Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is changing one of the strangest and most divisive parts of the original game by completely replacing its modern-day storyline with new “What If?” rift scenarios focused around Edward Kenway.
And honestly, longtime Assassin’s Creed fans seem both fascinated and slightly terrified by what Ubisoft is doing.
Because while Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is still widely considered one of the best games in the entire franchise, the original modern-day sections were always… weird.
You would go from:
- being an incredible pirate captain,
- fighting naval battles,
- hunting treasure,
- and sailing around the Caribbean,
to suddenly wandering around an Abstergo office in first-person while employees talked about spreadsheets and corporate entertainment products.
It was one of the biggest tonal whiplashes in gaming.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Removes the Original Modern-Day Gameplay
According to Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced completely removes the original first-person Abstergo office gameplay sections from the 2013 release.
Instead, Ubisoft Singapore is replacing them with hidden rifts scattered throughout the Caribbean that explore alternate “What If?” storylines connected to Edward Kenway.
Examples include:
- “What if Edward chose greed over his wife?”
- alternate character outcomes
- rewritten emotional moments
- expanded pirate storylines
- and new narrative scenes involving key characters.
Rather than constantly pulling players out of Edward’s pirate adventure, the new system keeps the focus much more tightly connected to Black Flag’s historical story.
And realistically, a lot of players are probably going to prefer that approach.
Assassin’s Creed Fans Are Deeply Divided About the Modern-Day Story
The modern-day storyline has honestly become one of the most divisive parts of Assassin’s Creed over the years.
Some fans absolutely loved:
- Desmond Miles
- Shaun Hastings
- Rebecca Crane
- Abstergo lore
- the Animus mystery
- and all the strange sci-fi conspiracy elements.
Others thought the modern-day sections constantly interrupted the actual fun part:
being a historical assassin.
Black Flag especially arrived during an awkward period for the franchise because Assassin’s Creed III had already wrapped up Desmond’s story in a pretty dramatic way.
That left Black Flag’s modern-day storyline feeling slightly directionless at times.
Even Ubisoft now seems to openly recognise that.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Is Trying to Keep Players Focused on Edward Kenway
One thing Ubisoft keeps repeating about Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is that the remake is heavily centred around Edward Kenway himself.
According to the developers, they wanted the modern-day elements to feel directly connected to Edward’s personal story rather than becoming a completely separate experience.
That is where the new “What If?” rifts come in.
Instead of:
- leaving the Caribbean,
- walking around offices,
- hacking computers,
- or sitting through exposition dumps,
players will discover hidden narrative rifts while exploring the world naturally.
And honestly, that sounds far more fitting for Black Flag specifically.
Because let’s be honest:
most people boot up Black Flag because they want to be a pirate.
Ubisoft Says Both Versions of Black Flag Are Canon
This is where things become extremely Assassin’s Creed.
Ubisoft has now confirmed that both:
- the original Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
AND - Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
are canon inside the franchise timeline somehow.
Yes. Really.
According to Ubisoft developers, the remake can basically be viewed as a newer, more accurate Animus interpretation of Edward Kenway’s memories.
Which is honestly one of the most Assassin’s Creed explanations imaginable.
The Animus itself is essentially being used as the lore explanation for why the remake changes events, expands scenes, and introduces new content.
And somehow that bizarre logic actually kind of works.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Is Adding New Story Content Too
One of the biggest surprises is that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is not just a graphical remake.
Ubisoft has confirmed:
- new story scenes,
- expanded pirate storylines,
- additional emotional moments,
- and entirely new character interactions.
Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet reportedly receive expanded narrative focus, while Ubisoft has also teased new scenes designed specifically to “pull at the heartstrings” of longtime Black Flag fans.
And honestly, that is probably the smartest decision possible.
Because nostalgia is absolutely carrying huge hype for this remake right now.
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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Looks Much Faster and Smoother
Outside the story changes, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced also appears to modernise a huge amount of gameplay.
Some of the biggest changes include:
- proper crouch stealth
- faster combat
- improved parry systems
- reduced loading screens
- reworked tailing missions
- updated naval gameplay
- modernised controls
- earlier gadget unlocks
The original Black Flag released before Assassin’s Creed even had a dedicated crouch button.
Which honestly feels insane in retrospect.
Ubisoft appears to be rebuilding Black Flag using many of the same systems and engine technology seen recently in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Not Every Change Is Going Down Well
Of course, not every Assassin’s Creed fan is happy with the changes.
Some players are already concerned about:
- removing the original modern-day sections
- changing established canon
- cutting gameplay features
- simplifying combat
- and rewriting parts of Black Flag’s identity.
One reported removal includes the ability to pick up enemy weapons during combat, something players could do in the original game.
Others are worried Ubisoft may be over-modernising a game many fans already considered nearly perfect.
And honestly, Black Flag is probably one of the riskiest Assassin’s Creed games Ubisoft could possibly remake because fans are incredibly protective of it.
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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Feels More Like a Reimagining Than a Remake
The more Ubisoft reveals about Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the clearer it becomes that this is not simply a visual upgrade.
This feels much closer to:
- a reinterpretation,
- a reimagining,
- or a “second version” of Black Flag.
Ubisoft itself even keeps heavily emphasising the meaning behind the word “Resynced.”
And realistically, this could end up becoming one of the strangest experiments the Assassin’s Creed franchise has ever attempted.
Because instead of replacing the original Black Flag, Ubisoft somehow wants both games to exist side-by-side as equally valid versions of Edward Kenway’s story.
Which is either:
- incredibly clever,
- completely ridiculous,
- or peak Assassin’s Creed lore nonsense.
Possibly all three at once.
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