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A hooded pirate assassin stands with fire behind him in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag artwork.

Credit: Ubisoft

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Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Steam Pre-Orders Have Already Beaten Skull & Bones Lifetime Sales, Analyst Claims

July 9, 2026·4 min read

Ubisoft spent years trying to make Skull & Bones its big pirate game, but early numbers for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced are not very encouraging. Players may be showing more interest in returning to Edward Kenway than they ever did in Ubisoft’s newer pirate project.

Alinea Analytics analyst Rhys Elliott estimates that Black Flag Resynced has already sold more than 300,000 copies on Steam through pre-orders. He also claims that figure is already higher than Skull & Bones managed across its lifetime on Steam.

Ubisoft has not shared official Steam pre-order numbers for Black Flag Resynced or full sales for Skull & Bones. For now, this is an analyst claim, but it still points to a clear problem for Ubisoft’s pirate-game strategy.

Steam interest is already strong

The reported 300,000 Steam copies make Black Flag Resynced look like more than a safe remake. It suggests PC players are showing up early for a game many fans already know and trust.

That is important because Assassin’s Creed has not always been at its strongest on Steam. A strong start there gives Ubisoft a useful sign before looking at PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and other PC storefronts.

The game also has a simple idea. It is a rebuilt version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, with Edward Kenway, the Jackdaw, naval combat, island exploration, and modern changes to the old adventure.

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The Skull & Bones comparison hurts

The reason this claim is getting attention is not just the number. Skull & Bones was meant to be Ubisoft’s big standalone pirate game, but it struggled to build the same excitement that Black Flag still carries.

That makes Black Flag Resynced feel like a difficult answer for Ubisoft. The older game’s remake may already be doing better on Steam than the newer pirate project that took years to finish.

It does not mean Skull & Bones had no players or no audience. It does show that Ubisoft’s strongest pirate idea may still be the one built around Assassin’s Creed, Edward’s story, and the Caribbean setting fans remember.

The remake has a clear appeal

Black Flag Resynced is easier to understand than many modern Ubisoft releases. It is not asking players to learn a new live-service plan or wait for the game to find itself after launch.

Ubisoft is selling a familiar adventure with better visuals, smoother systems, new content, and changes to combat, stealth, parkour, and naval gameplay. That gives returning players a reason to come back without changing what made the original popular.

The remake also arrives at a time when many players are more careful with big releases. A known game with a clear identity can feel safer than another expensive experiment.

Ubisoft needs this kind of win

Ubisoft has spent years dealing with uneven launches, delays, and questions about where its biggest series should go next. Assassin’s Creed Shadows brought attention back to the franchise, but Black Flag Resynced is testing something different.

This is not about taking the game in a completely new direction. It is about whether Ubisoft can use one of its most loved games without making it feel tired or unnecessary.

If the early Steam estimate holds after launch, it could encourage Ubisoft to look more seriously at other older games. The company has a deep library, but players usually respond best when a remake has a clear reason to exist.

Launch will decide the real story

Strong pre-orders are a good start, but they do not guarantee success. Black Flag Resynced still needs to run well, review strongly, and prove that its new content adds to the original instead of getting in the way.

The Steam estimate gives Ubisoft momentum before the full launch picture is clear. The next test is whether that interest carries across console players and whether fans feel the remake respects the pirate adventure they came back for.