In May 2026, we conducted an interview with Paul Fu, the Creative Director of "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced" at Ubisoft Singapore. As the person who led the initial announcement of Resynced, Director Paul Fu is considered a key developer for this title. The interview focused primarily on questions and answers regarding the narrative changes in Black Flag.
The event was held for game media and creators from Korea and Japan, featuring a hands-on session with a limited build of the game alongside interviews with key developers.
Looking at the announcement trailer, it seems the presence of the modern-day segments has been reduced. There has been a trend of shrinking modern-day content in recent series entries; what is the direction for the modern-day segments in 'Resynced'?
“It’s more accurate to say the direction has changed rather than the presence being reduced. This title focuses on naturally continuing the modern-day story that followed from 'Shadows'. However, that doesn't mean we are focusing solely on elements like industrial espionage. We have added new scenes for fans who loved the modern-day segments of the original. In particular, we created new modern-day scenes related to Olivier Garneau. It was a story that many fans considered important in the original, and we felt we couldn't just pass over it.
Although it is a remake, there are significant changes to the game systems. I am curious if there are also changes in terms of the narrative or world-building. Edward Kenway is a character connected to Connor Kenway's story; are there any notable changes?
“I absolutely did not want to change the original story itself. The first thing we did when starting the project was to play through the original from the beginning to categorize what to change and what to keep. We conducted a great deal of analysis and review during that process, and the conclusion was that we must faithfully maintain the original story. However, there were additions aimed at expanding the existing narrative. We added new dialogue, scenes, and cinematics to almost every mission, and character relationships have been further reinforced.
Edward Kenway is depicted as a very human and desire-driven character within the series. Were there any changes to character emotional expression or directorial style in this remake?
“From the early stages, I thought a lot with the narrative team about how to expand Edward's emotional arc. The key was to add new scenes without damaging the original. In fact, the original writer, Darby, participated in the development process and even wrote two new scenes himself. Specifically, scenes dealing with his relationship with his family in London were added, and I believe this is a very important pillar in Edward's emotional narrative.
The original captured the atmosphere of a free and romantic pirate adventure while also containing stories of downfall, betrayal, and loss. Looking back now, what was the core theme the development team considered most important?
“The most important themes we considered for this title were greed and friendship. Edward is a character who left his family in London and headed to the Caribbean in pursuit of gold. However, he loses many friends and colleagues along the way. Looking back at the original, I thought the core of 'Black Flag' was ultimately in that sense of loss and the change in relationships. Therefore, most of the newly added scenes and chapters were structured to connect with those emotional lines.
You mentioned that an original chapter for 'Resynced' is being added. Even if specific details are hard to disclose, I am curious if it is an extension of the main story or side content.
“It is a chapter that is entirely an extension of the main narrative. The length and scale of the direction are also on par with existing chapters. The new chapter is titled 'A World Without Gold,' and the story unfolds around characters close to Edward and Robert Maynard. If you are a fan of the original, you might be able to guess what it means just by hearing the title. It is not just an additional mission, but a chapter produced as official canon story.
Is the original content in 'Resynced' closer to simple fan service, or does it hold significance in terms of expanding the world-view?
“I believe it holds significance beyond simple fan service. The new officer characters added in this title and figures like Robert Maynard are all incorporated into Edward's official canon narrative. Characters like Milo, who were only mentioned by name in the original, also appear in person through actual modeling and events. These elements can all be seen as official expansion content that connects with the original lore.
One of the elements symbolizing the atmosphere of the original was the sea shanties of the crew and the sailing sentiment. How did you reinterpret this in a modern way for this title?
“I thought sea shanties were a very important element for fans. So, some songs were re-recorded, and new shanties were produced. In particular, they include lyrics and settings that connect directly to the new content of this title. Together with the audio director, we approached it in a way that maintains the original sentiment while connecting more closely to the characters and narrative.
As the game system has changed significantly, it seems many parts of the world structure and quest progression have been adjusted. Could you introduce a representative example?
“The basic structure itself has not changed much. Like the original, the story progresses around 13 sequences, and content structures like assassination contracts or Templar hunts are maintained. This is because we didn't want to make this title like an RPG. Instead, we added a new mission structure that can be performed naturally within the open world. Representatively, there are side quests related to officers, and some connect directly to the progression of the new chapter. We also added new collection content and world events. It's a method that doesn't just end in collection, but unlocks new stories and cinematics.
Is the legendary ship content from the original also maintained? I am also curious if there are any newly added elements in terms of end-game content.
“The legendary ship content is maintained as is. Personally, it's a part I put a lot of effort into. It still serves as the most difficult challenge content in the game. Additional end-game content is composed around the new chapter and officer quests. In particular, the 'A World Without Gold' chapter is designed with a slightly higher difficulty than the base story.
I am also curious about the scale of the playtime. How much has the volume increased compared to the original?
“The original was roughly 20 to 40 hours in scale, and this title has added about 6 hours of content to that. Overall, we expect it to be around 26 to 46 hours of playtime.
It is a pity that 'Freedom Cry' is excluded, but I am curious if relationships with key figures like Adéwalé are also partially reinforced.
“Although 'Freedom Cry' itself is not included, new scenes and interactions with Adéwalé have been added. For example, there are new mission stages where you move through the forest together or new dialogue events. We proceeded with additional work in a direction that shows character relationships more deeply, rather than just reusing existing scenes.
The map structure itself seemed not much different from the original. What changes were there in terms of world composition?
“The world size itself is the same as the original. However, the density has become much higher. New islands and hand-crafted areas have been added, and major cities have also been partially expanded. Some islands that were original DLC areas have also been integrated into the Caribbean world.
Were there any ideas you wanted to include during the development process but ultimately couldn't implement?
“Of course, there were many. I had the greed to add more stories, systems, and combat elements. But while conducting actual development over the past three years, I
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