Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Keeps 'Controversial' Feature from the Original

Following the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on April 23, developer Ubisoft has now confirmed that the upcoming remake will still feature whaling, a controversial element of the original 2013 title that was heavily protested by the animal rights organization PETA. Ubisoft has made it clear that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced will remain true to the original, while also adding new missions and improvements along the way. However, one thing fans were certain would be cut was whaling, but it turns out that’s not the case.

After first being leaked all the way back in 2023, the remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag quickly became one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming. After years of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Ubisoft has now officially revealed the title, which we now know to be called Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. The remake, which will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 9, 2026, will see the return of Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw, and has been rebuilt from the ground up for an “enhanced experience” on modern-day hardware. Ubisoft has overhauled the game’s combat for more dynamic encounters, while also improving parkour and stealth for smoother escapes and assassinations.

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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Will Still Feature Whaling

While Ubisoft is remaining faithful to the now 13-year-old Assassin’s Creed game, there are some pretty major changes on the horizon. Whether it’s improvements or cut content, players can expect Black Flag Resynced to feel like a whole new game. One element in particular that won’t be returning is the modern-day segments featuring Desmond Miles from Black Flag. With Ubisoft clearly not afraid to remove certain elements in the upcoming remake, many speculated that whaling likely wouldn’t be returning. The feature caused controversy among animal rights activists, with non-profit organization PETA criticizing Ubisoft at the time. The charity condemned the glorification of the act and called it “disgraceful” and encouraged video games to celebrate animals and not promote hurting and killing them.

Given that this was over a decade ago, and that times have changed drastically since then, fans expected this to be one of the features removed in Resynced. However, that’s not the case. According to content creator Luke Stephens, who interviewed the game’s creative director, Paul Fu, Ubisoft is keeping whaling intact for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. “Yes, whaling is still in the game. It’s there in its full form,” Fu told Stephens. The YouTuber also asked if hunting would still be featured in Resynced, as it was a major part of the original Black Flag but left absent in the most recent entry, Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Thankfully, Ubisoft is keeping hunting for the remake and has even given the feature some major improvements, such as the removal of quick-time events.

The official reveal for Assassin’s Creed Black Resynced also confirmed something fans have been massively concerned about since rumors first emerged all those years ago: it will not be an RPG. More recent entries in the franchise, such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, have attempted to steer the series toward a more RPG-heavy focus, which has often divided the community. Given that Black Flag is not only one of the most beloved entries in the series but also one of the most classic in terms of traditional Assassin’s Creed gameplay, fans were concerned that Ubisoft was going to over-modernize the remake. Thankfully, the game’s creative director affirmed that Resynced is a “pure, story-driven adventure” and not an RPG.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is still a few months out, but it will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For those who plan on purchasing the remake on the latter, Ubisoft has also revealed the official PC requirements for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Despite the gorgeous visual upgrades, users won’t need any beefy system specs to run the title (unless you want everything maxed out, of course). At minimum, gamers will need an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500XT GPU to run Resynced at 1080p with 30 FPS on low settings.