The ever-industrious Ubisoft currently has three Assassin's Creed titles in the works, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told Kotaku at E3. While we know of Black Flag and one of the other titles is likely its 2014 successor, it is unclear whether or not the last game the exec is referring to is the upcoming iOS and Android game Assassin's Creed: Utopia.
Since the Assassin's franchise debuted in 2007, the publisher has launched at least one sequel per year, making a release next year all but a sure bet. Guillemot acknowledged a need to keep the series fresh in the interview, and explains:
"We are making sure the teams who are creating the different iterations have enough time-two years, three years, so that they can take risk and they can change the concept enough so that it can be appealing and fresh,"
While the franchise is widely revered and each entry in the franchise has received favorable reviews, numerous critics argued that Assassin's Creed 3 failed to live up to its promise and differentiate itself enough from Revelations. It remains to be seen how Black Flag performs in this regard, but the clamor for innovation is rising.
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will cast players as Edward Kenway, the grandfather of AC3 protagonist Connor. The sequel features open-world naval combat and sheds light on the age of pirates. Popular historical figures such as Black Beard and Benjamin Hornigold will anchor the storyline into real-world events, accented by the traditional Assassin's flourish.
Black Flag launches on October 29 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U. The Xbox One and PS4 release dates have not been confirmed, but Ubisoft expects the next-gen versions to release within the holiday season.