It looks like Ubisoft is getting closer to officially announcing its remaster or remake of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. As caught by social media X user TheHiddenOneAC, an update has been made to the behind-the-scenes database entry for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag on Steam (courtesy of SteamDB). This update has tagged Black Flag as having features that it hasn’t had so far.
These new features include Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, Mouse Only Option, Adjustable Difficulty, and Save Anytime. This database change is quite recent, having taken place on July 8. For context, the last major updates to the database entry have largely revolved around adding new trailers and screenshots to the store page.
It is also worth noting that the fact that these changes were made to the Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag page on Steam rather than creating a new listing for a remake or remaster might mean grim tidings for those among us who care for video game preservation. This likely means that Ubisoft plans on replacing the original Steam listing for Black Flag altogether with the new release.
Generally speaking, not having access to original versions of a game is considered bad since not all remakes or remasters tend to be of the highest quality. As evidenced by the controversial release of the Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition, there are often times when the original versions of games are preferable to shoddily made remasters or remakes that can often be quite buggy. In the case of GTA, the Definitive Edition release meant that the original versions of GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas – three beloved games – can no longer be bought on any modern gaming platform, be it PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S.
As for Black Flag, the last time we heard about the remake or remaster was the voice actor for protagonist Edward Kenway, Matt Ryan, teasing the upcoming game. While signing an autograph, Ryan had asked the fan if they had beaten the game. When the fan responded that they had done so “a while ago,” Ryan replied that the fan “may have to beat it again.” He also mentioned, “There’s a reason I say that, but I can’t say anything,” which would imply that an announcement is in the works, but NDAs are preventing Ryan from divulging too many details.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was originally released back in 2013 on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The game was a beloved title, serving as a prequel to Assassin’s Creed 3. Taking place in the Golden Age of Piracy, Black Flag features several historical figures in series tradition, including famous pirates like Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. As for the story itself, it involves Kenway trying to scam people for money but ultimately getting swept up into bigger conspiracies than he was ready for.
Officially-licensed merchandise maker Pure Arts had also previously teased that a remake for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was going to be announced soon. However, Ubisoft itself has been incredibly quiet about the project, with the last major Assassin’s Creed release being Shadows from earlier this year on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
