Today, Ubisoft revealed the latest deep dive into its highly anticipated remake, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, this time focusing on changes coming to the game’s naval component.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced modernizes the seafaring mechanics that defined the original 2013 classic, as players once again take command of the Jackdaw, experiencing rebuilt physics, enhanced weather systems, and expanded tactical options. To start, Ubisoft highlights that the ship is a character in its own right, with its own personality.
You’ll be able to outfit it with numerous pets, customize the ship’s figurehead, and engage in plenty of other Captain’s cabin activities. Some functions previously tied to the Captain’s Cabin, such as purchasing ship upgrades, restocking the Jackdaw’s weapons, and buying and selling cargo, have now been moved to the local Harbourmaster, meaning that you’ll need to manage your resources while out on the open ocean and make more strategic decisions about when and who you engage so you don’t enter a fight unprepared.
The arsenal is bigger than ever in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, adding new ammo types, a secondary firing mode, and more, detailed below:
- The Ram Dash – This turns the bow of The Jackdaw into a brutal weapon as it surges forward to deal devastating collision damage. In the original game, this move was unlocked after defeating all four Legendary Ships. While a noteworthy reward for such an achievement, it happened too late in the game to be much use during the story. This ability can now be unlocked through the Padre (more on him later) even earlier in the game, and we’ve improved it with increased damage and a dedicated camera.
- Deadman’s Cohort – The regular mortar will be upgraded with the Deadman’s Cohort during your playthrough thanks to the new officer Deadman Smith. This new mortar keeps the original firing mode, but also gains a secondary firing option that saturates an area with a huge number of Carcass bombs. While each individual bomb does little damage on its own, you can manually control where each projectile will land as it fires, devastating an area with sheer volume.
- Bow Chaser Cannons – In addition to the original chain shots, we are now adding a double shot as a secondary firing mode, dealing a powerful volley of cannonballs from the front of your ship and dealing heavy damage while chasing prey.
- Broadside Cannons – On top of flexible round shot and the short range heavy shot, we are adding heated shots to the Jackdaw’s arsenal. Heated shot ammunition fires multiple volleys of fiery projectiles in quick succession, dealing high damage to a target should you manage to land them all.
- Shrapnel Barrels – The new firing mode launches shrapnel barrels from the stern of the ship. As the name implies, they propel shrapnel upwards to shred enemy sails on explosion, providing a viable tool to escape when being chased. Also, all barrels now have increased area of effect to make them easier to use.
The Wanted System makes its galliant return when sailing, adding consequences for your actions and a level of strategy to naval gameplay. Get in a few too many fights, and Pirate Hunters will tail you, with more powerful ships chasing you as your level gets higher, and they will continue to hunt you down as you sail the seas. Reduce your Wanted Level by taking out enemy or merchant ships, boarding them, and choosing to lower your notoriety, or visiting an Officer at a port and bribing them to get the authorities off your back.
Sea Shanties are back and better than ever, as the remake features all 35 original shanties, which can be found through exploration, plus 10 newly produced ones just for Resynced that are now tied to specific quests and activities. You’ll even be able to choose which specific shanty you want to hear, using a brand-new shanty wheel accessible by pressing the D pad down.
Boarding and crew management get a few improvements; there are no more loading screens when switching decks, heavily damaged ships can be auto-plundered, and there are even more crew archetypes, like Elite Gunners, to recruit. Edward will even be able to recruit new officers to the Jackdaw, each of whom provides specific perks, though they require quest completion before they’ll come aboard.
Physics and environmental mechanics like wind direction, rogue waves, and waterspouts will also require you to pay even more attention while navigating the seas, as they do much more damage and require more precise timing in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Side activities like diving and hunting are also back, but the most important return is definetly Legendary ship hunts. Each Legendary Ship encounter offers a unique and self-contained experience, featuring a distinct enemy vessel that you will need to fight using tactics, skill, and planning, with each granting its own special reward.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches July 9, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
