Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has faced a stormy start on Steam, where the $60 game's collection of optional extras totals $85.
Despite positive reviews from critics, fans left scathing feedback on the game's Steam store page regarding the array of $10 cosmetic packs available on day one, in addition to a $5 map pack add-on.
None of these types of content are unusual for an Assassin's Creed game, though the sheer number available at launch, as well as their pricing, has drawn ire. So much so, that Ubisoft has now seen fit to respond — to remind players that such add-ons are not vital.
"Come on Ubisoft you just couldn't hold yourself huh?!" wrote one player. "Releasing a 70 euro game and on the DAY of the release you slap us with 85 euros worth of DLC packs that are just not cosmetic but give you a gameplay advantage this is why piracy exist and I will be refunding!"
"What's the point of getting the deluxe version when, immediately in game, there's $84.91 worth 'DLC' that you don't own," added another fan.
"Bought the Deluxe Edition, foolishly thinking I'd be buying the FULL game," added a third. "Here I was thinking Ubisoft had turned a new leaf, then WHAM, they hit you with over £75 worth of additional day 1 DLC."
DLC packs available at launch include the Master Assassin Character Pack, Master Assassin Naval Pack, Hellfire Character Pack, Hellfire Naval Pack, Sea Serpent Character Pack, Sea Serpent Naval Pack, Dragon Storm Character Pack, Dragon Storm Naval Pack and the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced – Map Pack.
Priced at $10 each, these contain either an additional costume for hero Edward Kenway or a new cosmetic look for your ship, the Jackdaw — except for the time-saving $5 map pack, which highlights all collectibles without you needing to discover their locations manually.
"We've seen your feedback since launch, and we're reading all of it," a Ubisoft community spokesperson said in a response on Steam. "Thank you for caring this much about Black Flag Resynced. We want to be clear on one point: the standard edition is the full, complete experience. Every mission, every island, the full story and the complete world are all there, with nothing held back. The additional packs are entirely optional extras for players who want them, never a requirement to enjoy or complete the game. We'll keep listening as you play!"
Microtransactions aside, Ubisoft's expanded and polished-up take on its pirate adventure classic has been praised for bringing the game up to modern standards. While its multiplayer and modern day portions have been cut, these have been replaced by additional missions and story scenes set in the Caribbean, while the ground-up remake has also brought notable visual upgrades.
Sales-wise, the game is also performing well. Yesterday, Resynced smashed the franchise's Steam concurrent player record with a peak of around 100,000 — over a third more than the peak for feudal Japan blockbuster Assassin's Creed Shadows.
"More than just a shinier version of the same game you remember, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced brings what was already one of the best games in the series up to today’s standards," IGN wrote in our Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced review, rating the game 9/10.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
