Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced crosses 2 million in sales as studio strikes over proposed layoffs

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced achieved major commercial success upon its July 9 release, selling two million copies within the first 24 hours and setting a new concurrent player record for the Assassin’s Creed series on Steam with 99,451 players. The remake represents one of Ubisoft’s most successful releases in recent years, outpacing major titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws.

However, the game’s success has been overshadowed by labor disputes at Ubisoft Barcelona, the studio responsible for the game’s underwater exploration mechanics and water technology. The Barcelona studio is currently striking after Ubisoft announced layoffs affecting 51 of its developers—set to be completed by the end of July. This announcement came last month as part of broader restructuring across Ubisoft, which is eliminating 380 positions across multiple offices including Winnipeg and Belgrade (which is closing entirely), alongside reductions to the global publishing division.

Ubisoft Barcelona is being restructured to focus exclusively on Rainbow Six games going forward, leaving many developers who contributed to Black Flag Resynced facing job loss just as their work reaches widespread recognition. Staff members have expressed frustration over the timing, with one developer noting they will not see the fruits of their labor and their reward for hard work will be job loss. The union has initiated strikes to protest the planned layoffs, highlighting tensions between the publisher’s commercial achievements and its workforce management decisions.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced crosses 2 million in sales as studio strikes over proposed layoffs

Sources