Edward Kenway's Voice Actor Walks the Plank After Black Flag Remake Tease: Ubisoft's Lawyers Sharpen Their Swords
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Matt Ryan, voice of Edward Kenway, may have accidentally sunk his own ship by hinting at a Black Flag remake, leading to alleged legal threats from Ubisoft. The whole shebang begs the question: is the remake real, and are Ubisoft's lawyers always this keen?
Right, so word on the digital street is that Matt Ryan, the voice of everyone's favorite pirate assassin, Edward Kenway, may have gotten himself into a wee bit of trouble with Ubisoft. And by 'wee bit,' I mean potentially 'lawyers-breathing-down-your-neck' trouble. According to Eurogamer, it all started earlier this year when Ryan, during a fan interaction, dropped a not-so-subtle hint about a possible remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. You know, the one with the sea shanties, the hidden blades, and the surprisingly compelling pirate management mini-game (I sunk countless hours into that, I reckon).
Here's the gist: a fan asked if Ryan had beaten Black Flag. Ryan's response? 'Well, you might have to beat it again…' Add a wink and a nudge, and you've got a full-blown remake conspiracy theory brewing. The internet, naturally, exploded. But it seems not everyone was thrilled. Fast forward to a more recent convention, and Ryan's singing a different tune. When grilled about the remake rumors, he clammed up, explaining that Ubisoft weren't exactly fans of his previous loose-lipped performance. Apparently, they threatened legal action. Bloody hell! The poor bloke claims he didn't even realize he was being recorded the first time around, but lesson learned: mum's the word. A TikTok video of the exchange was scrubbed from the internet faster than you can say 'Jackdaw,' (Ubisoft lawyers are quick, it appears) but the damage, as they say, was done.
Now, this whole thing raises a couple of interesting questions. First, is a Black Flag remake actually happening? The rumors have been swirling since 2023, with Ubisoft Singapore (the folks who brought us the… *ahem*… 'successful' Skull and Bones) supposedly heavily involved. Secondly, how seriously should we take these kinds of corporate threats? Is it just standard PR damage control, or are Ubisoft's legal eagles genuinely ready to unleash the kraken on anyone who dares utter the word 'remake'? I reckon it's a bit of both. Companies are fiercely protective of their intellectual property, and premature leaks can mess with marketing plans and stock prices (though personally, I would be very happy about this remake).
And let's be honest, a Black Flag remake would be a license to print money, right? Imagine those gorgeous Caribbean sunsets, now rendered in glorious 4K. Picture the naval combat, now even more visceral and immersive. Think of all the new content they could add! (Maybe a cross over with Sea of Thieves?). Ubisoft hasn't officially confirmed or denied the remake, but this whole saga certainly adds fuel to the fire. Keep your spyglasses trained on the horizon, mates. Something tells me this is far from over.
Tags: Assassin's Creed, Black Flag, Ubisoft, Remake, Matt Ryan
Original article: Eurogamer