Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is “Definitely a Remake”, Says Design Director

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It’s become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between game remakes and remasters. However, Ubisoft Singapore’s design director, Julian Koch, has clarified that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is “definitely a remake.” He described it to GamesRadar as “a love letter to the original game.”

Ubisoft considers this a remake because the developers significantly altered how the game plays. Koch explained they had to rethink elements like crouching and adapt to the improved graphics, which also impacted gameplay in other ways.

We’re updating how the character interacts with the environment, specifically around crouching and adding more detailed animations. This also means we’re reworking the movement system and how things collide in the game. While the core gameplay and design remain the same, we’re giving ourselves more creative options. Essentially, we had to completely rebuild the system from scratch to accommodate these changes.

Even though the game features mostly new assets and gameplay, creative director Paul Fu insists it still feels like a traditional, classic Assassin’s Creed experience.

Honestly, the core of the game stayed pretty much the same. We just built on what was already there. We kept asking ourselves questions – like, should we add dialogue choices? The answer was a clear no. Should we turn it into a full-blown RPG? Nope. We really wanted to keep the focus on action and adventure, so that’s what we did.

Fu explained that the team consistently turned to Jean Guesdon whenever they wanted to introduce new elements to the game. Guesdon originally led the creative direction of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and currently oversees the overall brand for the franchise.

From the very beginning of this game, we really focused on staying true to its core feeling. It was our main goal throughout development, especially when we were first brainstorming ideas. We created a set of rules for every team – level designers, artists, everyone – to make sure everything we did felt authentic and captured the right spirit for the game. It was all about keeping things genuine.

The upcoming update to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced will reduce the focus on the game’s modern-day storyline. According to game director Richard Knight, while the story involving Desmond was engaging when the game originally released in 2013, players are less interested in it now.

He explained that understanding the fate of Desmond’s friends was crucial initially. However, the team’s goal was to reimagine Black Flag for a modern audience. While the original game remains available, this updated version feels like the newest Assassin’s Creed installment – a continuation of the series after Shadows. It aims to be both faithful to the original story and offer a fresh experience.

The updated version of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, called Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S starting July 9th. Before its release, learn more about why Edward Kenway is so important to Ubisoft, according to Fu and Anvil Engine specialist Nicolas Lopez.

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2026-05-25 17:41