Ubisoft just released Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced worldwide. Within hours, the enhanced remaster became the most-played entry in the entire franchise on Steam. Players once again assume the role of pirate captain Edward Kenway. He navigates the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, heavily embroiled in the ongoing conflict between Templars and Assassins. Overall, critics gave mostly positive reviews regarding the updated graphics and various quality-of-life updates. These major changes heavily separate the new title from the original 2013 version.
Black Flag Resynced Shattering Franchise Records on Steam
The PC port quickly established a massive milestone immediately after launch. Specifically, the peak Steam player count hit an impressive 99,451.
Although the active player count recently dropped below 77,000, the game still crushed previous records. For instance, this launch eclipsed the original 2013 version’s Steam peak six times over. Furthermore, it broke the specific franchise record previously set by Assassin’s Creed Shadows. That previous title peaked at 64,825 concurrent players during its early 2025 launch.
Ubisoft built the remaster using the Anvil Engine. Fortunately, the recommended PC specifications confirm that the game runs smoothly on older graphics cards. The developers specifically highlighted the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 as a recommended GPU. However, players must install the game on a solid-state drive (SSD). Moreover, the title launched as officially Steam Deck Verified. Therefore, gamers can easily take their seafaring adventures on the go. Consequently, the game also works natively on the Steam Machine by default.
DRM Frustrations & Technical Glitches
Despite the record-breaking player count, the title currently holds a “Mixed” 65% user rating across 5,452 Steam user reviews. Primarily, this mixed reception stems from Ubisoft utilizing the controversial Denuvo anti-tamper DRM on PC. Additionally, the game forces players to use the Ubisoft Launcher. The publisher also locked nearly $85 worth of downloadable content outside the standard edition. Most of these DLC packs contain simple cosmetic character and ship skins that cost $9.99 each.
Technical issues also frustrate the current player base. Ubisoft published a statement on the game’s Steam page acknowledging a known graphics bug. Specifically, cutscenes lock at 30 frames per second (FPS) if players select Ultra High graphical settings. The development team provided a temporary workaround for the community. They also promised to deploy a proper fix in the coming days. Ultimately, the game provides plentiful side content, but its long-term Steam player retention remains uncertain.
