Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake Sales Signal Demand

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake is showing just how strong demand for high-profile remakes remains, even as the wider “remake economy” continues to be reshaped by performance data and publisher risk calculations. New sales figures compiled for the current console generation suggest several modern remakes are already competing with the biggest sellers of the past, while at the same time EA has reportedly paused further work on Dead Space despite the franchise’s commercial presence.

Resident Evil 4 still leads the remake sales race

Lifetime sales estimates for Resident Evil 4’s remake were updated again in recent analysis covering PC and consoles. Alinea Analytics reports the title has reached 16.8 million units sold across PC and console to date. Capcom’s own figure, cited as of March 31, 2026, stands at 13.6 million units, and the company had not updated that number at the time the analysis was published.

If Resident Evil 4 sold an additional 3 million units in the final stretch leading up to these updated figures, it would place the game above several major entries in Capcom’s all-time ranking. The analysis suggests that would make Resident Evil 4 Capcom’s fifth-best-selling game ever, moving past Resident Evil Village (14.90 million) and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (16 million). The analysis team said it has reached out for clarification on the updated total and plans to update once confirmation is received.

Looking at the same dataset for the current console generation, starting on November 10, the top-selling remake of the period is Ark: Survival Ascended, with 7 million units sold so far. Steam accounted for the majority of that total at 3.9 million units, followed by PlayStation at 2.1 million and Xbox at 1 million.

The Last of Us Part 1 lands in third place with 6.3 million lifetime sales, despite being available on PS5 and PC only. Oblivion Remastered follows with 4.5 million units, Dead Space has sold 4.3 million, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sits at 4.2 million since its early-2024 launch. The Silent Hill 2 remake rounds out the list at 3.2 million lifetime sales, and with Ubisoft’s Black Flag remake sales numbers revealed this week, the analysis indicates Ubisoft’s project has already surpassed Silent Hill 2’s figure faster than expected.

Dead Space franchise reportedly put on hiatus at EA

Even with Dead Space appearing among the higher-selling remakes, the franchise is reportedly on ice at EA. There are said to be no plans for a new sequel, remake, or reboot of the IP in the future.

Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield previously discussed trying to revive the series at EA, claiming he submitted pitches intended to save the company tens of millions if approved. However, the report says those proposals have not moved forward. Schofield also recently announced that he is retiring from day-to-day game development.

The sales results and franchise pause highlight a broader pattern: publishers are increasingly treating remakes as a way to reduce uncertainty while still drawing on established audiences. Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliott argued that brand-new IP is a major risk, describing it as a multi-year gamble with no guaranteed player base, while a high-fidelity remake can rely on a proven “design blueprint,” a ready-made fan following, and a shorter, cheaper production cycle—meaning less demand risk for budget decision-makers.

That logic is reflected in how some publishers continue to use remakes to keep existing franchises active while creating space for new projects. The analysis also points to how remakes have become a more central strategy in recent years, and notes that in the JRPG space, many of the most highly rated games on Metacritic last year were remakes or remasters, with only a small number of original entries standing out.

Finally, the report includes commentary from Shigeru Miyamoto defending remakes as a way to reach new audiences, reinforcing the idea that remakes are not just about revisiting old hits—they’re also part of how publishers introduce established worlds to players who may never have experienced the original releases.