Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will be the next installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, with a new setting, protagonist and an hour’s worth of PlayStation 3 exclusive content.

Following speculation from earlier this week, we’ve now got confirmation on the pirate-themed, Caribbean set follow-up to Assassin’s Creed III.

Expected to release before the end of the next fiscal year (April 2014), the box art also revealed that, as with its predecessor, PlayStation 3 owners will get 60 minutes more gameplay for their money.

The artwork for the game shows a blonde-haired assassin wielding a sabre and a pistol (and of course, a hidden blade), with a couple more flintlocks strapped to their chest for good measure.

At present, the only announced platforms are PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U, but expect to see an announcement about Black Flag heading to next-gen consoles in the coming months.

Further details will be given by Ubisoft on Monday, March 4 at noon EST (5 p.m. GMT).

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will be the sixth proper installment in the franchise, following Altaïr’s single outing in the original game, Ezio’s trilogy and Connor’s recent escapades in Assassin’s Creed III.

What are your hopes for Assassin’s Creed IV? What do you think of the pirate theme?