The cool eagle-style hood has been pulled back on Ubisoft's next Assassin's Creed game, so here's everything you need to know.
As leaked last week, the game follows Edward Kenway, the grandfather of Assassin's Creed III hero Connor and a notorious 17th century pirate. You'll set sail in Kenway's ship, the Jackdaw, with freedom to roam over fifty locations in a vast Caribbean game world.
While naval combat featured in Assassin's Creed III, for this game the land gameplay and sea-going sections will be seamlessly woven together. You'll be able to travel across the game's islands, walk aboard your ship and cast off without a break in the action. The Jackdaw starts with basic defences and armaments, but up to fifty more cannons can be added to her decks to give you a combat advantage.
Don't worry that the emphasis on piracy and seamanship will mean a move away from the stealth and rooftop-running that the series is known for: most of the game will take place in the three key cities, namely the Cuban capital Havana, the British-owned port of Kingston in Jamaica and the lawless pirate den of Nassau in the Bahamas. There will also be hidden coves, fishing villages, tobacco plantations, forts, ruins and deserted islands where castaways can be rescued to crew your ship.
Perhaps most importantly, don't expect the cartoonish peglegs made popular by a certain Johnny Depp movie series. Ubisoft is sticking with what the history books say, and real life pirates such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Charles Vane will all play a role in the story.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will straddle both current consoles and next generation. It's due for release later this year for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC. A version for the next Xbox is expected but has yet to be officially confirmed.