Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced – 15 Updates You Should Know About

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It’s smart to reveal a big game well before it comes out, and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a perfect example. The remake of the 2013 hit is getting a lot of attention because of the extensive work being put into it – it’s been completely rebuilt with updated graphics and new features. This has allowed the developers to quickly build excitement and share details. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about the remake before it launches on July 9th for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Blackbeard’s Treasure Quest

The developers are adding new quests that will let us reconnect with familiar characters like Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. What they didn’t mention is how emotionally impactful these quests would be, especially ‘Blackbeard’s Treasure,’ where Edward discovers a map and gets caught up in what Stede would jokingly call fantastical tales. Combined with new, heartfelt shanties that connect to the story, players should prepare for a surprisingly emotional experience.

Blood Confirmed

We were expecting a lot of gore, so it was surprising not to see much of it during the game’s first public showing. This made some players worry that the violence had been reduced or would only be available as a paid add-on. However, the game’s producer, Justin Ng, confirmed that blood will definitely be in the final version, and it won’t cost extra.

No Dismemberment

Even though Assassin’s Creed Shadows and this game use the same Anvil Engine, don’t expect to see enemies’ limbs get chopped off. Creative director Paul Fu recently confirmed this in a Reddit Q&A, but didn’t explain why. It likely doesn’t align with the main character, Edward Kenway. So, while combat will be intense, it won’t include dismemberment.

New Enemy “Defense” Mechanic

What makes combat with our dashing hero so engaging? It’s all about breaking down an enemy’s defenses – shown as a bar under their health – and defeating them with flair. You do this by blocking attacks, keeping up a relentless offense, and using powerful attacks. Different enemies require different approaches – simple slashing works on most, but tougher ones might need a shot from a pistol. This variety is a welcome change and fits nicely with the new heads-up display options.

HUD Presets

You can now personalize the information shown on your screen for a more immersive experience. We’ve included a few starting options: ‘Default’ shows everything, ‘Simple’ focuses on combat and navigation while removing reminders, and ‘Minimal’ displays only essential information like your health, aiming guides during naval battles, and interaction prompts. These are a great start, but you can fine-tune them even further to your liking.

HUD Customization

You can really immerse yourself by turning off the heads-up display (HUD) completely, forcing you to rely on your own senses. Even if that seems too drastic, you can customize almost every part of the HUD. For example, you can remove things like the visibility meter when sneaking or indicators showing an enemy’s defenses during combat. And how will you know if you’ve broken an enemy’s defenses? It’s actually quite clever – they lose their hat! Though, don’t worry, there aren’t any decapitations in the game. Anyway, let’s move on…

Hidden Blades Change

One change that’s upset many players is the removal of Hidden Blades as a weapon you can actively choose and use. While you’ll still see them during takedowns, you can’t switch to them for general combat like in the original game, and many fans are disappointed by this.

Parrying VFX and Audio Adjustments

The developer has heard player feedback that the visual and audio effects for parries are too strong and is working on a fix. While players can currently disable the visual effects in the settings once they’ve learned enemy attacks, it would be helpful to have an option that allows them to keep the indicators visible but toned down.

The Compass

It’s surprising to see both Borderlands 4 and the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced remake facing similar debate over the removal of a minimap. The new Assassin’s Creed game replaces the minimap with a compass. According to the game’s director, Richard Knight, this change is intended to keep the focus on the game’s open seas, with the compass offering guidance without cluttering the screen. While this approach sounds good, we’ll need to actually play the game to see if it works well in practice.

Ziplines in Cities

Everyone seems to love the idea of adding ziplines to cities! While you’re scaling buildings and using moves like side and back ejects to get to higher spots, ziplines will make getting back down fast and easy.

Observe Mode

We’ve added Observe Mode, inspired by Shadows, which lets you carefully survey your environment, mark enemies, and pinpoint key objects. If it functions like the compass, this information will always be visible on your heads-up display.

Wanted System and Legendary Ships

The Wanted system and Legendary Ships will remain largely unchanged. The Wanted system worked by attracting increasingly difficult Pirate Hunters when your bounty increased, and you could get rid of them by paying off officials, defeating their ships, or risking death – thankfully, that’s still how it works. Legendary Ships are four extremely challenging ships positioned at the edges of the map, and defeating them will earn you great rewards.

New Islands and City Locations

You might have noticed the world map looks about the same size, and that’s intentional! The developers have confirmed it’s still 16×16, but they’ve been working hard to pack more into it. They’ve added new islands and expanded existing cities, which is great news! So be sure to explore carefully when you’re in port or out at sea – you never know what new discoveries you might make.

Social Events Incorporated into the Base Game

Previously, certain events – like Royal Convoys, Social Chests, and White Whales – needed you to be constantly online. Now, with the new update, these activities are integrated directly into the main game. The developers hint that some, like Convoys, will be hidden, though they hope they won’t be too difficult to find. For players who still enjoy online content, Anomalies will continue to be available.

Remappable Controls

On top of everything else, you’ll be able to customize the controls to your liking. You can even assign different buttons for when you’re on land versus sailing the seas. The developers haven’t shared all the specifics yet – including details about accessibility options – but they’ve heard players asking for a more traditional control setup. We might see that added after the game launches, but it’s still uncertain.

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2026-05-05 22:15