Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake: Devs Discuss Absence of Freedom Cry and Highlight Expanded Role for Adewale

Many fans of the Assassin’s Creed series and pirate adventures were thrilled when Ubisoft finally announced the remake of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag after a flurry of leaks. However, the excitement was tempered by disappointing news: the remake, scheduled for release in July on consoles and PC, will not feature a remade version of the Freedom Cry DLC. While this is a letdown, there’s still a glimmer of hope that the side story starring Adewale, the former slave turned pirate assassin, might see the light of day in the future.

Originally launched as DLC for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in 2013, Freedom Cry follows Adewale on a gripping journey set years after the events of Black Flag. In this short but impactful DLC, Adewale finds himself shipwrecked in Saint-Domingue, where he uncovers a brutal slave trade. He uses his skills to liberate slaves and combat the nefarious slave traders and owners. In 2014, Freedom Cry was slightly remastered and released as a standalone digital title on various platforms, including PS4, Xbox One, PC, and later on Switch. Even after a decade, it remains one of the few AAA games to center on a former slave and address the horrific realities of slavery. For many, it’s a crucial part of the Assassin’s Creed narrative, enriching Adewale’s character and linking to Assassin’s Creed Rogue and the overarching Templar vs. Assassin conflict.

Ubisoft has confirmed that Freedom Cry will not be part of Black Flag Resynced. However, the idea of remaking the DLC was considered during development. When asked if the decision to exclude Freedom Cry was made from the outset, the game’s creative director, Paul Fu, clarified that it was a topic of discussion for some time.

“I wouldn’t say [it had been ruled out] from day one,” Fu mentioned in a recent interview. “We considered it for quite a while. But we had to make the decision early to ensure we focused on the right elements.”

Fu expressed his appreciation for Freedom Cry’s story, noting that the team ultimately decided against including it due to the monumental task of bringing Black Flag back to life. “It’s a huge game, even by today’s standards. We wanted to concentrate on Edward’s story.”

While Edward’s narrative is undeniably significant and beloved, there are many Adewale fans who might feel overlooked without a proper remake of his adventure. However, Fu reassured that fans of Adewale can expect new content in the remake.

“For Adewale fans, we felt that his story needed to be expanded in Black Flag, and we have,” Fu stated. “There are new moments in Resynced where you spend time with Adewale in the forest or fight alongside him—moments that were either absent or shorter in the original game.”

Richard Knight, the game director for Black Flag Resynced, emphasized that Adewale was always intended to be part of the remake, even without Freedom Cry included. “It was mandatory that he was also in Black Flag,” Knight affirmed. “Adewale is back. We’ve enhanced him for 4K, and his voice actor is returning. We’ve done new motion capture and more. He’s still a vital part of this game.”

Naturally, I had to inquire about any potential plans for a Freedom Cry remake in the future. Given the extensive work put into Black Flag Resynced and the potential for reusing assets, it seemed like a reasonable question. Paul Fu sidestepped the inquiry, simply stating, “Who knows?” and reiterated that the focus is currently on the Black Flag remake. However, Knight offered a more optimistic outlook for Adewale fans.

“We’ll see what the future holds for his story,” Knight said. “With Assassin’s Creed, we have such a mix of existing games and new narratives to explore. So, I wouldn’t rule anything out.”

It seems quite possible that a team at Ubisoft is already working on a Freedom Cry remake for a future release. For now, though, Ubisoft remains noncommittal.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, featuring new Adewale content but excluding Freedom Cry, is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC on July 9.