Good news for Assassin's Creed fans: Ubisoft announced the next installment in the AC Saga: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

The good news, however, may be mixed with some bad news for some. Those who liked the half-Native American assassin called Connor may be a bit disappointed to see the character doesn't make it to the Black Flag installment.

His grandfather, Assassin Edward Kenway, is now taking the role of the protagonist, as his son and Connor's father Haytham took up the Templar cause. Kenway is an Englishman who died in 1735. The game story is naturally sometime before that, but no exact year is mentioned. The 1720s were a somewhat peaceful time for the UK.

As Ubisoft mentions, however, the 1720s were also the peak of "the golden age of piracy." In that golden age, Kenway was a privateer, meaning that he had permission from his government to attack a foreign ship, much like a legitimate pirate.

"The main character's name is Edward Kenway, father of Haytham Kenway from Assassin's Creed III," reports the Examiner. "Edward is known as a privateer, assassin and occasional pirate. The game's location is set in the Caribbean on multiple islands, including Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas."

Taking that into account, along with the subtitle itself — "Black Flag" — suggests that this installment is in some ways the playable version of Pirates of the Caribbean, but without Jack Sparrow. Ships sailed a black flag until they attacked and revealed their true allegiance.

This may again face mixed reactions. Gamers who enjoy going out at sea and diving into pirate stories may find this installment quite appealing, but those who mainly prefer rooftop hopping and other escapades may be somewhat disappointed to find themselves on the endless sea. How many escape routes could there be when the ocean bounds players on all sides? And if you kill people on a ship, wouldn't someone get suspicious soon?

Such questions, however, remain unanswered for now. Besides sea battles, little is available about the gameplay at this point. The release date raises yet another question. Until further details become available, one thing's for sure: the first trailer for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will come teasing the game this Monday, March 4.

The Assassin's Creed franchise became increasingly popular over the years, with many games and spin-offs, films, comics, novels and even an Assassin's Creed encyclopedia. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will build on that popularity, adding another installment to the popular franchise.