The presence or absence of a video game on a popular storefront can ignite curiosity and sometimes, concern, among its dedicated fanbase.
Just recently, amidst a still-ongoing Steam sale with a massive discount on several titles, including the Assassin’s Creed franchise, one of the series’ most popular entries, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, conspicuously went missing from the Steam library. Furthermore, it also disappeared from the Ubisoft app, which raises questions regarding the reason behind such a move.
Over the past year, technical glitches have marred the PC version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which shouldn’t be a problem anymore for a game that’s already a decade old. The challenges primarily revolve around server problems that prevent gamers from accessing additional content. Such hiccups in the user experience could potentially be a reason for the game’s temporary removal from these platforms.
Nevertheless, the game remains available for direct purchase on Ubisoft. This might imply that the removal from Steam and the Ubisoft app could be temporary. After all, these platforms are more prominent storefronts and garner far more footfall than the Ubisoft store. It is possible that Ubisoft might want to address the game’s issues before making it available again to a wider audience.
The digital ownership of video games is a nuanced concept. Often, when players purchase a game online, they are only technically buying a license rather than owning the game, granting them permission to “rent” and play it. Consequently, publishers retain the power to revoke these licenses, but such decisions aren’t made casually. Reputable publishers will seldom revoke access to games without a substantial reason, prioritizing the trust and loyalty of their user base.
This raises the question: Could the removal be a prelude to something bigger? In the past, games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the original trio of Grand Theft Auto games disappeared from stores before being re-released, either with added content or in a remastered version.
So, could Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag be headed towards a makeover?
It wasn’t so long ago that we heard rumors that a modern re-release of Edward Kenway’s swashbuckling adventures are headed our way. If nothing else, this could stimy the blow of yet another delay to Skull & Bones.
Historically, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has polarized fans. Many laud it as the best game in the franchise, while it’s also pointed to as the point where the Assassin’s Creed franchise went bonkers. Instead of a stealth-driven narrative centered on the eternal battle between Assassins and Templars, Black Flag embraced the free-spirited life of piracy. This novel direction, while exhilarating, did have its consequences. Ubisoft’s ambition to allow gamers the freedom to sail almost anywhere and unlock a majority of the side content right from the beginning disrupted the narrative’s pacing and could lead to potential story confusion.
Such drastic shifts in game design aren’t without their repercussions. After the release of Black Flag, this trend spilled over to other Ubisoft titles like Assassin’s Creed: Unity and Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and even games from the other franchises owned by Ubisoft like Far Cry 5 and Watch Dogs 2. This design philosophy was a double-edged sword that allowed players unparalleled freedom while also rendering side content somewhat inconsequential.
While there’s no definitive answer to Black Flag’s sudden disappearance from popular storefronts, what remains certain is the impact it had on the gaming community. For many, Edward Kenway’s journey from a selfish pirate to a man of code and honor remains one of the most captivating stories in the franchise. And for those who invested in the game or the entire franchise pack during sales, they can breathe easy. While games might vanish from storefronts, those already in players’ libraries aren’t taken away.
In this evolving digital era, the lines between ownership and licensing, and the balance between narrative depth and player freedom continue to challenge developers and publishers alike. The recent events surrounding Black Flag could well be a testament to these ongoing debates in the gaming industry.
Regardless of the truth, what’s clear is that fans can look forward to the now-earlier release of Assassin’s Creed: Mirage next month.
