Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4/XB1/PS3/360) | (PC/PS5/XSX) - July 9, 2026

[Exoduso]

...... that's how they wrap it?
My god, AC4 better have a point to the present storyline after AC3's ending, or Desmond's death will be even more annoying than I thought.

[Mazmaz]

Really playing on fans' dislike of Desmond eh?

[Brill Weave]

I didn't mind Desmond. But his parts in all the games were just pointless. I always thought the build up was going to end with an AC game set in modern times with Desmond being the one and only main character.

[Ratatapa]

I didn't mind Desmond. But his parts in all the games were just pointless. I always thought the build up was going to end with an AC game set in modern times with Desmond being the one and only main character.

I doubt you are the only one

[wipers]

Really playing on fans' dislike of Desmond eh?

Worst part of game I think so.

[6souls]

Single player content being gated by Uplay

They may not like it, but gamers are at least familiar with the idea of an online pass gating off multiplayer content. However, in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, a noteworthy element of the single-player campaign is unavailable without the Ubisoft's Uplay Passport.

When protagonist Edward Kenway boards a ship, he has the option to add the ship to his fleet. This fleet functions similarly to your assassin recruits in previous titles; you can send them on missions, and after a varying number of real-time minutes, the ships return with money and spoils. However, we've confirmed that your access to this whole loop is gated by the Uplay Passport. In other words, if you borrow the game from a friend who has already redeemed the code (or buy the game used), you don't get the fleet and the benefits that come with it in your single-player game.

Note that the Uplay Passport is different from simply being a registered Uplay user. Being a part of Uplay is free, but the Passport is a game-specific code included with new copies. According to Ubisoft's site, the Uplay Passport "will come with a unique code that, when redeemed, grants you access to online multiplayer play, bonus content, and more. In instances where your game’s Uplay Passport has already been redeemed (such as if you’ve bought a used copy of a game) you will be able to purchase a new Uplay Passport code online."

On one hand, the fleet does include online elements. You are able to have your friends assist you to make missions go faster, for instance. On the other hand, there's nothing about it that demands this assistance; once you can use your fleet, you can do the missions solo. Previous installments in the series, like Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, included similar offline versions of this mechanic.

We've reached out to Ubisoft for comment, and will update this story if/when we hear back.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...r-content.aspx
http://uplay.ubi.com/en-GB/about

[Brill Weave]

Restricting single player content is a bitch move.

[Tyrath]

But its Ubisoft so it doesn't really surprise me.

[6souls]

Ubisoft reacts to negative response to gated single player content, shuts down Uplay Passport, gives refunds

Assassin’s Creed fans, we heard you loud and clear.

In Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Edward’s Fleet is an innovative online feature that allows a single player to interact with multiple players on consoles or via the game’s companion app. Every new copy of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag includes the Uplay Passport code needed to unlock this online feature. However, we listen to our community and understand that there are concerns over some players’ ability to access this feature, so we have decided to eliminate the cost of the Uplay Passport for Black Flag. This ensures that everyone will be able to use the companion app, Edward’s Fleet, online multiplayer and available bonus content at no additional cost.

Gamers currently without a Uplay Passport for Black Flag will be able to download one for free from Xbox Live or PlayStation Network. For those who have already purchased Uplay Passport for Black Flag, please contact your regional Ubisoft support.

What’s more, Uplay Passport will not be a part of any future Ubisoft games.

The Uplay Passport program was initiated as a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses and rewards. However, games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is “single player” and what is “multiplayer.” Based on that and on the feedback we received from you, we recognized that Passport is no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games.

We will keep listening to your feedback. We hope the change we’re making today alleviates any concerns you have about using the Edward’s Fleet feature or future online features of Ubisoft’s games.

We look forward to seeing you sailing the Caribbean seas in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag!

http://blog.ubi.com/assassins-creed-...play-passport/

[elison]

That was fast rofl

[Arelian]

Grabbed this for Wii U (I need games for it. Sigh.) and I have to say, it looks really nice compared to PS360 and seems to be a nice middleground between current-gen and next-gen. The game itself is incredibly fun and is a close contender to 2 for me in pure gameplay. The story is kind of trash, but I respect having an antagonist who's only really involved because he wants to get rich.

The game doesn't waste much of your time, especially when compared to 3, and really took all the fun stuff from 3 and made it better. The ocean is a really fun place to cruise around, and they aren't shy about playing up the pirate fiction. Having your crew sing some shanties while you're sailing the high seas, keeping an eye out for your next big ship to ransack is some of the most fun I've had in a while. The subtitle for this game shouldn't be "Black Flag," it should be, "Kill People and Steal Their Shit."

Anyone who picks it up for PS4/One/PC are in for a good time. I'll probably buy it again for PC when it comes out just for the sheer fidelity increase.

[Ratatapa]

Grabbed this for Wii U (I need games for it. Sigh.) and I have to say, it looks really nice compared to PS360 and seems to be a nice middleground between current-gen and next-gen. The game itself is incredibly fun and is a close contender to 2 for me in pure gameplay. The story is kind of trash, but I respect having an antagonist who's only really involved because he wants to get rich.

The game doesn't waste much of your time, especially when compared to 3, and really took all the fun stuff from 3 and made it better. The ocean is a really fun place to cruise around, and they aren't shy about playing up the pirate fiction. Having your crew sing some shanties while you're sailing the high seas, keeping an eye out for your next big ship to ransack is some of the most fun I've had in a while. The subtitle for this game shouldn't be "Black Flag," it should be, "Kill People and Steal Their Shit."

Anyone who picks it up for PS4/One/PC are in for a good time. I'll probably buy it again for PC when it comes out just for the sheer fidelity increase.

Interesting view

Thank you

[Havok]

Grabbed this for Wii U (I need games for it. Sigh.) and I have to say, it looks really nice compared to PS360 and seems to be a nice middleground between current-gen and next-gen. The game itself is incredibly fun and is a close contender to 2 for me in pure gameplay. The story is kind of trash, but I respect having an antagonist who's only really involved because he wants to get rich.

The game doesn't waste much of your time, especially when compared to 3, and really took all the fun stuff from 3 and made it better. The ocean is a really fun place to cruise around, and they aren't shy about playing up the pirate fiction. Having your crew sing some shanties while you're sailing the high seas, keeping an eye out for your next big ship to ransack is some of the most fun I've had in a while. The subtitle for this game shouldn't be "Black Flag," it should be, "Kill People and Steal Their Shit."

Anyone who picks it up for PS4/One/PC are in for a good time. I'll probably buy it again for PC when it comes out just for the sheer fidelity increase.

Since you seem to like it, can I ask what you thought of AC3 in comparison?

[Arelian]

I hated AC3. I thought it took too long to get going and was just a mess overall.

[Mazmaz]

Good answer. They weren't about to respect your shit if you had liked AC3.

[6souls]

[Insanecyclone]

Picked up Wii U ver cause it was going to bug the shit out of me if I didn't. Really goes look nice on the Wii U.

[Jaxzer]

They've done one hell of a job reviving the series with this one. Can't peel myself away from it on PS4

[Gilanth]

Can you play it on the gamepad on the wiiu?

[Exoduso]

Has anyone else tried activating the second screen on the Vita while playing this on PS4? It's supposed to be doing the same thing the mobile app is doing, but whenever I connect it it just says that there's nothing to display at the moment... even though they talked about that damn feature for ages.
Anyone know what's up with that?