Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, regularly hailed as one of the best of the long-running action-adventure series, might be getting a remake. Rumors and leaks about this ostensibly ambitious recreation have abounded for months, and while Ubisoft remains tight-lipped about the shadowy project, there’s reason to think it plausible. Not only would an Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake be an easy layup for Ubisoft, it would also allow the company to propagate its newer, RPG-inspired gameplay formula. In other words, if Ubisoft wants to start rewriting Assassin’s Creed history, Black Flag is a pretty logical place to start.
Indeed, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake rumors suggest that it will be ditching the original, sandbox-style gameplay and structure of the original in favor of the post-Origins formula. This genetic remapping of the 2013 classic would involve a new stat-based gear system, a reworked combat sandbox, and the like, but also a reimagining of the story: apparently, Black Flag‘s modern-day storyline will be cut in favor of additional in-Animus content. As reported by French gaming outlet Jeux Vidéo Magazine, at least a portion of this new in-Animus content will be composed of storylines and missions left on the cutting room floor for the original. If this is the case, there’s one obvious plotline that needs to be revived
Spoilers ahead for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Rumors Suggest More Mary Read Content
A Summary of Rumored Changes in the Black Flag Remake
- Removes modern-day story, replacing it with more in-Animus content
- Gameplay will adopt the franchise’s newer RPG style
- Reworked loot and gear
- Same map size, but more activities
- The inclusion of cut content, specifically parts of Mary Read’s storyline
- Uses Ubisoft’s new Anvil Pipeline engine
- Targeting an early 2026 release date
Mary Read’s Role in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag
Like many Assassin’s Creed NPCs (and, as of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, at least one protagonist), Mary Read is inspired by a historical figure of the same name. Not much is known about the real-world Mary Read, aside from the critical fact that she was one of only a few confirmed female pirates. This makes her a perfect character for a speculative fiction series like Assassin’s Creed, as there’s just enough information about her to hook an audience, but not so much that her story arc is restrictive or predictable.
Presenting as a man amongst other pirates, Mary Read in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is, you guessed it, secretly a member of the Assassin Order. Cunning, capable, and charismatic, Read would ultimately have a major impact on Black Flag hero Edward Kenway, inspiring his final decision to become an Assassin himself. She’s a memorable and pivotal Black Flag character, which is why the possibility of her getting more screentime in the rumored remake is so exciting.
Cut Mary Read Content That Could Make Its Way into the AC: Black Flag Remake
According to Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Narrative Director Darby McDevitt, Mary Read was meant to play a much more important role during certain parts of the game’s story, specifically between Chapters 10 and 11, pertaining to Edward’s betrayal by the pirate Bartholomew Roberts. In the final build of the game, Edward is captured by Roberts and handed off to British authorities, but the original outline saw him seeking out Mary Read and heading to Nassau in search of the fabled Crystal Skull. This stretch of the campaign would have involved a Templar siege on Nassau in search of Read and Edward, culminating in a recreation of a famous real-world pirate story, wherein Read and Anne Bonny protect their incapacitated male crewmates from the British military.
According to McDevitt, this storyline was cut for gameplay and pacing purposes, but it would have been an exciting way to learn more about one of the game’s most interesting historical figures. Moreover, it would have allowed Edward to be more active in his search for the Crystal Skull, further fleshing out his recklessness and greed, which would in turn deepen the conflict between him and Mary Read, who regularly compels Edward to be less selfish in the original Black Flag story.
