Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced : do not buy this game right now, here is why
I am going to make some enemies with this article. So be it. There are topics where I can no longer close my eyes, and the launch of Black Flag Resynced clearly falls into that category.
I am the editor at LittleBigCampus, a gamer for over twenty years, and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag remains one of the most memorable titles of that generation for me. When Ubisoft announced its return, I felt exactly like many of you : impatient, truly excited to sail the seas with Edward Kenway again. Then I looked at what was really happening behind the trailer. Here is why I am telling you straightforwardly : do not buy this game right now.
🕹️ In short : base game at $60, already $85 of day one DLCs available, cutscenes locked at 30 fps at launch, and over 50 Ubisoft Barcelona employees laid off on release day. My verdict : wait before purchasing.
Black Flag, the game that needed absolutely nothing else
Let us put things into perspective, because context is crucial to understand why this launch hurts so much. The original Black Flag had this unique ability to make you completely forget the main quest for hours. You would explore an isolated island, stumble upon a half-sunken shipwreck, and decide to upgrade the Jackdaw before hunting down a Spanish galleon at sunset, your crew singing behind you. Total freedom, solid writing, epic staging, and naval combat that has aged beautifully. A true banger, as we say today. Hundreds of thousands of us experienced it exactly like that.
On paper, a remake featuring a complete visual overhaul and 2026 technical standards easily makes you want to believe in it.
The issue lies somewhere else entirely. The initial press reviews are actually quite positive, the visual upgrade is undeniable, and the Caribbean looks just as beautiful as ever, maybe even more so. The real problem is Ubisoft, and the way the publisher treats its players on release day.
$60 for the game, $85 in day one DLCs : the trap is already set
Here is where things get really problematic. The base game sells for $60. So far, nothing unusual, we are staying within industry standards. However, right at launch, the in-game store already displays $85 worth of optional add-on content. Do the math : that is more expensive than the game itself.
Looking closely, you will find customization packs for Edward Kenway and the Jackdaw at $10 each ("Master Assassin", "Hellfire", "Sea Serpent", "Dragon Storm"), and a map pack for $5 that automatically reveals the location of all collectibles. You get the idea : they are selling you the right to skip playing the game.
💬 They are selling you the right to skip playing the game.
Players who fell for the Deluxe edition thinking they would get the complete experience instantly face this massive paywall. Unsurprisingly, the game's Steam page caught fire, and Ubisoft had to react publicly to remind everyone that all these packs are "entirely optional" and that the standard edition offers "the full and complete experience."
Technically, the publisher has a point. You can finish the game without spending an extra dime. We must not treat players like fools either. The core issue revolves around the message being sent : you just paid top dollar for a game, and you are immediately reminded that a mountain of content still needs to be purchased. This has become so common that a portion of the player base does not even act surprised anymore, and that might be the most worrying part of this whole situation.
A shaky technical launch, overshadowed by layoffs
Microtransactions are unfortunately accompanied by other dark clouds over this launch. The game's cutscenes are locked at 30 fps due to a technical glitch, and Ubisoft had to provide a temporary workaround while waiting for a patch. In 2026, on a remaster supposed to justify its price tag with a technical upgrade, this feels unacceptable. Add to that voice acting deemed below expected standards, and you get an overhaul that mostly feels rushed out the door.
A heavy shadow hangs over this entire commercial launch : over 50 employees from the Ubisoft Barcelona studio, who actively participated in developing this remake, were laid off right before its release. While Ubisoft communicates and celebrates the commercial success of Black Flag Resynced, some of the people who actually built it are watching from the sidelines.
This context fits into a broader and much less glorious trajectory : Ubisoft's stock plummeted from around $80 in 2021 to roughly $4 in May 2026, alongside accusations of moral harassment and sexual assault targeting certain executives, documented HR dysfunctions, strikes, and canceled games. I am not making this list up, it is highly public and has been growing for years.
⚠️ Over six years, Ubisoft's stock dropped from around $80 to roughly $5. On the exact same day Black Flag Resynced launched, over 50 people from the studio that worked on the game found themselves unemployed.
Ubisoft constantly tests how far you are willing to go
What bothers me most today goes beyond the simple presence of microtransactions. Other publishers offer them too. My real concern stems from the feeling that the boundary gets pushed a little further with every release. A Deluxe edition, then an in-game store. A store, then extra packs. Extra packs, then content that was obviously missing from the edition heavily marketed as "the most complete."
With every release, the pattern repeats itself : players get outraged for a week on social media, then pull out their wallets anyway. Let us be honest, if this economic model continues to thrive, press releases are completely irrelevant. Credit cards are funding it. The marketing team did its job : massive sales in a few days, a hype train that worked perfectly, while the root of the problem remains entirely intact.
My honest opinion
I will follow my thoughts all the way through, even if it means facing a comment section shitstorm. Today, I genuinely struggle to understand a portion of the player base. Either they are uninformed about everything happening behind the scenes at Ubisoft, or they simply do not care. I mostly believe a good chunk of them still haven't figured out who they are dealing with.
This is no gratuitous bashing. Ubisoft has produced legendary games. The company it has become today has very little in common with the one that created the original Black Flag. Star Wars Battlefront II and its microtransaction system should have served as a definitive lesson. Apparently, it did not, since we are facing the exact same pattern, only worse, on a remaster of a game we already loved.
Buying a game is never a neutral act. It is a vote. Buying Day One under these conditions sends a clear message to the publisher : "keep going, it works." I refuse to send that message, precisely because I loved the original game. That exact love is the reason I refuse to endorse this version.
💬 Buying a game is never a neutral act. It is a vote.
To sum up my stance bluntly : it is a hard pass for me, at least for now. I still have the old Black Flag if I ever feel the urge to sail again, and it holds up perfectly fine today. I might open my wallet later on, at half price, around $15-20. Never before that. If you want to dive deeper into remasters that actually deserve your attention, I just wrote a complete guide on the PC remakes and remasters to watch out for or avoid in 2026, it is definitely worth checking out before your next purchase.
Deep down, this whole story reminds me of an old quote :
You should never take people for fools, but you must never forget that they are. Les Inconnus
For years, I just found this sentence funny. Today, watching certain marketing strategies run at full speed despite everything we know, I mostly feel it has never been more accurate.
If you still decide to set sail on the Caribbean seas, have a great game, enjoy yourselves. As for the rest of you, do not worry : you haven't missed anything crucial. If you want to tell me I am right or wrong, the comments are open below, this topic means a lot to me and I will reply to everyone.
FAQ
Should I buy Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced at launch ?
Wait for a significant price drop or new patches before investing. Day one DLC prices, lingering technical issues, and the studio's social context make it hard to recommend right now.
Are the Black Flag Resynced DLCs mandatory to beat the game ?
Ubisoft publicly confirmed the standard edition features the entire story and main content. The $85 packs focus exclusively on cosmetics or gameplay convenience.
Is the remake technically successful ?
The visual overhaul receives praise from the press, however, the game suffers at launch from a 30 fps cap on cutscenes and underwhelming voice acting, which tarnishes the day one experience.
Did the studio developing the game get hit by layoffs ?
Over 50 employees from the Ubisoft Barcelona studio, involved in the remake's development, were laid off shortly before the game's release.
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