After five months of sailing the seas of Ubisoft Connect, Skull and Bones is getting ready to make sail for Steam in August. Nautical p?uns.

Ubisoft announced today that its live-service piracy game Skull and Bones will be available for Steam on August 22, 2024. The game will include its base adventure, in which you work with scheming pirate lords and gain notoriety in a world of outlaws. Skull and Bones also includes t??wo f?ree seasons worth of content, with two more arriving soon.

Skull and Bones seeks new horizons with a Steam launch

For those who have the game on Ubisoft Connect, the publisher has confirmed that any progress will transfer. Of course, cros?s-progress is a given, since most Ubisoft games require an Ubisoft Account to even run.

For those who decide to transfer over to Steam, all your story progress and unlocked content will come alongside. The issue will be that you'll have to purchase the game once again unless you've been playing the game via Ubisoft Plus??, the company's monthly subscription service.

Those deciding to jump ship should also be pleased to note that the game is indeed supported by crossplay. If you still want to sail with friends o??n Ubisoft Connect or console platforms, the St?eam version shouldn't ground your efforts.

Skull and Bones has seen its fair share of choppy waters. The game was in development hell for many years, held back by delay after delay. The end result was a a fairly decent piracy game, with our own Stev?en Mills saying it's "great fo?r rather mindless fun, but don't expect anything too intricate."

I also enjoyed the game more than expected as I sailed its churning seas on ships with weird names. Skull and Bones may not be the multiplayer Black Flag of promise, but it has some charms.

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Skull and Bones is not a AAAA game. I'm not even exactly sure what would constitute being an AAAA game, but Skull and Bones is not it. That being said, that doesn't mean Skull and Bones is a bad game. In fact, th??ere's some fun to be had here if yo?u're looking for a more arcade-style pirate adventure.

I originally started my own pirate journey in the Skull and Bones open beta earlier this month, since the progress made in the beta carried over to launch. The beta had a cap on progress whi?ch I reached after about eight hours of playing, but I had e??nough fun to make me want to continue my progress on launch.

It's a little less pir?ate simulator than I'd have liked. But the ship combat and some of the other core combat systems are fun and engaging in a way that makes me want to keep going despite the issues at hand.

Skull and Bones (PC [reviewed], PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: February 16, 2024
MSRP: $69.99

Yoooo-Hoooo

Skull and Bones throws you right into the action. You were on a ship that had wr??ecked, and you've washed up on the shores of the Atolls islands. Over the course of a brief intro that also serves as a tutorial, you build a small ship called the Dhow, then sail off towards the Pirate Den of Sainte-Anne in the Red Isles. The Dhow isn't exactly a pirate ship, but rather a small boat you'll later use for hunting creatures for their hides and skins?? for crafting. But for now, it gets us from point A to point B, and now our real pirate life begins.

We meet Scurlock, a pirate captain who runs things in the Red Isles. You'?ll build rapport with him by completing simple missions to plunder nearby ships, find buried treasures, and even ambush a royal convoy. Along the way, you'll gain Infamy (experience) that increa?ses your Infamy Rank (level) and unlocks new ships.

Each ship requires a blueprint you will have to track down and acquire, as well as some material costs to build it. You can plunder ships for most resources by looking at your map, finding a Supply Route that has the resources you need on it, then sailing out to that location and ambushing Merchant Ships traveling the route. It's almost lik?e pic??king a spot in an MMORPG to farm certain materials, but fit for an open-world pirate game.

??You can also find certain raw resources that you can gather, and then take back to your Pirate Den to refine ??into the needed crafting materials. For example, there are islands that might have Acacia Trees on them that you can chop down for the logs, and then at the Pirate Den, you turn the logs into planks which are used for building your ships.

Oddly though, you perform gathering actions from your ship, not actually as your character disembarking from the ship. So you'll sail your ship to ??the coastline of the island where you see the trees, play a harvesting mini-game, and then sail around the islands looking for another resource point. It feels a bit off, when ther??e is the option to dock with ports and run around the island, to have you chop trees and mine ore by pulling up next to them in your ship like it's a drive-thru window.

You're not always a ship, but most of the time, you're a ship

The core of the game is centered around building bigger and better ships with more powerful weaponry? and then taking those ships out to plunder other ships and ports for resources. You can customize the cannons, armor, and other equipment on each?? of your ships, allowing you to sort of build a ship that fits your preferred playstyle.

Once again, you can leave your ship and traverse on foot, but only at designated outposts and settlements. They usually serve as rather confined spaces where you can interact with a few? of the same sorts of NPCs that all outposts and settlements have: a merchant, a stash space or warehouse, etc.

The Pirate Dens—I've encountered two so far, Sainte-Anne and Telok Penjarah—act as ??your bigger quest hubs with other points of interest. Here you can refine your raw materials into better goods, sell your acquired goods to a commodity trader, pick up missions and bounties, and most importantly visit the shipwright to actually build your newly unlocked ships. The Pirate Dens are pretty detailed and feel pretty lively when you're there.

But when it comes time to actually do anything such as gather resources, progress a mission, or farm some Infamy, you're going to have to jump back in your ship. There's no land-based combat here�em>Sea of Thieves this is not—and all of your encounters will be fought from your s?hip.?? Sometimes you'll fight other ships, or even fleets of them. Other times you'll attempt to siege and plunder towns and outposts.

Combat stays relatively the same, though. Your target will have red spots that you can aim at and hit with your weaponry to deal bonus damage. You want to primarily aim for those spots. Of course, your enemies are also ?going to be firing at you, so you need to try and navigate in a way that makes it difficult for them to connect their shots. In some ways, it's more of a numbers game. For example, is your ship's combat rating higher than the ones you are facing based on your ship and its equipment? If so, you're going to be dealing more damage and taking less damage. But if it's a fair fight or if you even find yourself outnumbered or outmatched, proper maneuvering and aim can help turn the tide in your favor.

Build a Pirate Empire...sort of

As you near the end of the Red Isles missions, you unlock a feature called The Helm. This feature seems to be the end-game progression in Skull and Bones. Basically, you get a hideout at your Pirate Den with a map of supply networks in the area. You can either meet up with liaisons in the supply network and buy their illegally obtained raw materials at a discount, or plu?nder convoy ships to acquire them. Then, at The Helm, you convert these raw materials into actual goods. From here, you must then transport the goods manually to a designated location to sell them for profit. Along the way, rogue pirates can attack you to try and steal the resources from you as well.

You'll also have the ability to take over various production facilities scattered across the world. At first, it's logging camps and mines in the Red Isles areas. Taking over these areas is basically a fort plunder mission with some added enemies. Doing so gives you a passi??ve income that you can colle??ct while continuing to operate your smuggling network from The Helm.

Both systems are pretty fun, at least from what I've played so far. I'm not super far into either, and I do have some concerns about it getting repetitive or boring if that's the only means of end-game content. However, I do know there's also PvP-style cont?ent as well as massive sea creatures you can team up to fight with others, almost like world bosses. I haven't gotten high enough Infamy Rank to attempt these, but I did encounter one in the open sea once and it completely decimated my ship.

Skull and Bones isn't for everyone. If you're looking for an intricate pirate life simulator, this isn't really it. There are elements of that for sure, but as a whole Skull and Bones is more of an arcadey and somewhat grindy actio?n game where you continue the loop of plundering ships for materials, Silver, and Infamy to l??evel up, unlock a new ship, farm the materials to build that new ship, rinse and repeat. Even doing side missions along the way are really just to increase your Infamy or obtain some more Silver or other resources to build your next ship.

So far, I'm enjoying the ??gameplay loop because each ship has felt like such a powerful upgrade over the previous one. Each new ship has had more weapon slots, and been able to dish out more damage while also taking more. But with a few more Infamy Ranks to go, I could see the process overstaying its welcome. And if it doesn't, what do I look forward to once I hit Infamy Rank 10 and build the best ship in the game?

It's great for some rather mindless fun, but don't expect anything too intricate. I have some genuine fears about this being live service, as I'm not sure there's enough to really justify that sort of design. But I'm also currently Infamy Rank 6 out of 10, and maybe as I reach the maximum rank and experience some of the new content I will see more that gives me hope Skull and Bones could find its sea legs.

If the more arcadey pirate ship combat sounds interesting to you, definitely check it out. There's a free trial that allows you?? to play up to eight hours, which is plenty of time for you to decide if this is a game you will enjoy or not.

[These impressions are based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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The long-developed open-world pirate adventure Skull and Bones is finally going to see its release on February 16. However, a beta event that is open to everyone kicks off in just a few days on February 8 and lasts through February 11. Any??one can jump in and play for fr??ee up to the rank of Infamy Brigand, which is Tier 6 Rank 1. Thankfully, all progression from the beta carries over to the full release, so anyone interested in checking it out has no reason not to!

A Content-Filled Open Beta

Even though progression in the open beta only goes up to the Infamy Brigand rank, there is a ton of content in t??he beta. All of the regions are accessible and explorable, as well as the ability to access the Helm of your ship. There are also dynamic events active in-game allowing players to battle against Ghost Ships, Sea Monsters, Merchant Convoy?s, and Elite Warships.

Also, cross-play and cross-progression are enabled for? the open beta. This means players across all platforms—PC(Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S can all play together. Furthermore, you can switch between the platforms you are playing on and your data will be saved and available on each.

Those who part??icipate in the beta also get access to some exclusive cosmetic rewards including a Basilisk I Culverin cannon, a Sail Emblem and Sail Pattern for your ship, a Cookie the Lemur pet,? and a sign language emote.

Skull and Bones has had quite a journey over the past few years. I was a huge fan of ship combat in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag which is where Skull and Bones supposedly originally got its premise. It's evolved quite ?a bit since then, but even still I'm interested in seeing what it has to offer.

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For realsies this time, Skull & Bones launches on February 16. If the pira??te game has managed to keep you? curious all this time, look out for the open access running from February 8 until 11.

It is worth noting that Ubisoft+ games can grab the game earlier on February 13. You have several choices including PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, and PC via Epic where you can enjoy crossplay and ??cross-progression throughout the platforms.

Skull & Bones in 2024

The game is an open-world tactical action world titl??e with both single and multiplayer elements. For those looking to play the multiplayer aspects, there will be stronger items introduced to help you take on the increasingly difficult opponents, including warships.

You'll be able to grow your empire by taking control of trade routes. There are also ho??stile takeovers where the winners get to take control of manufacturing plants. At post-launch, new features will be introduced, including the ability to assign fleets of ships to your trade routes, to?? the ability to bribe officials.

Is this ??the pirate game we've been waiting ages for? February 8 we'll learn whether it has the chance to live up to the hype of years of waiting.

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After more delays than I can even remember, Skull and Bones is finally releasing. Ubisoft revealed the multiplayer pirate simulator is now scheduled to release on February 16, 2024. Ubisoft+ subscribers will get access to the game three days early on February 13. For those keeping track, Skull and Bones was origina?lly revealed back in 2?017 and has been delayed literally every year since then.

For those interested in checking it out, a close beta wi??ll commence fr??om December 15 through December 18.

Even though Skull and Bones was originally announced on last-generation platforms, it's now scheduled to release only on PC, Pl??ayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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The company plans for a $200 million cost reduction

[Update: Ubisoft released a follow-up statement, noting that it hopes to share a new release date for Skull & Bones, along with dates for test phases "very soon". Additionally, a new episode of development series The Deck will be streaming today at 09:00 PT / 12:00 ET / 18:00 BST on Ubisoft's Twitch channel.]

Ubisoft is making more big shifts to its future plans. The company announced today that it is cancelling three more unannounced games, pushing Skull and Bones further back, and is plannin??g a cost reduction of more than �00 million over t??????????????????????????he next two years.

The shift to Ubisoft's future plans was announced today, and the publisher attributes the shift to several factors. Two of Ubisoft's 2022 titles, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Just Dance 2023, underperformed. And Ubisoft also cites worse??ning macroeconomic conditions as a factor in its new plans.

"We are clearly disappointed by our recent performance," said CEO Yve??s Guillemot. "We are facing contrasted market dynamics as the industry continues to shift towards mega-brands and everlasting live games, in the context of worsening economic conditions affecting consumer spending."

In response, the publisher is focusing its efforts into building its brands and live services. Consequently, this means the cancellation of three additional unannounced projects, on top of the four it already announced as scrapped in July 2022.

Ubisoft also plans a net reduction of non-var??iable costs of over â‚?00 million over the coming two years. The company aims to achieve this through targeted restructuring, divesting "some non-core" assets, and natural attrition.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgy4WZ9ta7E

It's a pirate's life... eventually

Alongside the unannounced games, one other Ubisoft project also got shifted once again. Skull and Bones, the long-in-development pirate sim, is now aiming for a launch in early 2023 to 2024. The game has been delayed several times since its first reveal, with its latest one shifting the target to March 2023.

Ubisoft says it believes players will be "positively surprised" by the evolution of Skull and Bones, but that its release has been postponed in order to have "more time to showcase a much more polished and balanced experience," and to build awareness. A beta for Skull and Bones is planned for some time in the future.

Still, Ubisoft is looking forward. It has some games like Assassin's Creed Mirage and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora planned for this year, as ?well as a l??arge and unannounced premium game.

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Setting sail for a more distant port

Ubisoft's multiplayer piracy game Skull and Bones is getting another delay. Today, the publisher confirms that it's charting a course for Skull and Bones to launch on March 9, 2023.

The team attributes work being done polishing and balancing the experience ahead of its release. "To give you the best possible experience we've decided to take a little more time to make sure we can deliver exactly that," the statement reads.

Kotaku, which broke the news just ahead of its official confirmation, reports that a recent Skull and Bones technical test ended on September 19. A source who was involved in the test told Kotaku that while the gameplay was "more refined" than previous ones, overall player progression still seeme??d "sh??allow."

Ubisoft confirms it plans to host an open beta of Skull and Bones in the nea?r futur?e. No date's been set for that yet.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYO9d3bjaLc

A pirate's life for me

Skull and Bones had finally locked in a firm date for this year, set for November 8. The piracy sim has spent years in development, experiencing several delays and pushbacks along the way. Its studio, Ubisoft Singapore, was also the subject of reports about its internal culture, alongside broader issues reported at Ubisoft.

While it's been floating around in the water for a while, the November release seemed optimistic. Skull and Bones was one of the games featured at the recent Ubisoft Forward. With a good chunk of gameplay and showcase spotlight, Skull and Bones seemed set to sail.

Ubisoft also rolled out a bunch of its plans for Assassin's Creed and more at that showcase. As for this year though, there is still Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. And yes, the Rabbids talk in this new one.

Skull and Bones is still planned as a current-gen console game, arriving on PC, Stadia, Luna, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 on March 9, ?2023.

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The long-in-development piracy game finally has a date

Skull and Bones will finally set sail this year. Ubisoft's Skull and Bones is launching on Novem?ber 8, 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud streaming services.

First up in today's gameplay reveal of Skull and Bones was a cinematic trailer, which showed the general set-up of the game. You start out as just another person awash at sea, in a region inspired by the Indian Ocean. Over time you build up resources, ??get bigger boats, and take on bigger risks for greater rewards.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i2eHxj5NMU

As shown in the gameplay deep-dive, Skull and Bones allows players to set out for plunder on the high seas. They won't be alone, however. There's the ability to take on neutral, AI-controlled ships like merchant caravans or even fortresses, or you can sail with friends. In PvP servers, you can even run i??nto and fight with other players.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_c7F4PHzcc

It's got some extraction vibes, similar to games like Escape From Tarkov. Get in, loot, get out. As time goes on, the player can craft new and better ships with different playstyles. If the ship goes down, the player will head back to the most recent outpost with most of their cargo recovered, though some will be set out at sea for youâ€??”or other players—to recover.

A pirate's life for me

Skull and Bones has had a long, and reportedly strenuous, development timeline. But today's reveal seems like it's confirming that Skull and Bones is doing what it originally set out to do: expand the sailing of Black Flag out into a full, multiplayer game. And I'm pretty intrigued. Building up a massive ?dreadnaught with cannons, armor, ballista, rockets, and a rowdy crew seems like an enjoyable time.

We'll see if Skull and Bones can bring it all home when it launches on?? November 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia, Luna, PC via Epic, and Ubisoft Connect.

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More news on Ubisoft's projects is on the way

The pirating world of Skull and Bones is re-emerging. Ubisoft is hosting a worldwide gameplay reveal on July 7, showcasing a new look at the sea??faring multipla?yer game.

This isn't quite the first-ever reveal of Skull and Bones footage. We've seen a few gameplay looks in the past, dating back several years. But Ubisoft's pirate game has been quiet for quite a while, resurfacing here and there in financial statements and reports.

On July 7 at 11 a.m. PT, Ubisoft will get a chance at making a new impression for Skull and Bones. The pre-show will start at 10:45 a.m. PT, followed by new gameplay and a behin?d-the-scenes with the developers.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_c7F4PHzcc

For plunder and fortune

There was a supposedly leaked gameplay video not long ago, showcasing what Ubisoft's Skull and Bones currently looks like. The video, as a sort-of tutorial for various game mec?hanics, showed resource collecting, management, and sailing the high seas looking for comb?at with other ships.

At the time, the official account shared a video, asking fans to keep their eyes on the horizon. Seems like it's ti??me for the official re-reveal later this week.

Ubisoft has also locked in a new multi-game showcase later this year on September 10, at 12 p.m. PT. While this week's spotlight will focus on Skull and Bones, the upcoming September showcase will feature updates and news on multiple projects from Ubisoft's teams around the world. Considering that Ubisoft has many projects in development, ranging from a new Avatar game and Beyond Good & Evil 2 to XDefiant and Project Q, expect just about anything.

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Yo ho mateys �Skull & Bones is on the horizon

When Skull & Bones showed up to E3 2017 with a bombastic cinematic trailer for a new game that featured pirates swashbuckling on the Indian Ocean, gamers were understandably pumped. We've had some pretty awesome pirate games over the years, like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Sea of Thieves, and of course the classic Monkey Island series. Players were ready for Skull & Bones?? to join those ranks, because it looks like it would be yet another unforgettable a??dventure on the high seas. That is, if it ever comes out.

The next year at E3, thankfully, we got another story trailer and a gameplay trailer, so there were no signs of any turbulent waters yet. As time went on, though, the game fell into the whirlpool that is game development �the studio behind Skull & Bones, Ubisoft Singapore, went through some pretty significant changes throughout the course of making the game, which included a few delays and other development problems here and there. In 2020, the studio shifted towards a live-service approach for the title. Finally, a video in April gave us a good look at some of Skull & Bones' gamepla??y systems, revitalizi?ng our hope one more time.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9YYYVG0YQI

The newest update on the game is that ratings have started coming in �specifically, one from the Game Rating and Administration Committee from South Korea, as was noticed by Twitter user @the_marmolade and reported by the Video Games Chronicle.

So it's not exactly a huge update by any means, but it does mean that the game is one step closer to getting its full release. While the ESRB doesn't have a listing for the game yet, apparently it's common for the Korean committee to release its ratings first, for a reason unbeknownst to us.

This is excellent news for the fans who've stuck around long enough to even remember this game, because Skull & Bones is finally supposed to release sometime next year. As a big fan of pirates myself, this is one I've tentatively kept an eye on over the years after I fir?st saw it at E3 in 2018, and I for ??one will be looking forward to joining the adventure on the high seas...whenever I can.

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I was just shocked to hear Skull & Bones is still holding on

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for pirate media. I might be a more casual fan than most, but when it comes to swashbuckling adventure, I'm always down. That's why I've been quietly listening to news of Skull & Bones over the past five years, and although I'm still quite skeptical of how the game will turn out, I'm holding out hope that it will deliver the pirate adventure I've been craving since Sea of Thieves.

After a long stretch of radio silence, Ubisoft updated us last month with their financial report, letting us know that the game is still in development, and apparently, that it's going quite well. I'll believe it when I see it, though, because Ubisoft Singapore, the studio helming Skull & Bones' development, has had its fair share of controversies come to light over the past few years, from workplace toxicity to sexual harassment claims.

In spite of all of that, Skull & Bones has somehow survived development ??hell and continued forward, so much so that Ubisoft has announced they're looking for playtesters to try out the game in ??something they're dubbing the Insider Program, an "on-going live testing initiative."

//twitter.c?om/skullnbonesgame/status/150160373095694??7465

Applications are open for everyone, and based on the website it looks like pretty standard fare as far as bet?a testing goes �they want players "testing and reporting i?ssues, bugs, or just general feedback."

Personally, I think branding a playtest is kind of a weird choice, because play?ers usually jump at the chance to be a part of beta testing in the first place.

At the risk of sound??ing a bit conspiratorial, part of me worries that this is a slippery slope of using hype and fandom to get free labor. This is al??l speculation, of course, but there's something about the specifics of wanting fans who have an interest in game development, as well as wanting them to have "plenty of time to allocate to testing and reporting issues" that makes me feel icky, because that's what QA is for.

It's certainly a gray area, but I wouldn't put it past Ubisoft to try and pull something unsavory. Stay vigilant, Skull & Bones hopefuls.

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It's still sailing the seven seas

Skull and Bones still exists, according to Ubisoft. And developm??ent is even going well, apparently, and ??isn't even canceled (yet)!

Speaking on an earnings call (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz), Ubisoft CFO Frédérick Duguet confirmed that development on Skull and Bones was going "well," mentioning it in the same breath as the Avatar game (yes James Cameron's Avatar, I totally forgot about that one too) and Mario + Rabbids. Duguet acknowledged openly that Skull and Bones had been in dev "for a long time," but noted that he was "very happy" with how it was progressing, particularly f?rom ??an aesthetic standpoint.

As a recap, Skull and Bones was announced five years ago, then delayed a year later. Four years ago it had a showing at E3, with a "2019" release date, which was obviously pushed. Then Ubisoft said it was planning a TV show for the property, and got delayed yet again. Then we heard reports that it was becoming a live service game, which killed a lot of the hype for it, and it was most recently pushed out to 2023 at the ear??liest.

It's been a rid?e! For both us and the development team, I'm sure. But that's what happens when you have a monolithic publisher at the helm: things change and shift, and the budgets are huge.

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Trials, tribulations, and somehow, the Singapore government

Skull & Bones, Ubisoft's standalone pirate sim that's undergone years of development and delays, has reached a milestone. In response to a new report from Kotaku, a spokesperson confirmed that Skull & Bones has just pass??ed Alpha. But according to ??the report, it's been quite a journey.

An Ubisoft spokesperson provi??ded the following stateme??nt to Kotaku, in response to a list of questions:

"The Skull & Bones team are proud of the work they’v??e accomplished on the project since their last update with production just passing? Alpha, and are excited to share more details when the time is right. That being said, any unfounded speculation about the game or decisions being made only works to demoralize the team who are working very hard to develop an ambitious new franchise that lives up to the expectations of our players.

"Over the past year, we’ve made significant changes to our policies and processes to create a safe and more inclusive workplace and empower our teams to ??create games that reflect the diversity of the world we live in."

Kotaku's report, from both current and former Ubisoft developers as well as those familiar with the game's development, outl??ines a process that's dealt with too many managers vying for power, reboots and mini-refreshes, and no clear creative vision. According to Kotaku's sources, Ubisoft has spent a significant amount of money on the project already, and that a deal with the Singapore government requires the launch of original brand new IPs from the Ubisoft Singapore branch in exchange for reported subsidies.

The full report goes greater into detail, with quotes from those familiar with the development, reporting on issues the project has dealt with over the years, and it's very much worth reading the whole thing. This isn't the first report indicating issues with Skull & Bones' development either, as another from VGC last year det?ailed a shifting appr??oach to a live-service model.

Hopefully we see Skull & Bones surface at some point, though expectations from Ubisoft curren??tly place the game somewhere past March 31, 2022.

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A distant horizon

The eternal production of Skull & Bones, Ubisoft's multiplayer pirate game, shall continue on. The publisher confirmed that Skull & Bones won't be launching until at least 2022.

In an earnings report, Ubisoft laid out the road ahead for its various titles over the next fiscal year, which runs through March 31, 2022. Far Cry 6, Riders Republic, The Division Heartland, Roller Champions, and the game somehow still under this title Rainbow Six Quarantine. Ubisoft made special note of Skull & Bones as well, saying it will now be released in "2022-2023"—which means sometime b??etween April 1, 2022 and March?? 31, 2023.

Ubisoft also noted that its portfolio is set to expand in the future as well with Avatar, Beyond Good & Evil 2, and Star Wars. And while the Prince of Persia remake has recently indefinitely delayed, Ubisoft confirmed in its call that it will arrive sometime before March 31, 2022.

The delay of Skull & Bones has become a pretty frequent event since its reveal in 2017, with the most recent statement being a letter from last year saying that we'd see more of Skull & Bones in 2021. Hopefully that can stay true, even if the release date is still a ways out. The ship combat of games like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag still holds a special place in my heart.

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MMORPG on the big blue sea?

After being rudderless for three years, this ship's changing course. Ubisoft, unhappy with the way Skull & Bones has been unable to forge its own unique identity, has sig?nificantly altered the naval warfare game.

According to a report from Video Games Chronicle, development on Skull & Bones has been rebooted so that Ubisoft Singapore can step back and try a new approach. Rather than p?ursue the $60 triple-A model, Ubisoft has instructed the developer to go after the "games as a service" angle.

This live service approach was inspired by Fortnite's social events and live storytelling. Ubisoft now wants to create a game with a persistent world where the narrative moves over time. It sounds as though the idea is to turn Skull & Bones into an MMO of sorts. VGC specifically mentions "game world, quests, characters, and story" as components of this revised Skull & Bones.

It's not surprising that Skull & Bones was unable to carve its own position among Ubisoft's games considering its one-line description is "Just the sailing stuff from the pirate Assassin's Creed." This new take seems more akin to a gritty Sea of Thieves or something along those lines. We probably won't find out in short order. Ubisoft hasn't been shy about delaying Skull & Bones in the past, so it's clearly not going to rush the game out before it's ready. All those other years of development? Call i??t a sunk cost.

Ubisoft has rebooted Skull & Bones [Video Games Chronicle]

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It'll be at least another year

In what has now become an annual tradition (two years running!), Ubisoft has delayed Skull and Bones. It needs more time in port before hittin??g the high seas.

Despite Ubisoft's claim at E3 2018 that Skull and Bones will launch in 2019, that won't be the case. As part of the French publisher's 2018-2019 fiscal report, it was revealed that Skull and Bones will release sometime after March 2020.

You'd be forgiven if the title Skull and Bones doesn't immediately set off bells of recognition. Ubisoft hasn't really promoted it much since its reveal a couple years ago. It's a multiplayer pirate ship combat game that effectively builds on the sailing stuff from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (or, technically, Assassin's Creed III). We played it two years ago, and it was good at the time. But,?? with all these d?elays and changes in the multiplayer landscape, who knows how it has evolved?

Skull and Bones being held back injects a little extra intrigue in Ubisoft's E3 lineup. Ubisoft says it has four triple-A games that will release this fiscal year, meaning before the end of March 2020. One of those is Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The other four are curre??ntly unannounced. It seems as though Ubisoft will save some ??surprises for E3.

Ubisoft Reports Full-Year 201??8-2019 Earnings Figures [Ubisoft]

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Working with Atlas Entertainment on project

We've heard next to nothing about Skull and Bones, Ubisoft's naval-based pirate simulator, since last year's E3. The title was set to take the elements from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and expand it to remove all the Assassi?n/Templar nonsense. It seemed like the perfect thing for fans of pirates, but what has been going on with the IP? Apparently, Ubisoft has high hopes for this game since it has secretly been working on producing a TV series for it.

Working with production company Atlas Entertainment (known for Dirty John and 12 Monkeys), Skull and Bones is set to debut as a TV series before the game even comes out. The series is said to be a female-driven drama set in the "lawless frontier of the Indian Ocean" during the 1700s. Amanda Segal (executive producer of The Mist) will write and produce the pilot episode with h??elp from Atlas' Andy ??Horwitz, Richard Suckle and Robert Amidon.

Danielle Kreinik, Director of Developer for TV at Ubisoft, told Hollywood Reporter, "Ubisoft is known for creating innovative video games that combine immense worlds with rich narrative?s." Kreinik will act as an executive producer alongside Jason Altman, head of Fi??lm and Television at Ubisoft.

I can't say this isn't ambitious, but I'm wondering if Ubisoft is betting the farm on this venture. The 2016 Assassin's Creed film was a moderate success only because of its international box-office take. In the states, the film was a big flop and that was with the series being popular. Skull and Bones is completely unknown and is digging up memories of when SyFy tried the same thing with Red Faction.

Only time will tell with this one.

Ubisoft Developing a Female-Driven 'Skull & Bones' TV Show (Exclusive) [Hollywood Reporter]

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Sailing games are the new MOBA/Battle Royale

Ubisoft opened up their Skull and Bones presentation this year by noting that "piracy?? is ?dead." The setting? The Indian ocean, and your task is to steal "every last fucking coin," as the game's lead put it on stage.

The "essence" of Skull and Bones is said to be a "shared world where every player encounter matters" (cue eye roll). If you're interested you can check out the ??cinematic trailer b??elow as well as some actual gameplay!

At the very end of the clip they gav?e us a ??window -- 2019. How generous!

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Expect it one year later

It's going to take a little longer to lift the anchor on Skull and Bones. This ship's not quite ready to sail.

As part of its fiscal year report and projected outlook, Ubisoft has delayed Skull and Bones. The stated reason was to "give itself more time to develop Skull and Bones to offer players an even more engaging experien??ce." It'll now release sometime during the following fiscal year, which ranges from April 1, 2019 through Ma?rch 31, 2020.

This delay was probably easy enough to predict. We've heard virtually nothing about Skull and Bones since its reveal at E3 last year. Its Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag-like multiplayer pirate combat has a s??trong and proven core, but it might be hard-pressed to carry an entire game. It sounds as if Ubisoft is retooling things so as to make it feel less bare bones (excuse the pun). If so, that's something we'll likely be introduced to at this year's E3.

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This industry is a sea of thieves

While Assassin's Creed moves on to Egypt, the Black Flag strain of Ubisoft -- Ubisoft Singapore -- is returning to piracy with a new series set in 1721, Skull and Bones. The debut trailer featured something close to that ridiculous Pirates of the Caribbean slow-motion destruction scene.

I guess Sea of Thieves shouldn't have taken so long to come out. The second clip, embedded below, is a little less self-serious, showing off the multiplayer and an evolution of the very impressive ship captain'ing that was a surprise high point in Assassin's Creed III. And it's not just blowing opponents out of the water -- you get to board other boats and wreck house??.

Also there is an enormous kraken, of course.

You can sign up for the beta here. Skull and Bones is coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2018.

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