Ubisoft Responds to Black Flag Microtransaction Complaints With a New Explanation for Players
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has become one of Ubisoft’s biggest recent launches, selling more than 2 million copies since its July 9 release. The remake has earned strong reviews from critics, including a 9/10 from IGN, and reached a peak of around 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, its launch has also been overshadowed by player criticism over nearly $85 worth of optional day-one DLC and microtransactions, leaving the game with a 76% “Mostly Positive” Steam rating after an early wave of negative reviews.
Players Criticize Day-One DLC and Microtransactions
The Standard Edition is priced at $60, while the Deluxe Edition costs $70, both below the typical $70 AAA launch price in many regions. Even so, players objected to the large amount of paid DLC available immediately after release.
GTA Online Kortz Center Heist Release Date Expected Rewards and Full Payout Details ExplainedThe optional DLC includes cosmetic Character Packs for Edward Kenway, Naval Packs with ship customization items such as sails, crew outfits, figureheads, hull skins, ship pets, and helms, plus a Map Pack that reveals collectibles and secret locations using a special spyglass. A separate Resource Pack also offers gold and crafting materials as optional shortcuts.
Many Steam users argued that the Map Pack provides a gameplay advantage by revealing collectibles instead of requiring exploration. Others questioned why Deluxe Edition owners still need to purchase additional DLC separately. Some players also criticized Ubisoft’s PC launcher integration through Steam.
Ubisoft Responds as Steam Rating Recovers
Ubisoft Entertainment SA responded directly to multiple Steam reviews, saying it has been reading player feedback since launch. The company stressed that the Standard Edition contains the complete game, including every mission, island, story chapter, and the full Caribbean world. According to Ubisoft, none of the paid DLC is required to finish or fully enjoy the game, describing the extra content as entirely optional.
The remake modernizes the original with rebuilt visuals while removing multiplayer and the modern-day gameplay segments, replacing them with new Caribbean missions and additional story scenes. Although Steam reviews briefly dropped sharply on launch day because of the microtransactions, the overall rating later recovered to Mostly Positive as more players shared their experiences.
The debate over Ubisoft’s monetization continues, with hundreds of comments still appearing beneath the publisher’s official Steam responses. While critics have praised the remake itself, many players remain divided over whether extensive day-one DLC belongs in a full-priced single-player game.
Sources
- Kotaku – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced has sold 2 million copies and received strong critic reviews, but currently holds a 76% positive user rating on Steam. Most player criticism targets the game’s day-one paid DLC and microtransactions, including a $10 map pack and cosmetic content.
- IGN – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced removes the original game’s multiplayer and modern-day sections, replacing them with new Caribbean missions and story content alongside major visual upgrades. The game reached a Steam peak of around 100,000 concurrent players, outperforming Assassin’s Creed Shadows by more than one-third.
- Ixbt.games – Beyond monetization worries, some PC gamers also had a problem with Ubisoft making players link their Steam version of the game to Ubisoft’s services. The ship decoration packs include cosmetic items such as sails, crew outfits, a ship pet, a helm, a figurehead, and a hull skin.
- Insider Gaming – Steam reviews fell sharply at launch due to the game’s extensive day-one microtransactions but later recovered to a “Mostly Positive” rating. This wasn’t just one negative Steam review, but several, and Ubisoft has responded to them post-launch with responses to players’ concerns.
- Eurogamer.net – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launched on July 9, and its Steam review status fluctuated from “Mostly Negative” to “Mixed” during the monetization backlash. The game also offers a Resource Pack and Map Pack as optional time-saving DLC, with all resources and exploration markers still obtainable through normal gameplay.
