Ubisoft Launches $500,000 Real-World Treasure Hunt for Assassin's Creed

Ubisoft is partnering with French start-up Unsolved Hunts for a real-world treasure hunt tied to the upcoming launch of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The initiative, announced on Wednesday, follows the company's earlier reveal of an upcoming Assassin's Creed live show in May. Dubbed Gold & Crystal — The Lost Treasure of Edward Kenway, the hunt offers $500,000 worth of pirate booty as its prize.

The treasure hunt is designed as an immersive pirate experience. It includes several elements that must be deciphered: an encrypted message in a bottle, a map of the Caribbean, and a collection of letters and archives containing 15 puzzles. These puzzles are packed with references to Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.

The prize consists of $350,000 worth of gold coins and a crystal skull valued at $150,000. The crystal skull is a replica of the one from the game. The pirate booty is buried somewhere in the Caribbean.

Participants do not need to have played Black Flag or any Assassin's Creed game. The puzzles mainly rely on historical knowledge, logic, common sense, and intuition. To take part, players must purchase a pack of clues. The cheapest option is $39.99 for digital copies. Physical copies in addition to digital ones cost $59.99.

Additional packs are available with various add-ons, including a notebook and the Chaotic Armada board game. Pre-orders are available now. The hunt will begin on Nov. 9.

Ubisoft and Unsolved Hunts anticipate the hunt will last between two and five years. They encourage participants to tackle it as part of a team. However, only one individual can be awarded the prize.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced will be released on July 9 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.