Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake is Made From Skull and Bones, AC Shadows

It’s been long-rumored and much-discussed, but it looks like the Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag remake will finally be coming to fruition this year. The project, which is presumed to be called Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, seems likelier than ever after the discovery of a domain with the same name, registered just after The Game Awards 2025.

Excitement about a potential Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag remake is understandably palpable: Black Flag is often cited as the best entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Its nautical setting, naval combat, and robust pirate-life fantasy elements were among its most-praised aspects, and its seamless world design was extremely impressive, especially for the time. The game marks one of the last times that the Assassin’s Creed IP was truly ahead of the curve, setting trends rather than following them, so a return to this golden age is tantalizing to say the least. At the same time, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced will reportedly draw upon Ubisoft’s recent endeavors, both good and not-so-good, to help modernize the experience. It’s hard to say how this might shake out, but it definitely sounds promising.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced Will Reportedly Reuse Assets from Skull and Bones

There’s no need to beat a dead horse: if you’ve heard of Skull and Bones, you’ve heard about how it was a massive miss for Ubisoft, despite company CEO Yves Guillmot hyping it up as the “first AAAA game.” The game was a financial fumble, which was hardly what Ubisoft needed at the time. Indeed, in the wake of commercial failures like Star Wars: Outlaws, the fiscal problems facing Ubisoft were widely and clearly publicized, and Skull and Bones certainly didn’t help matters.

But according to Jeux Vidéo Magazine, which revealed several pieces of Black Flag Resynced info a few months ago, Ubisoft’s efforts with Skull and Bones might not be for naught. Apparently, the Black Flag remake will reuse some assets from Skull and Bones, albeit in subtle ways. Naturally, one would assume that this decision was made to reduce development costs, but that doesn’t make it any less of a good call.

The fact is, video games can be extremely expensive to develop, and dumping resources into one part of a project—say, asset development and design—usually means fewer resources for other areas. By finding creative, low-impact ways to reduce costs, Ubisoft has a better chance of nailing the more important elements of Black Flag Resynced, like its story, gameplay, and vast open-world. As it happens, Ubisoft could very well be engaging in similarly clever asset reuse with respect to its world, which is another bit of good news.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Weather Systems Could Reappear in Black Flag Resynced

The aforementioned Jeux Vidéo Magazine also claimed that Black Flag Resynced is being developed in Ubisoft’s new Anvil Pipeline engine, which was the engine used for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Subsequent leaks from other sources corroborated this, with French Youtuber xj0nathan (who previously provided accurate leaks about Assassin’s Creed Mirage) specifying Resynced‘s use of a dynamic weather system similar to Shadows‘ Atmos system.

The Atmos weather system is spectacular, and arguably the most advanced of its kind. Not only does it provide dynamic seasonal changes, such as snowfall in winter and richer foliage in summer, it also allows for more nuanced and granular weather effects. Elements like wind and rain interact with the in-game physics system, allowing for realistic, simulated effects in the game world. There’s also a longer gradient of weather effects, as precipitation and wind intensity are influenced by simulated variables like humidity and temperature.

Black Flag Resynced probably won’t have much use for the seasonal changes of AC Shadows, with it taking place in the Caribbean and all that, but incorporating the same dynamic weather effects could be a stroke of genius. After all, Black Flag is very much about the wind, the tides, and the cruel, powerful indifference of Mother Nature. More than any other entry in the franchise, AC Black Flag makes the player vulnerable to the elements and the unpredictable whims of the sea. With more advanced, realistic weather effects, Black Flag Resynced could better depict such raw, awe-inspiring characteristics of the natural world.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced Could Be a Perfect Storm for Ubisoft

Remakes can be tricky, as there’s a fine line between elevating an already-good game and rehashing old ideas to cash in on nostalgia. But there’s reason to believe that Black Flag Resynced will be on the correct side of that line. The original Black Flag certainly holds up, but Ubisoft may manage to better realize its version with modern technology. It was clearly an ambitious project for 2013, so modern assets, including complex systems like Atmos, could conceivably make for an even richer high-seas experience.

Even the reincorporation of Skull and Bones assets, which is more than likely a purely financial decision, indicates a good understanding of priorities on the part of Resynced developers. Only time will tell if these development rumors and leaks are accurate, but they definitely paint a positive picture of the Black Flag remake at this stage.