Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, the recent remake of the 2013 classic, has launched to strong sales, breaking Steam records and selling over two million copies. However, players have discovered a bizarre glitch that allows ships to sail underwater, splitting the sea in a biblical fashion reminiscent of Moses. The bug, highlighted by YouTuber G3-Assassin, lets the Jackdaw plunge beneath the waves without affecting crew or physics, leaving the ship bobbing like a supernatural pirate vessel.
Underwater Glitch Variations
Other variations of the glitch have surfaced on Reddit, with one user reporting a cut scene where characters were partially submerged, complete with altered hair physics and bubbles emanating from their mouths. A similar bug existed in the original Black Flag from 2013, with clips showing Edward Kenway's ship emerging from an open gulf in the sea as bodies fly into the sky.
It remains unclear if Ubisoft intentionally left the glitch in the remake as a throwback. Assassin's Creed has a history of bizarre bugs, most notably the terrifying no-face glitch in 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.
Underwater Exploration and Layoffs
Black Flag Resynced introduces underwater exploration for the first time, a feature developed by Ubisoft Barcelona. While these sections have been well received, the team behind them faces layoffs. In response to praise on X, gameplay animator Manel Cota wrote: 'Thanks! Ubisoft Barcelona did all the underwater levels. And that same team is being fired right now because Ubisoft thinks that’s what we deserve :).'
Staff at Ubisoft Barcelona are striking against the layoffs, which are expected to affect 51 employees. Ubisoft has stated that 'no final decision' has been made regarding the positions.
Next Assassin's Creed Game
Ubisoft has not officially announced the next mainline Assassin's Creed game, but it is widely assumed to be Assassin's Creed Hexe, announced in September 2022 with a short teaser. The project has seen behind-the-scenes shifts, with Jean Guesdon taking over as creative director from Clint Hocking earlier this year, and another director leaving in April. A recent leak claims the title's magical elements have been removed, after it was rumoured to feature a playable cat. Hexe is set in 16th century Germany during the peak of the European witch trials and is expected to release sometime next year.
