One title due for launch remained “unannounced” in Ubisoft’s official presentation, but a new Insider Gaming report has now stated that this not-so-mysterious project is the new version of Black Flag, which is scheduled to arrive during the week of March 23, 2026.
Despite years of internal leaks, fan speculation and even hints from the game’s lead actor, Ubisoft is still to officially confirm its Black Flag remake exists. But players have been tracking its progress for a while now, and think they have a pretty good idea of how it will play.
Alongside visual and gameplay upgrades to bring the game closer to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ level of fidelity and more RPG-like focus, a recent report detailed plans for the game to feature all-new content and missions for its pirate hero Edward Kenway. At the same time, however, Black Flag’s modern day gameplay sections have apparently been excised — something that many fans aren’t happy about.
It’s believed that work on this new Black Flag remake has been spearheaded by Ubisoft Singapore, which previously launched the long-delayed Skull and Bones — a game that began life as an offshoot of Black Flag’s maritime gameplay.
Ubisoft is going all-in on Assassin’s Creed, its biggest franchise, with this year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows followed by a recent Saudi Arabia-funded free update to 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Alongside its Black Flag remake, next year is expected to bring a second major Shadows expansion. Beyond that, Ubisoft has already announced that a multiplayer Assassin’s Creed game and its next big blockbuster, the witchcraft-themed Assassin’s Creed Hexe, are also in the works.
This morning, Ubisoft said its latest positive financial results had been driven in part by a “strong performance” for its Assassin’s Creed franchise. But while the company noted that Mirage had now passed 10 million sales, there was no new figure provided for how well this year’s Shadows has sold.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Similar to Nic (RPS in peace), I am both beguiled and maybe just a little riled by how much Tarsier’s Reanimal looks like the studio’s previous Little Nightmares games. Once again, it’s a game about small children in sinister headgear travelling through a collapsed and raggedy storybook world of ogres and abductors. Still, Tarsier have a magnetic capacity for icky monster designs – shout out to Spider Sheep in the trailer there, who absolutely won’t be getting an eye-popping animated Marvel spin-off – and Reanimal is something of a departure once you peel back the layers of suppurating flesh.
Ubisoft has celebrated a fresh set of financial results that it says has been driven by a “strong performance” for its Assassin’s Creed franchise. But while there’s an update on sales figures for 2023’s Mirage, there’s no new figure for how this year’s Shadows has sold.
The French publisher’s latest earnings report, published this morning, covers the company’s performance over the first half of the current year: April through September. Last week, Ubisoft delayed the publication of these results at the last minute, prompting speculation that something had gone wrong with the company’s big Tencent deal — though there’s no suggestion of that today.
Ubisoft has framed the results in a positive light, with net bookings for the past quarter “above expectations” and up 39% year-on-year. “The outperformance was driven by stronger-than-expected partnerships,” Ubisoft noted, “and was supported by a robust back-catalog, both highlighting the strength of the Group’s brands.”
One back catalogue game seemingly doing very well is Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the series’ return to a smaller, city-based adventure that launched a couple of years ago. Today, Ubisoft announced a new 10 million sales milestone for the title, and said its recent Saudi Arabia-funded free update had received “very positive” feedback from fans.
But on the sales performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the franchise’s blockbuster feudal Japan entry launched in March, Ubisoft was less clear. Without providing a new sales total, Ubisoft simply said the game had “benefited” from the launch of its New Game+ mode and recent Claws of Awaji expansion, which seems obvious. The company then pointed to the game’s upcoming Switch 2 launch as an oppurtunity for it to “reach a broader audience.” Back in July, Ubisoft said Shadows had surpassed 5 million players, and that its performance had been in line with expectations.
Outside of Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft noted that Rainbow Six Siege’s cheating issues were continuing to temporarily impact “activity and player spending versus expectations,” following the game’s previous move to an essentially free-to-play model.
Ubisoft still expects to finalize its $1.16 billion deal with Chinese conglomerate Tencent in the near future, company boss Yves Guillemot said, noting that “all conditions precedent have been satisfied.” The transaction will secure funding for Vantage Studios, Ubisoft’s new self-contained subsidiary in charge of its biggest brands, including Assassin’s Creed.
Guillemot revealed that more of these companies, termed Creative Houses, will be detailed in January — a point at which the Tencent deal should presumably be sorted. After this, the future shape of the company should become clear, following years of internal turmoil.
“These Creative Houses will be autonomous, efficient, focused and accountable business units, each with its own leadership, creative vision and strategic roadmap,” Guillemot concluded. “This Group-wide transformation reflects our ambition to renew how we create and operate in order to deliver great games for our players and lasting value for our partners and shareholders.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Moreish roguelike bullet hell Vampire Survivors is getting a cousin next year. It’s called Vampire Crawlers, or as per its Steam page: Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors. It’s a first-person roguelike deckbuilder in which you can fight Merdusas with spinach and it’s set to hit PC in 2026.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are reportedly in for some shell shock of their own, with Paramount planning a live-action movie reboot series inspired by the Sonic film franchise.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Paramount has ditched the R-rated The Last Ronin, a live-action / animation hybrid (although it could return to it one day), and will now instead focus on a live-action movie. The sequel to Mutant Mayhem is still due out September 17, 2027.
First released back in 2020, The Last Ronin features a dystopian world in which all but one of the Turtles have perished, drawing inspiration from God of War among other works. It written by original creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who said it was based on an outline from a story in 1987.
The Last Ronin was a big success for the Turtles, earning the story a sequel featuring a new generation of turtles. A Last Ronin video game is also in development, although we haven’t had an update on it for some time.
The last live-action or live-action / animation hybrid Turtles movie was 2016’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which flopped at the box office. Successful animated Turtles movies, including 2023’s Mutant Mayhem, followed.
Paramount has reportedly drafted in Neal H. Moritz, the producer of The Fast and the Furious and Sonic movie franchises, to lead this new Turtles charge in a bid to “fully unlock its potential,” THR said.
Given the success of the Sonic films, you can see why Paramount would want to get the producer responsible to repeat the trick with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In January, Paramount hailed the success of the Sonic movie franchise after Sonic the Hedgehog 3 helped it pass $1 billion at the global box office. 2024’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which stars Keanu Reeves as Shadow, made nearly half a billion dollars during its theatrical run.
It feels like early days for this new era of Turtles films, and there’s no indication when the first movie will come out.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Kirby Air Riders is now exclusively available for the Switch 2, and to help get the race underway, the first in-game event has been officially announced.
When I played Escape From Tarkov for the first time in 2018, I remember being captivated by its obtuse, insanely challenging structure. Like PUBG was to the battle royale genre, this promising prototype of an extraction shooter had so many unique elements going for it that made me absolutely certain it would be the next big thing, even if it was sometimes completely broken in its Early Access state. All these years later, now finally hitting 1.0, it’s pretty shocking how much has changed while it also remains exactly as exasperating as I remember it. The hands-off approach to onboarding that forces newcomers to beat their heads against its unforgiving mechanics for dozens of hours before claiming even a single victory captures the same relentless challenge I’ve always adored, while other frustrations, like its continued bugs, poor technical performance, and inability to address an abundance of cheaters, remains disappointingly worse than ever. I’ve only spent 30 hours with the 1.0 version so far, which (as any veteran player will surely tell you) is no time at all, but right now it feels like this progenitor may have been left in the dust of the genre it spawned.
Escape From Tarkov isn’t just the original standalone extraction shooter, but also the one most fanatically adherent to the ruthless principles on which the genre was founded. Not only are you thrown into a deadly hellscape filled with lethal NPCs and merciless human opponents, but you’re given absolutely no guidance in your quest for survival and loot. Practically none of the progression systems are explained to you, there’s no map for you to look at while out in the field to indicate where the extraction points are, and you could easily spend tens of hours studying weapon attachments and ammo types just to understand how the heck to use the tools of death you’ll find in your journey.
In some ways, I really admire how unrepentant Tarkov is – its beautifully exacting game design, and the sense of discovery that takes place across hundreds of lessons learned the hard way can be incredibly rewarding. But then there are times where it’s all just so dang frustrating, like how atrociously the UI and menus are organized, as if they were designed specifically to offend you. Whether or not the payoff of finally feeling comfortable enough to bring your best equipment out and try for a proper extraction is worth it will ultimately depend on couple things: your tolerance for pain, and your drive to master something designed to really test your expertise of systems Tarkov refuses to teach you. At least in these early hours with 1.0, I find myself somewhere in the middle of enamoured by its harsh edges and utterly disgusted by outdated design choices.
Unfortunately, the intentionally punishing design is marred by completely unintentional issues that have made this full launch that much harder to enjoy. The servers so far have been incredibly unreliable, with regular disconnects and wait times greater than 15 minutes to get into a match, and cheaters are very prevalent since accounts and items can be sold for real money in the gray market. As a result, I decided to spend most of my time this first week just focusing on the PvE mode for the sake of my sanity.
There’s also the matter of just how bad this thing looks and performs by the standards of the day. I remember thinking Escape from Tarkov already didn’t look great when I last revisited it, and coming back to it again a few years later has not done it any favors. Objects in the environment are blurry and low res, and with the exception of the vendors you’ll chat with as you complete quests, human faces look like they were modeled using the monster-generator that is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’s character creator. It’ll take me a while before I’ve played enough to call this review final, so hopefully developer Battlestate Games will smooth out the worst of these issues before they drive me insane, but it’s been an incredibly rocky start.
Anyway, I should get back to it – between the PvE mode, PvP mode, and Arena, I’ve got plenty more to see and do before I can make a recommendation either way. For now, diving back into this influential, daunting game has been equal parts fascinating and irksome, but I’m looking forward to going as deep down the rabbit hole as I can.
Vampire Survivors is the gift that keeps on giving. We’ve had a countless amount of free updates, expansive paid DLCs, and so much content that it’s so easy to lose hundreds of hours to. So, how’s about a completely new game?
Yep, Poncle is spreading its wings and today announced a spin-off to Vampire Survivors, called Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (we’ll stick to Vampire Crawlers…) coming to Switch in 2026. The tongue-in-cheek trailer above tells you it isn’t a roguelite deckbuilder, but it is in fact a roguelite deckbuilding dungeon crawler. Fancy that.
Xbox Partner Preview returned today, shining a light on our third-party partners with world premieres, new announcements, DLC reveals and much more. During the 30-minute broadcast, we revealed five brand new games, released three that you can play today, and announced nine new titles that will be playable day one on Game Pass Ultimate -from partners such as IO Interactive, Poncle, THQ Nordic, and Future Friends, alongside other powerhouse developers.
The broadcast kicked off with the world premiere of Armatus, the upcoming third-person action-roguelike from publisher, Fictions, ande wrapped up with the announcement ofRaji: Kaliyuga, a surprise sequel to 2020’s action-adventure game, Raji. We also showed a world premiere of Vampire Survivors studio, Poncle’s new game, Vampire Crawlers. Even better – all three of these titles will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. We also saw new DLC and an Xbox release for Dave the Diver, plus a first look at the wild new Eminem Elusive Target mission heading to Hitman: World of Assassination next week, among many others.
All of the games featured in today’s show are Xbox Play Anywhere, which means you’ll be able to play across console, PC and supported gaming handhelds with just one copy of the game.
Additionally, we also announced that full screen experience—originally available on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X—is generally available tomorrow (November 21) across all gaming handhelds currently in market. Plus, we’re expanding FSE to more Windows 11 PC form factors through the Xbox and Windows Insider programs soon.
If you missed it, don’t worry, we’re here with a recap of everything announced during the show. Read on for more:
007 First Light
James Bond is of course, synonymous with fast cars packed with wild gadgets, and 007 First Light plans to honor that legacy with the inclusion of what else but a slick Aston Martin. The trailer showed a first look at the Aston Martin Valhalla, a state-of-the-art sports coupé with a few “special” modifications (guns) built in especially for on-duty 00 Agents. It looks as though this car will become a much-needed sidekick to young Bond’s activities in 007 First Light – and you can floor it over to our post to read more about the franchise’s long-running legacy with iconic vehicles.
007 First Light launches on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC on March 27, 2026.
Armatus
We got a first look at the worldwide premiere of Armatus, a third-person roguelite shooter from Counterplay Games. The trailer introduces us to a mysterious event known as The Vanishing, which has ended the world. Armatus sees you become a masked warrior, summoned and magnificently armed, to defeat the demonic horrors wandering the ruins of Paris. Your motivations are a mystery for now, so we’re excited to see what Armatus‘ narrative has in-store. You can also read more on Xbox Wire about the gothic horror inspiration and background of Armatus right here.
Armatus launches in 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud. It’ll also be available day one via Xbox Game Pass.
CloverPit
Gamble for your life (quite literally) in CloverPit, the roguelite where every spin contributes to your survival. Locked in a room with a slot machine and an ATM, you must play to pay off your debts and not be plunged into the depths below via a trap door. With a host of odd prizes and curious items that can trigger big wins, combos and boost your luck, every run ends up different and more compelling than the last. Find out more about CloverPit’s gripping loop, plus information about the upcoming DLC, here on Xbox Wire.
And the ultimate jackpot – CloverPit is out today! Play it on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud, and via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Premium.
Crowsworn
This stylish action platformer blends tight traversal mechanics with fluid combat manoeuvres, and we got to see a little more of it in action during today’s Crowsworn gameplay trailer. The world of Fearanndal is under a terrible curse, and it’s up to you to fight through hordes of monsters and unravel the mysteries of this forsaken land. Uncover secrets, upgrade your abilities, and enhance your loadouts as you progress through this gorgeous metroidvania.
Crowsworn launches on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud, and will also be playable day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Dave The Diver + In The Jungle DLC
Dave the Diver arrives on Xbox today! Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC players can dive into this deep-sea RPG and explore the Blue Hole by day, and run a thriving sushi restaurant by night. Its whimsical setting combined with a deeply moreish gameplay loop is an absolute must-play. We also got a look at In The Jungle, a new expansion that sees our titular marine hero Dave exploring solid ground, riding through jungle settlements, and doing battle against a fierce, giant crocodile. Read more about the inspiration behind Dave the Diver, here on Xbox Wire.
Dave The Diver is available today on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud, and is optimized for handheld devices. In The Jungle arrives early 2026.
Echo Generation 2
Developer Cococumber has unveiled a sequel to voxel adventure Echo Generation, and it looks interesting indeed. Echo Generation 2 is bringing back the first game’s spooky, supernatural setting, as well as its explosive turn-based combat against cosmic horrors and raging robots. We’re also seeing welcome inspiration from many beloved ’80s and ’90s action movies, including a Gremlins-esque battle sidekick. It looks like great fun, and we’re curious to see more.
Echo Generation 2 is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, and Xbox Game Pass.
Erosion
We showed the world premiere of Erosion, an isometric action game set in a stylish, western-themed voxel world. The trailer showed us a super interesting mechanic – when you die, you respawn 10 years later. In the time that passes, the world around you has changed, and other characters have gotten older, creating an urgency to find what you’re looking for. It’s a curious concept, and we’re looking forward to seeing more.
Erosion is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, and Xbox Game Pass, and will launch into Xbox Game Preview on PC in spring 2026.
Hitman World of Assassination
The next Hitman World of Assassination Elusive Target mission is on the way, and it’s a truly fantastic concept. This job sees Agent 47 tasked with hunting down none other than the alter ego Slim Shady, at the request of… yes, rapper, Eminem himself. In this world, the younger Slim Shady has become an entirely separate, violent entity, and our intrepid assassin is tasked with taking him out by the real Eminem, in fear that his own creation will come for him. We’re truly excited for this one – pop over to our post for more insight into how Eminem’s Elusive Target mission came to life.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulu
A team of explorers ventures deep into an unwelcoming land in this upcoming co-op horror game. In this new gameplay trailer for The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, the expedition arrives on a mysterious coastline shrouded by dangerous jungles and supernatural forces beyond comprehension. Inspired by the inexplicable (un)realities of H.P. Lovecraft’s original stories, The Mound challenges players to work together and navigate shifting perceptions of reality to survive the horrors and uncover the treasures that lie within.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu arrives in summer 2026, and will be available on Xbox Series X|S.
Raji: Kaliyuga
We’re thrilled to reveal a brand-new sequel to Raji: An Ancient Epic, the multi award winning indie action-adventure title, set in ancient India. Set six years after the original game, Raji: Kaliyuga expands on the conflict, portraying not just a war among mortals but a cosmic struggle involving gods, asuras, and mystical forces. You play as Raji and her younger brother Darsh as dual protagonists that you’ll control during different parts of the story. The sequel also makes bold new strides into a new genre, pivoting from the first game’s isometric interpretation of ancient India, into a full third person action-adventure, and we can’t wait to see more! For now, you can read more about how developer Nodding Heads Games is bringing this ambitious sequel to life, here on Xbox Wire.
Raji: Kaliyuga is slated to launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud. It’ll also launch day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Reanimal
From the creators of Little Nightmares – Reanimal is a darkly inviting co-op horror where you play as a brother and sister on a mission to rescue their missing friends and escape their home, which is now shrouded in horrors. As the duo, you’ll venture through a twisted world brimming with monsters and secrets. In this new trailer, we saw some new locations in this uniquely atmospheric setting, as well as some new gameplay mechanics that you’ll use to explore and survive this harrowing adventure.
Reanimal launches February 2026, and will be available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud and is available to preorder today. If you can’t wait until then, a demo for Reanimal is available to play today.
Roadside Research
If you’ve ever wanted to be an alien working undercover at a rural gas station, well, that’s incredibly specific… and we’ve got the game for you. Roadside Research is a comedic co-op simulator where you’ll do just that, with the aim of gathering intelligence on humans. Day to day, you’ll be responsible for running the shop, stocking shelves, and appearing normal, while secretly conducting research on your customers. However, if you arouse too much suspicion, the government will show up, jeopardizing your Earthly mission. It looks like great fun, especially with friends.
Roadside Research launches on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud in Q1 2026,and it’ll be available day one via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Tides of Annihilation
Next up, we saw some incredibly cool gameplay from Tides of Annihilation, an upcoming fantasy action-adventure title inspired by Arthurian Legend. The trailer shows off an entire boss battle from start to finish, with protagonist Gwendolyn battling a giant winged entity, using abilities that allow her to shift through different realities to gain an edge in the fight. It’s a mesmerizing scene, complete with cinematic moments to add more flair to the frenetic combat. For a full breakdown of what’s happening during that epic, reality-bending boss fight in the trailer, head over to our deep dive here.
Tides of Annihilation is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud – stay tuned for news on a release date.
Total Chaos
From the creator of Turbo Overkill comes Total Chaos, a first-person survival horror brimming with mysteries to solve and monsters to kill/avoid/scream at. In this eerie, atmospheric world, you’ll scavenge materials to craft makeshift weapons, and battle against horrific creatures as you unfurl a nightmare narrative. The gameplay trailer alone looks tense and truly unnerving, but fortunately, you don’t need to wait to experience the horrors for yourself.
Surprise! Total Chaos is available today, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Vampire Crawlers
Poncle, the creator of Vampire Survivors, is back with a brand-new game announcement inVampire Crawlers – a first-person, deckbuilding, roguelike dungeon crawler brimming with the developer’s trademark chaotic approach. Many of your favorite familiar upgrades are featured – the bible, the whip, and of course, the garlic. It’s a fresh, interesting twist on the Vampire Survivors look and feel, with that same compelling, “one more go” appeal we know and love. Want to know more? Stick with Xbox Wire to read our exclusive interview with Poncle about building your future favorite time sink.
Vampire Crawlers is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud and Game Pass Ultimate soon – keep an eye on Xbox Wire for news on a release date.
Zoopunk
Take control of a ragtag group of sky-faring, traditional-weapon-wielding anthropomorphic animals in Zoopunk, a new action game from TiGames, and part of the universe introduced by the acclaimed F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch. This new trailer sees one character on the hunt for an enigmatic object called “Spark”, before being captured by a rival group looking to take it for themselves. We also got a look at the fast-paced, third-person combat, which sees the characters pulling off different acrobatic moves and explosive abilities in battle.
Zoopunk looks like a fun, sci-fi romp, and it’s coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud in 2027.
