Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has achieved the most successful launch for any Assassin's Creed title on Valve's Steam platform, according to new data. The game generated $35.1 million in revenue from 701,000 copies sold on Steam as of July 13th. An additional $1 million was reportedly earned from minor downloadable content sales.
Market analysis firm Alinea Analytics noted that the game's launch day performance alone was exceptional, pulling in $22.4 million on Steam. This figure is more than double the $9.5 million earned by Assassin's Creed Shadows on its launch day. Four days after launch, Black Flag Resynced's sales stood at $35.1 million, outpacing Shadows' $22.2 million in the same period by approximately 1.58 times. The revenue also surpasses that of previous installments like Valhalla and Mirage.
This success marks a strategic shift for Ubisoft, as Black Flag Resynced is the first Assassin's Creed game to receive a simultaneous release on Steam. Historically, Ubisoft favored its own Ubisoft Connect PC platform. This change in strategy follows a series of underperforming releases on their proprietary launcher.
While the core game has seen significant commercial success, the reception to its additional content has been more varied. Launch-day DLC packs, which collectively cost over $85, have seen limited uptake. Alinea reports that only about two percent of players have purchased cosmetic bundles. However, a higher six percent of players did purchase a $5 map pack that highlights in-game items.
Some cosmetic microtransactions faced early backlash, leading to review bombing. In response, Ubisoft reportedly removed commentary from a recent financial report that suggested microtransactions enhance player enjoyment.
Eurogamer's review described Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced as a "perfectly fine way of experiencing" the 2013 open-world classic, but noted that the additions were not universally positive, leaving the original game feeling "misshapen, wonky, a bit rogue."