The pirate classic returns, rebuilt

Assassin's Creed fans have their biggest release of the year, and it is a triumphant one. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, a full ground-up remake of the beloved 2013 original, launched July 9, 2026, on PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, Epic, and the Ubisoft Store, along with GeForce Now and Blacknut streaming. This is a genuine rebuild, not a light remaster.

Led by Ubisoft Singapore with support from around 15 co-development studios, Resynced was reconstructed from scratch on the latest Anvil engine, the same generation that powered Assassin's Creed Shadows, reportedly with no code carried over from the original.

A strong critical verdict

The reviews confirm the ambition paid off:

It holds a Metacritic score of 84 and an OpenCritic average of 87, landing in the Mighty tier at the 95th percentile.
It ranks fourth among all Assassin's Creed titles by critic score, behind only AC2, Brotherhood, and the 2013 original.
That makes it the highest-rated series entry since the original Black Flag.
Praise centered on the naval combat, with one outlet calling it the best ship-to-ship combat in gaming.

Reception was not universally glowing; some reviewers felt it wavered between faithfulness and change, and one suggested it could have used a little more time in development. But the consensus is decidedly positive.

Why it resonates

Black Flag has long held a special place in the Assassin's Creed catalog, often cited as the entry that best captured the fantasy of a pirate's life on the open sea. Rebuilding it on modern technology, rather than simply upscaling it, gave Ubisoft the chance to preserve what fans loved while bringing the visuals and systems up to current standards.

The naval combat praise is especially meaningful, because ship battles were the heart of the original's appeal. A remake that not only preserves but reportedly elevates that combat, to the point critics call it best-in-class, justifies the ground-up approach.

Priced at $59.99 for the standard edition and rated M, Resynced arrives at a moment when Ubisoft needs a win, and the critical response delivers one. For longtime fans, it is a chance to revisit a favorite in its best-ever form. For newcomers, it is arguably the ideal entry point into one of the series' most fondly remembered adventures. After a rocky stretch for the franchise, Black Flag Resynced is a reminder of what Assassin's Creed can be at its best.