Assassin’s Creed Black Flag player count triples following new release

Ubisoft’s latest “AAAA” game, Skull & Bones, though one pirate’s trash is another pirate’s treasure it would seem…

Skull & Bones was supposed to be the ultimate pirate-life game, and fans had high hopes since it was developed by the same studio credited with the fantastic Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Unfortunately the game has been picked apart and mocked Ubisoft’s promise that it would be a “AAAA” game.

Take a look at Skull & Bones below

It’s not all bad news though, as all the disappointment surrounding Skull & Bones has led to an enormous increase of players for Black Flag. The game’s concurrent players on Steam have reportedly tripled, which is the second time a brand-new game’s failure has led to a surge of players for an older game, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.

Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag's player count has tripled due to the release of Skull & Bones.

Similarly to Arkham Knight, This is the second time an almost decade old game has had a huge influx of players after a botched GAAS release. Suicide Squad KTJL and Skull & Bones. pic.twitter.com/EFrNuXH5HG

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) February 21, 2024

I am of course talking about Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which was ruthlessly torn apart by fans and critics for being a poor continuation of the Batman: Arkham series. The game’s failure led to a massive spike in players for Batman: Arkham Knight, the last game in the Arkham trilogy as well as a vastly superior game in general.

It’s the same story for Skull & Bones and Black Flag. One game restricts you to your ship with dull combat and no option to board other vessels when sailing the seas, and one is an action-packed adventure that lets you freely roam the Caribbean on land or at sea.

Fans have been calling for a remake of Black Flag for years now, and it’s believed one is in development for current-gen consoles. A sequel for the game does exist, just not in the way you’d expect. Edward Kenway’s adventure continues in the webcomic Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple.

As for Skull & Bones, it seems the game is cursed to slowly sink into obscurity, like a ship would sink at sea. It doesn’t seem like anyone is going to throw it a lifesaver either.