AC Black Flag Resynced Anomalies Guide: What They Are and All Rewards

TL;DR

• Anomalies are timed side activities shown as white Animus icons on the map.
• They unlock after completing Sequence 4: This Old Cove.
• Each Anomaly rewards 700 to 900 Data Fragments upon completion.
• Anomalies reset weekly, so new ones appear after the timer expires.
• Data Fragments are spent in Projects — the game’s free battle pass system.
• Activate Eye in the Dark first if you only own Black Flag Resynced.
• Projects reward outfits, weapons, pets, Animus Keys, and more at no extra cost.

AC Black Flag Resynced Anomalies are one of the biggest new systems added to the remake. If you’re seeing those glowing icons on your map and wondering what they do, this guide covers everything. You’ll learn what Anomalies are, how to unlock them, all mission types, and exactly what rewards each Project gives you for completing them.

Before diving in, make sure you’ve also checked our guide on all new content in AC Black Flag Resynced so you don’t miss anything else the remake added.

What Are Anomalies in AC Black Flag Resynced?

Anomalies are timed side activities scattered across the Caribbean map. They are part of the new Animus Hub system, which is fully integrated into the remake. You won’t find them in the original Black Flag — they are brand new to Resynced.

On your map, Anomalies appear as white Animus logo icons. When you select one, the icon turns purple. Each Anomaly has a countdown timer on it. Once that timer hits zero, that specific Anomaly disappears from the map. However, once an Anomaly expires, a new one will appear somewhere else on the map to replace it.

This means you never permanently miss out. The system keeps rotating, so there are always Anomalies available to complete.

anomalies in ac black flag resynced system purge

When Do Anomalies Unlock?

Anomalies become available after you complete Sequence 4: This Old Cove, which is the mission where Edward takes over Great Inagua. Once you hit that story milestone, the Anomaly icons will start appearing on your Caribbean map.

If you’re still in the early sequences and don’t see any icons yet, just keep playing the story. They will unlock naturally as you progress.

All Anomaly Mission Types

Anomalies are not all the same. The objectives vary each time. Here are the main mission types you can expect to encounter:

• Sink a Corrupted Ship — A naval battle against a corrupted enemy vessel. The ship looks similar to a normal enemy ship but has a distinct corrupted appearance. Take it down using the Jackdaw’s weapons.
• Sink a Corrupted Convoy — Similar to the corrupted ship type but involves multiple targets sailing together. Use broadside attacks and mortars to clear them quickly.
• Defeat a Corrupted Entity — A ground-based encounter where you fight a corrupted enemy character. Use Edward’s combat abilities to take them down.
• Open a Corrupted Chest — Navigate to a location and interact with a glowing corrupted chest. These are usually quick and straightforward.
• Complete an Animus Rift — Some Anomalies tie into the Rift narrative activities. Rifts are “what if” story scenarios set in glitched Animus environments, and completing them also counts toward Data Fragment rewards.

For general naval tips on taking down ships, check our guide on beating all Legendary Ships — the techniques carry over well to Anomaly ship encounters too.

What Do Anomalies Reward? (Data Fragments Explained)

When you complete any Anomaly, you earn Data Fragments. These are a special currency used exclusively inside the Animus Projects system. They are not spent in any in-game shop and cannot be used to buy weapons or upgrades for Edward or the Jackdaw directly.

The Data Fragment payout per Anomaly is:

• Minimum: 600 to 700 Data Fragments
• Maximum: Up to 900 Data Fragments

The exact amount depends on the mission type and which Project you have active at the time. The payout difference is not massive, so don’t stress too much about which mission type gives more. Just complete whichever ones are available.

Important: Data Fragments go into whichever Project you currently have activated. Make sure you select the right Project before you complete an Anomaly. If you have the wrong one active, those fragments still go to that Project and cannot be moved.

How Often Do Anomalies Reset?

Anomalies are on a weekly reset cycle. Each Anomaly has a timer visible when you hover over it on the map. Once the timer runs out, that Anomaly disappears and a new set of Anomalies refreshes on the map for the following week.

There are also some daily Anomaly objectives mixed in. So the map can have a mix of short-timer and longer weekly Anomalies active at the same time. Check your map regularly so you don’t let a nearly-expired Anomaly slip away.

How to Access Anomalies on the Map

There are two ways to find Anomalies:

• Open your world map and look for the white Animus stripe icons. These are Anomaly locations.
• Hover over a nearby Anomaly icon and hold the interact button (Triangle on PS5, Y on Xbox, or the on-screen prompt on PC). This also opens the Projects menu directly so you can check your progress without needing to go to the pause menu.

You can also access Projects by pausing the game and navigating to the Animus section in the menu. This works from anywhere on the map, even when no Anomalies are nearby.

What Are Projects in AC Black Flag Resynced?

Projects are the reward tracks that Data Fragments feed into. Think of them as a free battle pass. You earn Data Fragments from Anomalies, and those fragments fill up the reward tiers inside whichever Project you have active.

Once you have enough fragments to unlock a tier, you claim the reward manually from the Projects screen. Rewards do not appear in your inventory automatically — you have to go in and claim them.

You progress through each Project from left to right, unlocking rewards one tier at a time. The final reward at the end of each Project is the best one. You can switch between Projects at any time without losing progress in any of them.

There is no time limit on Projects themselves, unlike the Anomalies on the map. Take as long as you need to fill them.

All Projects and Their Rewards

At launch, there are three Projects available in AC Black Flag Resynced. Here is what each one offers:

Eye in the Dark (4,000 Animus Keys total)

This is the only Project where all rewards are exclusive to Black Flag Resynced. If you don’t own Assassin’s Creed Shadows, activate this one first. It has 18 reward tiers and the final reward is the Dark Animus Corsair Robes, a Legendary outfit for Edward.

Confirmed rewards from Eye in the Dark include:

• Dark Animus Familiar — Legendary Pet
• Dark Animus Corsair Flintlocks — Pistol weapon
• Obsidian Monolith Trinket
• Encrypted Data Files
• Animus Keys (awarded at multiple tiers)
• Dark Animus Corsair Robes — Legendary Outfit (final reward)

Riptides — Crossover Project (3,500 Animus Keys total)

This is a Crossover Project. Most rewards go to Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though it includes some Black Flag Resynced items too. The final reward is Edward Kenway’s Robes for Naoe in AC Shadows. It has 20 reward tiers. You must own AC Shadows to use the Shadows-specific rewards, but you can still earn Black Flag Resynced items from it even without owning Shadows.

Undertow — Crossover Project (3,500 Animus Keys total)

Another Crossover Project. The final reward is the Pirate King Outfit for Yasuke in AC Shadows. Like Riptides, it has 20 tiers and a mix of rewards for both games. Same rules apply — you need Shadows to use its Shadows rewards.

If you already progressed through Riptides or Undertow in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, your Data Fragment progress carries over automatically into Black Flag Resynced. You pick up exactly where you left off.

Which Project Should You Activate First?

The answer is simple. If you only own Black Flag Resynced and don’t have Assassin’s Creed Shadows, activate Eye in the Dark immediately. It is the only Project where the final reward — the Dark Animus Corsair Robes — is an outfit you can wear in Black Flag Resynced itself.

If you do own Shadows and want cross-game rewards, you can switch between all three Projects freely. Just make sure the right one is active before you complete an Anomaly, since your fragments always go to the currently active Project.

Animus Keys: What They Are and How They Work

Animus Keys are a separate currency you earn by progressing through Projects. Each Project awards thousands of Keys across its reward tiers. Eye in the Dark gives 4,000 total Keys, while Riptides and Undertow each give 3,500.

Keys are shared across your Ubisoft account. Any Keys you earned in Assassin’s Creed Shadows carry over into Black Flag Resynced and vice versa.

You spend Keys in the Exchange tab inside the Animus Hub menu. The Exchange sells legacy outfits and items from across the Assassin’s Creed series. One confirmed item at launch is Connor’s Outfit from Assassin’s Creed 3, which costs 3,000 Keys. You can also find small bundles of 30 Animus Keys hidden as collectible pickups scattered across the Caribbean map.

For more details on free items you can claim right now, see our guide on claiming all free Legendary gear in Black Flag Resynced and the full list of active AC Black Flag Resynced codes.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Anomalies

• Always check which Project is active before starting an Anomaly. There is no way to move fragments between Projects after the fact.
• Complete Anomalies every week. The weekly reset means you get a fresh batch of Data Fragments on offer each week. Don’t skip weeks if you want to fill your Projects faster.
• Go for Eye in the Dark first if you want Black Flag Resynced-exclusive gear. The Dark Animus Corsair Robes at the end of the track are among the most visually distinct outfits in the game.
• Animus Rifts also count. Completing the four Rift narrative activities in the world rewards Data Fragments too, on top of money and trade goods. These are great ways to stack up extra fragments quickly.
• You can switch Projects at any time. There is no penalty. If you’ve finished Eye in the Dark, switch to Riptides or Undertow to start building toward Crossover rewards.

Need more help with the game? Check out our full guide on what to do after finishing the main story and our beginner tips guide to make sure you’re not missing any essential systems.

You can pick up AC Black Flag Resynced on PlayStation Store, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

Frequently Asked Questions