Gamers are more interested in remakes than new games, says analyst

Q: How many copies did Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sell in its first 14 days according to the article?

According to the article, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sold 3.5 million copies in its first 14 days. That figure reportedly blew past Ubisoft's full-year sales target before the first month was over.

Q: How did Black Flag Resynced’s day-one revenue compare to Assassin’s Creed Shadows as reported here?

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced generated more than twice the day-one revenue of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The primary article states Resynced outpaced Shadows in day-one revenue by more than double.

Q: Which upcoming or recently announced remakes (like Halo Campaign Evolved) does the article mention as drawing strong interest?

The article cites Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, Halo Campaign Evolved, and the re-release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II as remakes drawing strong interest. The piece notes Black Flag Resynced sold 3.5 million copies in 14 days, Halo Campaign Evolved has drawn strong interest ahead of launch, and Black Ops II is topping PlayStation Network charts.

Remakes keep outselling new releases, and one analyst says gamers are just interested in replaying old games with better graphics.

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Hassam Nasir

Tech Reporter

Published Jul 29, 2026 1:10 PM CDT

1 minute & 45 seconds read time

TL;DR: Data show remakes outsell new releases: PS5 charts and strong sales for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (3.5M in 14 days) and Black Ops II re-release indicate players prefer updated classics. Remakes reduce risk and cost, boosting short-term returns but risking reduced investment in new IP and creative risk-taking.

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Apparently the data keeps backing up an analyst who would rather it didn't. Circana's Mat Piscatella noted on Bluesky that the PS5 has effectively become "the Call of Duty box," with 2012's Black Ops II re-release topping weekly PlayStation Network charts ahead of Fortnite, NBA 2K26, and Marvel Rivals.

Gamers are more interested in remakes than new games, says analyst 3

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He said he wanted the top of these charts mixed up, but was hoping for new games doing the mixing, not decade-old ports. It looks like the general trend agrees with him more than he'd like. Piscatella has floated the idea that gamers are simply happier replaying old favorites in remake form, and while he admits this part is more gut feeling than hard data, the numbers around him are hard to ignore.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is the clearest example. The remake sold 3.5 million copies in 14 days, blowing past Ubisoft's full-year sales target before its first month was even over. Ubisoft's own CFO has since admitted remakes may be more profitable than new entries, since they reuse assets, need less marketing, and sell on nostalgia alone. Resynced also outpaced Assassin's Creed Shadows in day-one revenue by more than double.

Gamers are more interested in remakes than new games, says analyst 1

Black Flag Resynced isn't alone either. Halo Campaign Evolved has drawn strong interest ahead of launch, and Black Ops II is still topping charts years after its original release. Between these top-tier franchises, it's hard to find a corner of the charts that isn't propped up by something old wearing a new costume.

Gamers are more interested in remakes than new games, says analyst 2

The appeal also makes sense from a business standpoint. A remake carries almost none of the risk a new IP does. Players already know the story, the mechanics, and whether they liked it the first time, so publishers spend less time convincing anyone to buy in. That's a much safer bet than gambling a few hundred million dollars on an unproven concept.

I think there's something else going on too, though this part is just my own take. A lot of these 2010s games simply had an "it factor" that newer releases have struggled to recapture, whether that's tighter pacing, a stronger identity, or just less bloat competing for attention.

Gamers are more interested in remakes than new games, says analyst 5

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Question #1

Which remakes are cited in the article as outselling or outperforming new releases?

The article cites the Black Ops II re-release as topping weekly PlayStation Network charts ahead of Fortnite, NBA 2K26, and Marvel Rivals. It also highlights Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, which sold 3.5 million copies in 14 days and outpaced Assassin’s Creed Shadows in day-one revenue by more than double. Halo Campaign Evolved is additionally noted as drawing strong interest ahead of launch.

Answered

Question #2

How many copies did Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sell in its first 14 days according to the article?

Question #3

How did Black Flag Resynced’s day-one revenue compare to Assassin’s Creed Shadows as reported here?

Question #4

Which upcoming or recently announced remakes (like Halo Campaign Evolved) does the article mention as drawing strong interest?

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Consumers benefit in the short term, getting more polished, cheaper-to-produce revisits of games they already love. The bigger question is whether publishers keep taking creative risks on new franchises at all if remakes keep printing money this reliably. It can quickly turn into a vicious cycle where developers just refuse to take risks, and instead lean on older games as an easy cash-grab opportunity with an almost guaranteed reward.