Overview
- The remake launched on July 9, 2026, rebuilt on Ubisoft's Anvil engine with new quests and three recruitable naval officers that add ship buffs and fresh gameplay options.
- Critics have rated the game highly, with an average Metacritic score around 84, and reviewers praised updated visuals, naval combat improvements, and quality‑of‑life changes.
- Commercial signs were immediate: SteamDB recorded roughly 99,000 concurrent players at peak on launch day and Ubisoft reported the game sold more than 2 million copies shortly after release.
- Player reaction on Steam shifted to Mixed or Mostly Negative in places because of extensive day‑one paid DLC and microtransactions, prompting Ubisoft to say the standard edition is a complete experience and extra packs are optional.
- The launch coincided with planned cuts at Ubisoft Barcelona that will affect 51 employees who worked on the remake, prompting local strikes and raising questions about studio staffing, morale, and publisher practices going forward.