The Filipino Developers Behind Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Ubisoft Philippines Reveals Its Biggest Contribution Yet With Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Ubisoft Philippines has shared a behind-the-scenes look at its work on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, marking what the studio describes as its largest project to date.

The remake also marks an important milestone for the studio, coinciding with Ubisoft Philippines’ 10th anniversary and becoming its 13th AAA title developed alongside Ubisoft’s global network.

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Black Flag Resynced reunites multiple Ubisoft studios across the world, with Ubisoft Singapore leading development while teams from the Philippines, Montreal, Quebec, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Bucharest, Chengdu, Da Nang, India, Kyiv, Montpellier, Shanghai, Sofia, and Belgrade contributed to the project.

Ubisoft Philippines Helped Rebuild Key Parts of Black Flag

For this remake, Ubisoft Philippines took ownership of several major gameplay areas, including the Forts and Harpooning side activities, and the recreation of Kingston, Port Royale, and Long Bay.

Associate Producer Alfonse Angliongto said the project represented the studio’s biggest responsibility so far.

“This was the first time the studio was entrusted with a project of this scale, with full responsibility and accountability for driving its successful delivery,” said Angliongto.

Staying Faithful to a Fan Favorite

Rather than simply modernizing the visuals, the development team studied years of player feedback before rebuilding the game.

Art Director JP Tan, who also worked on the original Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, explained that the team reviewed fan discussions, game reviews, and walkthroughs to understand which parts of the original players loved most and where improvements were needed.

The remake also benefits from advances in Ubisoft’s Anvil engine, introducing technologies such as Physically Based Rendering, Ray-Traced Global Illumination, and Micropolygon rendering to create more detailed environments than were possible in 2013.

Small Details Help Bring the Caribbean to Life

Beyond graphical improvements, Ubisoft Philippines focused heavily on environmental storytelling.

Cities such as Kingston and Port Royale feature new environmental details designed to make the world feel more believable, while the studio’s new 5.1 surround sound facilities helped create a richer Caribbean soundscape for exploration and quests.

They also populated these locations differently. Kingston has residents walking beneath verandas to escape the heat, with locals going about their daily routines by the river, washing clothes and cooling off by the water.

Meanwhile, Port Royale residents are grimmer, as the city is shaped by devastating natural disasters, and the difference can be seen in how residents react to their environment.

Forts and Harpooning Receive Major Updates

The remake expands two of Black Flag’s signature activities.

Capturing forts now sees Edward Kenway fighting alongside his crew instead of completing encounters largely alone, while post-capture sequences have been redesigned to better reflect the impact of taking over enemy strongholds.

Players can also see Edward’s crew act more like pirates, sometimes prioritizing looting over fighting as they overtake the fort.

Harpooning has also been rebuilt with a stronger emphasis on physics-based interactions. Animators drew from many real-world examples to give players a more immersive and visceral experience.

Lead Programmer Dennis Li explained that rope behavior now reacts dynamically to player movement, boat positioning, and the harpoon itself, creating encounters that feel more physical than the original version.

Overall, Ubisoft Philippines says the project reflects both the experience the studio has gained over the past decade and its continued commitment to growing game development talent in the Philippines.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and Ubisoft Connect.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Release: July 9, 2026

Genre: Action-adventure

Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Philippines, and other Ubisoft studios / Ubisoft

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Ubisoft Connect

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