Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Update Adds New Rewards and More

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag receives a major update featuring New Game Plus rewards, Nightmare difficulty, fresh finishers, and hidden outfits for Edward Kenway.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag has received an update that makes it easier to return to the game. It now includes New Game Plus, a harsh Nightmare challenge mode, more ways to end combat, and hidden goodies throughout the open world. The update also adds new currencies, exclusive cosmetics, and more incentives to get returning players to Edward Kenway’s pirate quest.

After completing the main story, you can replay the game in New Game Plus mode, carrying over most of the equipment and improvements you earned in your previous playthrough. Players should make two separate manual saves for their original campaign and their New Game Plus run to avoid losing any progress.

When players return, they can immediately use late-game attire and weaponry on earlier jobs, and they can keep whatever enhancements they made to their Jackdaw and hideout. But over time, the experience gets harder, with more powerful ships patrolling the seas and elite soldiers appearing more often. Each time you play New Game Plus (up to 5 times), the game gets harder.

Escudos are a new currency you can use to get unique rewards.

These are some of the biggest changes in the update. The general store has the Lively Captain attire and three new goodies, including Fetch’s Head, which burns adversaries when players counterattack after performing a perfect dodge. This gear is incredibly useful in battle, as the flames can reach nearby enemies.

As a bonus, you can also acquire the Pill Assassin gear, a gorgeous white-and-red variation of the Mayan dress, plus a few collectible cats. Players can dress Catsio in Ezio's signature attire by completing the Art Lover side quest in New Game Plus. You can also receive a new assassin crew at the port master, and the Jackdaw will have a fresh look.

You can earn escudos by unlocking chests you have already discovered, collecting bottles and photos, completing forts, and robbing warehouses for the first time. Players can also swap money in the general store. Every four Reales gets them an Escudo. Finishing Forts is vital; players can still use their existing fleet, but they have to open the map again in the fleet minigame.

The update includes an optional Nightmare setting that can be enabled or disabled for various sections of the game. Combat is much less forgiving, with foes showing fewer attack indicators and less time to parry. Incoming damage rises significantly, and some strikes no longer allow instant death. So gunshots and bombs have fatal risks, particularly if distant adversaries strike more frequently.

This also makes it tougher to hide, as Edward's foes find him faster and investigations take longer. Enemies inflict more damage in naval engagements, and underwater areas are tougher.

Another key enhancement is a wider range of takedowns.

Edward can now use more hidden blade and sword finishers, reducing the repetition that can make fights feel boring over the long campaign. New double takedowns also require you to time two enemies hitting at the same moment to get them all the time. Newly discovered communal chests and secretive encounters give players fresh incentive to explore. 

Shoot 6 training dummies in a specific spot, and lightning will strike the area, spawning a chest with Blackbeard's traditional costume. Other recovered items include sailor clothes, swimming gear, and Edward's formal clothes from the ending. There’s even a hidden chest that unlocks another tough legendary boar to defeat: the Marooned Rex outfit.

Three more chests are also in an unmarked diving bell location, one of which offers a new ship design and hull. After finishing New Game Plus, you can also earn gold-themed clothes, crew, and ship cosmetics. But other tantalizing prizes remain to be unearthed, giving players more secrets to investigate.

Overall, the update improves the end-game of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, adds options, and gives players more incentive to explore the game world. Plenty of secrets remain to be unearthed, so returning pirates will have plenty of new things to do.