In a rare ‘good move’ from the stagnant developer, a new rumor suggests that Ubisoft has officially begun development on a remake of hands down the best game in the series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Word that Edward Kenway may sail once more was first raised on June 30th, courtesy of Kotaku.
Receiving word from “two sources familiar with the plans who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to discuss them”, the infamous video game news outlet confirmed that a remake of Black Flag was “in its earliest stages and will not be complete for at least a few years.”
Further, Kotaku reported that the remake is being handled by Ubisoft’s Singapore branch, a support studio perhaps best known for their contributions to the Assassin’s Creeds series’ naval combat across III, Black Flag, and Rogue.
Unsurprisingly – especially if the claims that the title is in the very early stages of development are true – an Ubisoft declined a request from Kotaku to comment on the rumor.
Interestingly, the sails have unfurled on this rumor at the very same time that Ubisoft Singapore’s highly-anticipated, pirate-themed action adventure game Skull and Bones remains completely MIA.
Its gameplay built upon the mechanics the branch created for their pirate themed-entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Skull and Bones was first announced in 2013, originally beginning life as a multiplayer expansion for Black Flag.
However, as the game’s development scope slowly but steadily began to expand, the game would soon be spun off into its own stand-alone, Black Flag-themed MMO.
Unfortunately for Ubisoft Singapore, the production delays caused by this change in focus would eventually lead the studio to realize that its base technology had, in the years since beginning development, become extraordinarily outdated.
As such, the game was once again reconfigured into the completely original Skull and Bones concept that it currently remains dedicated to today.
Though it was originally slated to drop in 2018, as per its reveal trailer at the 2017 edition of E3, the game has been pushed back several times, with its most recently delay being handed down in January of this year.
As of writing, the game has yet to receive a full release date, but Ubisoft has announced that a closed beta test for the game will be open to the public from August 25th-28th. Registration for the beta is currently open to all players, no purchase necessary.
NEXT: Ubisoft Denies ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ Will Contain Loot Boxes Or “Real Gambling”