Ubisoft has recently unveiled the official launch date of their upcoming pirate-themed game Skull and Bones. Set for a November 8, 2022 launch, it seems that the game’s nine-year development journey found the path it wants to take based on the gameplay demo presented by Ubisoft earlier this month.
Skull and Bones should have debut on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC when it was first announced. With current-generation consoles on the market, things have obviously changed, and Skull & Bones has completely switched to current-gen only. This means that in order to play, you will need a PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC.
With that said, if you are a stranger to the title or have forgotten about it, then feel free to refresh your memory in our Skull and Bones details compilation below.
What are Skull and Bones?
Skull and Bones is a third-person tactical action game an open-world environment. Players take control of a customizable pirate captain and have the option of sailing the Indian Ocean alone in a single-player campaign or teaming up with up to five other players in Disputed Waters.
The game’s release sets for Q3/Q4 2018. But it was then postponed into 2019 and then again to anytime around March 2020. The game has been delayed at least to the April 2021–March 2022 fiscal year.
According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, who confirmed this on a conference call with investors in October 2019. The subsequent postponement of the April 2022–March 2023 fiscal year was announced by Ubisoft in May 2021.
The first video game by Ubisoft Singapore, Skull and Bones, was influenced by the naval combat in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The game’s development started in 2013, when it was first planned as an expansion, then as Black Flag Infinite, an MMO spinoff game.
Due in part to its original technology being antiquated, it was later spun off as an independent project. The project reportedly cost Ubisoft more than $120 million. Developers contacted by the Kotaku journalist ascribed these obstacles to competing concepts, organizational problems, and a lack of clear direction. Now that the launch date is set, it is safe to say that the game’s “development hell” journey is finally over, or is it?
Gameplay
Players in Skull & Bones will go on a journey that will take them from their beginnings as shipwreck survivors who washed up on an unidentified island to their position as the scourge of the seas, in charge of a vast fleet that sails the seas. And the journey itself seems to follow a fairly simple pattern.
You set up your base, choose a quest, get your ship ready, head out to sea for some combat, and then come back, hopefully with some loot, to repeat the process again and again. You can gain an edge in fighting by analyzing wind positioning. Players can acquire new vessels including brigantines, frigates, and sloops-of-war, which has mortars, broadside guns, and rockets.
It is possible to use force to rush into and board ships. The health bar measures the damage by a given rate. The multiplayer mode Loot Hunt, in which two teams of players compete in treasure hunting to further amass their loot, is a key element.
Each ship’s crow’s nest can serve as a lookout point, and spyglasses are also available. The game will also feature multiple types of ships that will range from cargo to navigation. Not to mention the ones packed with firepower.
Post-Launch Content and DLC
In the gameplay reveal, players saw a glimpse of one such incident from the release version, where a crew was scouting out a heavily loaded merchant ship and its armed convoy. According to Ubisoft, their post-launch world events range from larger and deadlier trials you can engage on as a group to smaller themed events with ships, weaponry, furniture, and many more.
Engaging with the various Factions in Skull and Bones appears to also be a big part of post-launch content, whether small groups with local interests or large corporations like Compagnie Royale. Ubisoft claims the latter has “really strong bombard weapons” that players need to watch out for. In addition, DLCs and post-launch content are also going to be free of charge.
Pre-Order
Pre-order details for Skull and Bones also came out by Ubisoft. Check out the pre-order details for each platform below.
Physical
- Standard Edition $69.99
- Will include the following:
- Base Game
- Premium Bonus Pack (The Ballad of Bloody Bones Collection)
- Includes 2 Additional Missions
- Official Artbook and Soundtrack
Premium Edition – $99.99
Will include the following:
- Base Game
- The Ballad of Bloody Bones Collection
- Additional Digital Content
- Digital Artbook and Soundtrack
- Smuggler Pass Token
The price for both standard and premium digital versions is yet to go at the PlayStation Store. The physical standard and premium edition for the Xbox Series X/S have the same content.
PC Versions are currently only available in digital and are available at the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store. The standard digital edition on both stores comes with a $59.99 price tag and $89.99 for the premium edition. As for content, the digital standard and premium edition will have the same in-game bonuses as the physical.
