"Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced" was recently released, but it is already setting significant records for the franchise as it now sees almost 100,000 concurrent players jumping into the game hours after it released.
The remake of the beloved 2013 pirate adventure has now claimed the title of the most played "Assassin's Creed" game in Steam history, surpassing every other entry in the series on the platform by a significant margin.
'Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced' Hits Highest Player Peak on Steam
According to SteamDB, "Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced" reached a launch peak of 99,451 concurrent players, making it comfortably the series' best launch on Steam. The number kept climbing steadily throughout launch day, with some observers noting it was still ticking upward every few minutes as more players jumped in.
Since the game launched on a Thursday morning in the US rather than a weekend, the actual all-time peak could climb even higher once more players are off work and school.
The result is particularly striking given the game's troubled development context. Many of the developers behind "Black Flag Resynced" were reportedly let go as part of Ubisoft's ongoing restructuring efforts, meaning the record-breaking launch came just as news of layoffs at the studio was also circulating online.
'Black Flag Resynced' Overtakes 'AC Shadows' Player Peak
According to IGN, the previous Assassin's Creed franchise Steam player count record was held by "Assassin's Creed Shadows," which peaked at 64,825 players during its early 2025 launch.
"Black Flag Resynced's" peak Steam player count also eclipsed the original 2013 version of "Black Flag" six times over. Other entries in the series fall well short of both figures, with "Assassin's Creed Odyssey" peaking at 62,069 and "Assassin's Creed Origins" at 41,000.
It is worth noting that some major entries like "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" only arrived on Steam years after their initial release, so the comparisons carry some caveats.
Still, no other title in the franchise comes close to matching what "Black Flag Resynced" achieved on day one.
Should You Play 'Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced'?
The strong player numbers tell only part of the story, since user reviews on Steam have landed in mixed territory. As of launch day, only around 45 percent of Steam users were recommending the game.
The biggest complaints center on microtransactions, with players pointing out that multiple DLC packs costing $10 each for character and naval content, along with a $5 map pack, were sold separately on top of the already premium Deluxe Edition price.
A known technical issue has also drawn frustration, with cutscenes locked to 30 FPS when certain graphical settings are set to Ultra High. Ubisoft acknowledged the bug and offered a temporary workaround while a proper fix is being prepared.
On the positive side, players and critics alike have praised the updated combat, improved visuals, and the removal of the present-day Animus segments that some found disruptive in the original. IGN awarded the game a nine out of 10, calling it more than just a shinier version of a game players already finished and saying it brings one of the best entries in the series up to today's standards.
For fans of the original "Black Flag" or anyone who missed it the first time around, the remake appears to offer a polished reentry into Edward Kenway's world, monetization concerns aside.
