Ubisoft Releasing Black Flag Remake To Revive Skull and Bones

Ubisoft has constantly been in the headlines throughout 2024, ever since they revealed Assassin's Creed Shadows. But AC Shadows wasn't the only reason for them to be talked about so much. Their so-called Quadruple A title, Skull and Bones, was quite the topic for discussion after the game made a terrible launch. A project that almost drove Ubisoft toward bankruptcy. Obviously, Ubisoft won't want to let such an investment go in vain, and then a rumor surfaced that they would be releasing Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Remake sometime this year.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is considered to be the founding concept behind Skull and Bones, and there's been a rumor that the game will be released sooner than expected. Ubisoft hasn't publicly revealed anything yet, but insiders believe it's well underway. There has been much speculation that it could come out as early as late 2025 or early 2026, which fits in with Ubisoft's major plan to release a lot of Assassin's Creed content over the next few years, including Assassin's Creed Shadows and Invictus.

However, Assassin's Creed Shadows has already been delayed to February 2025, and this game is said to be Ubisoft's last hope for avoiding a serious financial catastrophe that would hurt the other upcoming releases. Among the upcoming games from Ubisoft, the first project that comes into view is the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Remake, followed by Far Cry 7 and Ghost Recon.

A remake of a previous title is effective, yet it can also damage reputation. However, the engine could differ. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake is said to be built on Ubisoft's updated Anvil engine so that fans may expect superior visuals. The Black Flag remake could be beneficial to Ubisoft's reputation, given the company has had a difficult time recently, much of which has been caused by itself. So, a Black Flag Remake could be the deciding element in bringing back some fans.

The success of Black Flag Remake can also pave the road for Assassin's Creed Invictus, Ubisoft's next multiplayer project. It has been years since Assassin's Creed dabbled in multiplayer modes, and since the studio tested their capacity through Skull and Bones, much will depend on how things go with Black Flag Remake.

According to what has been revealed, Invictus is not a traditional AC multiplayer game as we've seen in previous multiplayer modes, but rather a more fast-paced arcade-style experience. So imagine there will be numerous rounds with various objectives, power-ups, and even bizarre mechanics such as a bubble shield, akin to Super Smash Bros. There's also discussion of variants like free-for-all, team death matches, and even a speed challenge in which you race to earn points across the battlefield.

However, we don't expect Assassin's Creed Invictus to be released this year. Ubisoft has yet to release a teaser for the game, which is normally the first stage in their marketing strategy. But, given Ubisoft's annual summer events, there's a decent chance we'll get a first look at Invictus in 2025 with a release window for 2026.

It would make sense for Ubisoft to create some excitement, especially given the game is linked to their larger Animus Hub project. Ubisoft has been very upfront about wanting to bring back multiplayer to Assassin's Creed. With Shadows dropping next month and a Black Flag Remake rumored for late 2025 or early 2026, teasing Invictus sometime this year would fit well into their plan.

However, with Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed until February next month while the game seems to be fine-tuned with several new stealth mechanics, the other suggested releases might be their next big release to keep fans intrigued. The delay in Shadows has reportedly affected the overall release plan; thus, the timeline for this remake may potentially vary. In any case, there is some hype.