
Ubisoft threatened to sue voice actor over Assassin's Creed 4 remake hint
A remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag has felt like an open secret for years now. Although Ubisoft has not formally confirmed it as part of its future plans for the series, reports of its existence have made the rounds since 2023.
Another rumour, from earlier this year, claimed the remake will be out this November and statue maker Pure Arts appeared to hint at this, saying 'there is something going on with Edward', referring to Black Flag protagonist Edward Kenway.
Even the character's own voice actor, Matt Ryan, contributed to the rumblings, just a couple of months ago, although he's now revealed this almost got him into serious trouble with Ubisoft.
For context, in late June, a video clip made the rounds on social media, of Ryan speaking with a fan about Black Flag at a convention. Ryan simply asked the fan if they had beaten the game, before following up with, 'Well you may have to beat it again.'
The Assassin's Creed community naturally took this as a further hint at a Black Flag remake, but when Ryan was quizzed about it during a more recent convention, he bluntly denied any knowledge about it.
When the clip from June was brought up, Ryan claimed he wasn't aware he was being recorded at the time and he's now keeping quiet because Ubisoft threatened him with legal action.
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'When that happened, someone was [recording me], and I was being very free and open, but I didn't know that they actually were recording me on their phone,' explained Ryan. 'And then the company threatened to sue me. So [now] I say nothing.'
Damn so it seems like Matt Ryan (voice actor for Edward Kenway) got into deep trouble with Ubisoft for hinting at the Black Flag Remake to that other guy..He didn't realize he was being recorded😵 pic.twitter.com/2Vy8g6pMRr — The Hidden One (@TheHiddenOneAC) July 31, 2025
Ironically, this only serves as further proof that a Black Flag remake is in the works, or Ubisoft wouldn't bother to threaten him. More Trending
Voice actors are usually bound by NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) for unannounced video games. It's why Rockstar's voice actors always keep their mouths shut when pressed about appearing in a new GTA or Red Dead Redemption game.
Often, they aren't even told what game they're voicing for and are just as surprised by announcements as the rest of the public.
As for what has been claimed about the remake, it's said to be in the works at Ubisoft Singapore (the same studio behind Ubisoft's other pirate game, Skull & Bones) and will see changes made to certain gameplay aspects as well as its visuals.
While Ubisoft is keeping schtum on the remake, it did almost admit it plans to port Assassin's Creed Shadows to the Nintendo Switch 2. Although it was strangely absent from the recent Nintendo Direct, which focused solely on third party games.
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MORE: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remake and at least one more on the way from Ubisoft
MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows review – Ubisoft takes a trip to Japan
MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows co-op mode coming in 2026 after DLC claims report
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The innovative system which allows players to choose their own power-ups. Using three buttons to play alongside the advanced graphics for the time. Each stage featured different background music and stage concepts which were largely unprecedented at the time. The excellent soundtrack and challenging gameplay further enhanced the experience. While these elements may seem common today, this series remains a timeless classic, embodying the core enjoyment that made it so beloved originally. It's clear that this game had a significant influence on future 2D shooters; so whilst it may be arrogant to say that 'without Gradius…' there would be nothing, there are numerous works that have inherited the spirit of the Gradius series, as they continue to be created even today. This is truly a wonderful thing. GC: Why does Origins have such a particular focus on Salamander? I have to admit it's my favourite aspect of the franchise but how would you define the difference between it and regular Gradius? RU: There are two groups of thought regarding Gradius and Salamander: one considers them separate series, while the other views them as part of the same series. However, by 1990, the two series began to be treated as one. They are essentially two series with the same core line but different expressions. The difference lies in whether one focuses on the core line or the overall perspective. Still, since both lines are kind of the same, those who loved one are likely to lean toward the other as well… I hope. That's how I feel. For me, they are still both separate series and part of the same series, but I love both equally. However, to be honest, while the Gradius collection makes sense, the Salamander series is difficult to compile as a standalone collection… so we decided to release them together at this time. 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GC: Origins has an impressive range of features for more inexperienced players, including training mode, easy mode, and rewind, but do you worry that belated, faux-retro sequels focus too much on the high difficulty level? I've never considered it an important part of the appeal and yet it's usually the number one priority for most retro titles. RU: It depends on the preferences of the target users and the developers, doesn't it? If the demand and supply for extremely high difficulty are properly matched, then that's the right approach. Titles like Gradius and Parodius have also evolved towards higher difficulty levels in the past. Since the early Gradius titles have been ported multiple times in the past, when we decided to create the definitive collection, we aimed to pack in as many support features as possible so that even those who had purchased previous ports would feel that this collection was something entirely different and worth purchasing. Perhaps this is the result of all the accumulated experience we've gained over the years. GC: Is there any long-term future for 2D shooters beyond retro-themed sequels and remakes? The original Star Fox remains one of the few attempts to extrude the gameplay into 3D but there were very few clones and the series quickly moved into a different style of action. Can you imagine a future where there is a new 3D Gradius game of any kind? More Trending RU: 3D Gradius! There was a large arcade game called Solar Assault in the past, but the machine performance left much to be desired… A future that goes beyond sequels and remakes of 2D shooting games… That's a difficult question. It's like asking if classical music can become modern pop songs. If it's arranged in a modern style, is it still classical music? Can it still be called classical music? I am not sure of a future where a new 3D Gradius is released, but whether it can still be called Gradius is another matter. While some elements and the essence may remain, it would feel like a different game. On the other hand, if the project is too constrained by the 2D Gradius format, it will likely fail. And many 2D Gradius fans (or even me) can imagine a future where a new 3D Gradius is dismissed as 'this isn't Gradius (because it's not 2D).' It's a dilemma. Personally, I want to explore the possibilities, but I also dream that the new generation of young people who played the Gradius Origins will embrace the past and create a project that captures the soul of Gradius and 2D shooters for the next step. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. 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