Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Remake Will Reportedly Feature RPG Mechanics, Launch in Early 2026

A remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is believed to be in the works at Ubisoft, with several leaks pointing to the game's existence. A French outlet has now shared more details about the reported remake in question, including planned changes to the game's story and gameplay and its likely release window. The Black Flag remake will reportedly be an RPG-style Assassin's Creed title, closer to recent entries in the series.

Black Flag Remake Targeting Early 2026 Release

In a video published Tuesday, French outlet Jeux Vidéo Magazine, known for its reliable Assassin's Creed leaks, said that the rumoured Black Flag remake project does actually exist. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the publication said the game was planned for release in early 2026, most likely in March. Development on the remake is reportedly being headed by Ubisoft Singapore; the studio had worked on the maritime parts of the original game. The studio is said to be aided by Ubisoft teams in Belgrade and Bordeaux.

The Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake project is also said to be close to the end of its production — this information, however, was not corroborated by multiple sources, with some believing Ubisoft still had a lot of work to do on the game and the release could be pushed to later in 2026, the outlet said in the video.

The remake will also reportedly offer a few hours of additional content compared to the original game. Ubisoft will cut some parts set in the present-day timeline in the game and instead add more pirate-based content set in the historical time period, the outlet said.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a pirate adventure set in the West Indies in early 1700s
Photo Credit: Ubisoft

Remake to Feature RPG Mechanics

More importantly, the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake will reportedly feature RPG-like mechanics seen in the series since 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins. These will likely include the RPG-style inventory system, loot system, and weapon and equipment statistics, similar to recent Assassin's Creed games. The original game did not feature RPG mechanics and followed the narrative-driven open world action-adventure roots of the franchise.

The remake is also set to get quality-of-life improvements. According to the outlet, the game will eliminate loading times when moving to cities from naval gameplay and vice versa. The remake will reportedly also see changes to the combat system, which is said to be closer to RPG-style Assassin's Creed games.

Ubisoft has said its working on multiple Assassin's Creed remake projects, but the company has not confirmed a title. The Black Flag remake, however, has often appeared in leaks. In June, Matt Ryan, the actor who voiced the protagonist, Edward Kenway, in the original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, all but confirmed the existence of the remake to a fan at a gaming convention.

Ubisoft is also working on several new Assassin's Creed games, including Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe, which is set during the witch trials in the Holy Roman Empire. The company is also developing Assassin's Creed Jade for mobile devices, and a standalone multiplayer AC title.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag initially released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in October 2013, before making its way to then new-gen consoles, PS4 and Xbox One, and PC a month later. It was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2019. The game, set in the early 1700s in the West Indies during the Golden Age of Piracy, is considered one of the best entries in the Assassin's Creed series.