A $60 Game Shouldn’t Feel This Cheap

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a hit, with two million launch sales, strong reviews and record Steam numbers for the franchise. It also launched as a $60 remake with roughly $85 of DLC, including a paid Map Pack that reveals rare collectible locations. Ubisoft says every pack is optional. That is true, but it does not explain why the company added them. We dig into Ubisoft’s reliance on back-catalogue sales, its long-term engagement strategy and why Black Flag’s launch backlash may not stop the plan from working. Join us at https://bellular.games for early access content, 20 editions of Loading Screen every month, and to support our team! 00:00 Black Flag’s $85 DLC Problem 01:40 Why Players Turned on the Remake 04:05 Ubisoft’s Back-Catalogue Business 06:38 Keeping Old Games Profitable 09:26 Ubisoft’s New Investor Warning 11:26 Why “Optional” Is the Point SOURCES https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/49sRbVwK5ZaLki1KgqwBiG/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-launches-with-2-million-copies-sold https://opencritic.com/game/20463/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced https://www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-one-of-the-most-effective-remakes-weve-ever-seen https://steamdb.info/app/3751950/charts/ https://insider-gaming.com/assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced-layoffs/ https://steamcommunity.com/id/digbickginna/recommended/3751950 https://staticctf.ubisoft.com/8aefmxkxpxwl/1LR2VCCkksmsZ3BDdDrpQW/3bbed93696b39f8e2d8cebf527afb025/Ubisoft_FY26_PR_English_vF.pdf https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/rainbow-six/siege/news-updates/2zwh7ZaIjBDbw9j8rBBfZM/marketplace-economy-a-new-direction https://www.gamefile.news/p/ubisoft-2026-annual-report-changes https://kotaku.com/assassin-s-creed-4-black-flag-remake-skull-bones-1850596271 https://insider-gaming.com/black-flag-remake-release-date/ https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-collectors-edition-price-drops-50-amid-cancelled-season-pass-and-early-access https://x.com/MaNeo_O/status/2076722161226539505?s=20