Rumored Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag remake leans RPG, 2026 release

A new leak has painted a detailed if unconfirmed picture of a rumored remake of Ubisoft's 2013 hit Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, suggesting substantial gameplay and structural changes and a tentative release window in early 2026. The claims, outlined in a video by French outlet Jeux Vidéo Magazine and summarized by multiple reporting outlets, say the remake will lean into the franchise's newer role playing systems, remove the original's modern day sequences, and be built on Ubisoft's current Anvil engine. Ubisoft has not confirmed the project.

According to the report, the remake would reshape combat, loot and inventory toward the RPG style used in recent Assassin's Creed entries, with gear that carries stats and a less choreographed, more hitbox driven combat model. The modern day storyline would reportedly be excised and replaced with additional content focusing on Edward Kenway and the pirate era, including material that had been cut from the 2013 release. The map is said to remain roughly the same size but feature denser islands filled with new side activities, and transitions between ship and land would occur without loading screens.

The leak also offers production...