Everything new in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Published: July 8, 2026

If, like me, you spent your formative years on a virtual ship doing virtual seaborne crimes, the remake of Black Flag should be a welcome sight. Way back when, I mined Black Flag for everything it had; ticking off islands, knocking off every fort - even seeking out every animal so my wardrobe would be exotic and morally questionable. A remake was welcome news, but I couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, had been added for this new version that made it worth my while.

The good news, then, is that Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced not only gives the game a much-needed facelift but also adds a ton of extras on top of what is already an already stacked adventure game. I've played a metric ton of it, and have, what I think, are the main additions and changes to Black Flag.
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As far as the main story goes, things are more or less as we left them - the sidequests are where the bulk of the expansions come. There are a few new shipmates that, when their mini questlines are completed, will add a new feature to your ship. The shipwright, priest and another mysterious figure are each in their own spot of bother, and if Edward finds time in his day to help them out, they'll join his motley crew, adding ship abilities and a new presence on board the Jackdaw.

Some old faces are also getting a bit of love. Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet's stories have been fleshed out, giving them much more satisfying conclusions to their tale. It was always a bit of a disappointment that these characters I spent so much time with in the original game kind of just fizzled out, so being treated to a proper ending is a huge boon.

If the story of Black Flag isn't the thing that propels you, I'm sure the sidequests did (or will), and Resynced sees them refined and expanded, with assassination missions and naval contracts being easier to accept. Milo van der Graaff is now present in person this time around to hand out the target ships. He's an interesting sort; I'm getting a nefarious vibe.

It's a lot, and that's before we get into the general improvements to the base systems. Parkour has been brought to 2026 standards; combat has had its rough edges shaved down to create more of a fluid, fancy affair, with gadgets now available mid-combo, allowing Edward to adapt and flow to whatever ends up in front of him.

There are upgrades to ship combat, with secondary firing modes for each side of the Jackdaw, you can dive underwater anywhere (provided there's water, of course), and astonishingly, there are no loading screens beyond when you boot the game up. You can travel anywhere on the huge map and just be, which is good because there are also a ton of new islands to explore, many of which hold loot, secrets, and probably the Spanish.

If I had any concerns about retreading old ground, these additions and improvements to Black Flag settled those down completely - not only has the experience been streamlined and modernized, but there's a ton more there to explore than there was before. It feels fresh, and if whether you're playing it for the first time or the tenth, there's a lot to love here - check out my Black Flag Resynced review if you want to know more.