones tech that they developed. Seems like a good opportunity.

 

[Games of Today]

No fucking way! This is good. 4K, 60fps on consoles with updated textures? I'm so for that.

 

[Gojiira]

This is a game that would actually benefit from a remake, going back to it is horrible, stiff awkward controls and that godawful barebones stealth. Yeah update it with modern AC gameplay, let me go after targets as I see fit, it already had the best ship combat so just improve underwater and give more reason to use swimming etc outside of the diving bell areas and it will be the best in the series.

 

[kruis]

According to two sources familiar with the plans who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to discuss them, a remake of the 2013 cross-gen PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game is still in its earliest stages and will not be complete for at least a few years. A team at Ubisoft Singapore, one of the studios that has led development on the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s evolving ocean tech, will be heavily involved in helping to modernize the Caribbean-based sailing game.

Hah. Ubisoft Singapore is the studio primarily responsible for Skull and Bones. So the next game to get stuck in development hell for ten years will be this AC remake ...

 

[Games of Today]

Black flag is easily the best AC game. Ship battles are so fun. Genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if skull and bones was just turned into this.

This is what everyone wanted Skull and Bones to be. Unfortunately Ubisoft just gave us the middle finger instead.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

 

[Saber]

Can't wait to see the changes to modern audiences.
Ship battles in this game are interesting though. It felt like they have some good concept there and where pushing limits at the time.

 

[R6Rider]

Breakfast and dinner? No lunch?

3 meals a day is overrated.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Remastered Skull and Bones Edition

 

[TGO]

Probably just a Remaster as AC3 & Rogue was the last ones

 

[Fbh]

Why not make a NEW Black Flag instead?

 

[balls of snow]

I mean with smaller games like Mirage you would think to just make a sequel to black flag. The end of the pirate era like pirates 3. Stahp with the remake.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

 

[Kurotri]

Probably just a Remaster as AC3 & Rogue was the last ones

Nah I doubt that to be honest, that would've come out ages ago, probably alongside those 2. Ubisoft has gotten a whiff of what successful remakes can do, it's why they took the Sands of Time remake back to the drawing board instead of canning it, and it's why they are remaking Splinter Cell as well.

 

[just_jr]

the last good AC

 

[EverydayBeast]

Remakes are a good thing but there’s a lot of other games I’d remake.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Remakes are a good thing but there’s a lot of other games I’d remake.

 

[Kamina]

Black Flag is great game, but it doesn’t need a remake, nor has anyone asked for one.

 

[TGO]

Nah I doubt that to be honest, that would've come out ages ago, probably alongside those 2. Ubisoft has gotten a whiff of what successful remakes can do, it's why they took the Sands of Time remake back to the drawing board instead of canning it, and it's why they are remaking Splinter Cell as well.

Well those was in between Remaster titles between mainline games so unless you are expecting the next Assassin's Creed next year this actually makes sense.
Now if they was gonna Remake a Assassin's Creed it would probably be the first one.
Jumping to Black Flag over both the original and Assassin's Creed 2 doesn't make sense.
It's the favourite AC game for those that don't... actually like AC.
And that's it.
Shit it's more or less a DLC pack to Assassin's Creed III.

 

[DeepEnigma]

3 meals a day is overrated.

 

[Kurotri]

Well those was in between Remaster titles between mainline games so unless you are expecting the next Assassin's Creed next year this actually makes sense.
Now if they was gonna Remake a Assassin's Creed it would probably be the first one.
Jumping to Black Flag over both the original and Assassin's Creed 2 doesn't make sense.
It's the favourite AC game for those that don't... actually like AC.
And that's it.
Shit it's more or less a DLC pack to Assassin's Creed III.

It is one of the most beloved entries, and that goes for a lot of the "hardcore" fans as well. It is much safer to remake this than the original which never reached the popularity of its younger brethren. And the tech that is now available thanks to Skull and Bones, together with the fact that remakes are the trend today, I think it's an absolute nobrainer. Don't misunderstand, I love the original because it really is a special game, but compared to BF and the unique situation they find themselves in thanks to Ubi Singapore this just makes more sense.
And well, according to Tom Henderson's reporting, the next game after Mirage (AC Red, the feudal japan one) is slated for next year, so there's that.

 

[Darchaos]

Im pitching a black flag in my pants right now

 

[mhirano]

Yeah, I can see S&B just being canabilized into Black Flag and never being it's own game. S&B is 10 years too late anyway

I'd replay Blackflag again with updated ship battles

Canabilized?

Spoiler

 

[SJRB]

Just like that Splinter Cell remake that's in production now, what.. 3 years?

Black Flag is a great pirate game but a TERRIBLE Assassin's Creed.

Still had a lot of fun with it, so who knows.

 

[Zannegan]

Ubisoft: "We don't know what fans want anymore, but we KNOW everyone loved this one."

 

[Tsaki]

Hell yeah. Best AC game and it wasn't even an AC game.

 

[Lupin25]

They’re probably gonna use the base of Skull & Bones for this remake, then cancel that altogether lol

 

[Fake]

Please... no... Was my favorite AC game.

Leave this treasure alone. They are probably changing for modern audiences.

 

[diffusionx]

What a waste of resources, just release a 4K patch for new consoles.