The Black Flag Remake Could Be the Strangest Addition to the Assassin’s Creed Lore

After the official announcement of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced last month, I was eager to see how this remake would integrate into the broader Assassin’s Creed universe. So, when I had the opportunity to chat with the creative minds behind the game, I couldn’t resist diving into a deep lore question: Is this remake considered canon?

Earlier this month, I flew out to San Francisco to get hands-on time with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. The visuals are stunning, the gameplay feels fantastic, and it strikes a perfect balance between the classic stealth mechanics of earlier titles and the refined controls and action seen in the more recent RPG-style entries. But the burning question for me—and many fans—was how this remake fits into the franchise’s timeline. I posed this question to creative director Paul Fu and game director Richard Knight, and their response was unexpected: both versions of the game are canon.

Knight explained, “In my opinion, both are canon. The original Black Flag is still available to play, and all the events, including those involving Desmond’s friends, still occurred. Nothing has changed there. However, we are the next modern Assassin’s Creed game, and we also exist.”

He encouraged players to draw their own conclusions about what this means, adding, “The beauty of the Assassin’s Creed brand, thanks to the Animus, is that it allows for different interpretations. There are many nuances you’ll discover while playing, but yes, both are definitely canon.” I sought clarification on whether the modern-day events from the original Black Flag still hold true in the timeline, and Knight confirmed that they do. The entirety of both games is part of the canon.

Knight elaborated, “The new content we’ve added reflects events that canonically happened to Edward.”

When I asked Paul Fu about the canon status of both Black Flag and its remake, he echoed Knight’s sentiments. He described the remake as a more “accurate” portrayal of Edward Kenway’s historical events.

“You can view Resynced as a new entry into the Animus, which is a machine that can be updated for greater accuracy. The core story remains largely unchanged. During development, we reviewed the entire game, deciding what to keep and what to enhance, and we retained most of it as long as it made sense. We aimed to avoid unnecessary changes and focused on expanding the narrative.”

Before these discussions, it was already confirmed that all modern-day segments from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag would be removed. I won’t spoil the original game’s ending, but if you’ve played it, you know the modern-day storyline plays a significant role in the final act and connects with the enigmatic Sage character. Ubisoft has confirmed that the Sage remains part of the canon, but the ending of Black Flag has been altered, with a new scene added to bridge the gap while honoring the original events.

“This question about the ending arose very early in development,” Fu shared. “We consulted with longtime Assassin’s Creed writer and joint narrative director Darby McDevitt to ensure everyone was on the same page.”

He continued, “The modern-day storyline has evolved significantly since Shadows, so we opted to change its direction, removing the old segments and introducing rifts. However, we recognized that fans cherished the original modern-day sequences. Some fans, including myself, found the Sage’s story quite impactful. We made sure to reference that story in a new scene in Resynced, which I hope captures its essence. Darby also contributed to that scene, which I consider a heartfelt tribute to the original.”

Knight added that the new scene is “very much from Edward’s perspective,” noting, “He shares a similar reaction: ‘What’s going on with this Sage stuff?’”

We’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out. Can Black Flag’s ending, now devoid of modern-day segments, still resonate without confusing newcomers or disappointing long-time fans? We’ll find out when Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC on July 9.