Ubisoft’s self-proclaimed “AAAA” pirate game Skull and Bones is finally here, and while the PvP part of the game is entirely optional, high-level captains have already found a way to ruin the experience of low-level players.
25.01.2024 - 23:30 / wccftech.com / Nathan Birch
After countless delays, it seems Skull and Bones is actually launching for real in February, and to solidify that fact, Ubisoft has announced the details of the game’s open beta. Said beta will available on all platforms from February 8 to February 11. Crossplay will be enabled and your progression will carry over to the full game. Players will be able to explore the Red Isle hub and the coast of Africa and East Indies regions and your pirate Infamy will be capped at level 6. Meanwhile, here’s an updated rundown of Skull and Bones’ PC requirements (click the image for full resolution).
Ubisoft has also detailed what you can expect from Skull and Bones' first year of post-launch content. You can expect the usual seasonal updates, which will pit you against additional pirate captains and their fleets. Of course, there will be events that will introduce new challenges as well. Ubisoft has also detailed Skull and Bones’ endgame, which will allow you to manage your own criminal empire and battle other players in PvP showdowns. You can check out the new Skull and Bones Year 1 trailer, below.
Here's a bit more detail on what you can expect from Skull and Bones post-launch…
Seasonal Content
“Players will embark on a perilous journey facing Legendary Pirate Lords like Philippe La Peste and the Hubac Twins. Stirred into a feeding frenzy, players will have to strategize and defeat these new threats, each escalating in difficulty. Strategic ship loadouts and seasonal ships and gear will be key to taking them down in the final showdown at the end of each season. Prepare to expand and defend your empire by looting stronger equipment and valuable resources through new world events introduced each season. Face Merchant Convoys, Elite Warships, and other predators on the high seas. Bigger challenges bring greater rewards as you navigate these dynamic and unpredictable waters.”
Endgame Activities
“Discover the intense endgame of Skull and Bones, where you'll face more dangerous challenges, higher stakes, and alliances that can transform into rivalries. Transition from working with Kingpins to becoming their rivals, facing the perilous consequences of the treacherous pirate life. Seize control of The Helm, an unrivaled smuggling colossus, and build your smuggling empire. Control manufactories across the Indian Ocean, increase profits through strategic control of trade routes, and invest in upgrades for your operations. On top of these, Legendary Heists and Hostile Takeovers activities also add thrilling twists to empire-building, with new end game features introduced each season.”
PvP
“Engage in
Ubisoft’s self-proclaimed “AAAA” pirate game Skull and Bones is finally here, and while the PvP part of the game is entirely optional, high-level captains have already found a way to ruin the experience of low-level players.
Despite being delayed six times so far, Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot is highly confident in Skull and Bones, so much so that he is tempting fate, invoking the dreaded «AAAA» moniker. The last developer we can recall doing that was the ill-fated Striking Distance Studios with The Callisto Protocol, a game with a sad ending.
We almost don't want to believe it, but it looks like Skull and Bones really will be launching on 16th February. After that long and difficult journey, Ubisoft's oft-delayed pirate action game is almost ready to drop anchor. Just before that happens, though, all players will be able to take it for a spin for free via an open beta test.
I haven’t followed the development of Skull and Bones too closely over the years; I’d see the pirate game emerge at a show with a new trailer or demo, and then sink back beneath the waves with delay after delay. So when Ubisoft opened the game to the public with an open beta recently, I was intrigued to see how the close-to-final product looked. I’ve been known to enjoy a spot of piracy, and Ubisoft has the incredible Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag in its back catalogue, after all.
Like spotting the first sign of shore after years adrift, Skull and Bones has finally, actually found its way to launch. Six separate delays and several different concepts that were forced to walk the plank might’ve made you understandably apprehensive about Ubisoft’s long-brewing pirate game, but I’ve already found a yo-ho-whole lot to be excited about after spending nearly 30 hours with its surprisingly unconstrained open beta this past weekend. The 17th-century Indian Ocean works well as avast open world to be explored and plundered, the RPG mechanics are (briny) deep with opportunities for buildcrafting alongside your fellow scurvy dogs, and the naval combat you’ll spend bucca-nearly all your time on the high seas engaging with is tactical and consistently entertaining. Aside from the expected instability one usually encounters with a beta for an online game, the only red flags so far are the lackluster story and a list of endgame activities that feel like they could become repetitive in short oar-der. I won’t be able to complete my voyage until the full version sets sail later this week, but I’m already excited to sea more.
In Skull and Bones, although the Open Beta only lasted a few days, it was just enough time for some players to achieve some pretty awesome feats. Like EagleEGamer, who became a millionaire.
It’s been another cold week, and one that’s proven perfectly suited to wrapping up and playing video games. I’ve been working my way through Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, and we’ll have the review for that one on Monday. Other than that, there’s been a chunk of Suicide Squad, a heap of Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, a spot of Granblue Fantasy Relink, a smidgen of Dave the Diver and a soupçon of Street Fighter 6 as well.
Continuing their great prank of pretending they plan to release Skull And Bones, Ubisoft today launched an open beta for their multiplayer open-world pirate boat game. The free beta will run until Sunday night, after which Ubisoft will presumably delay the game for another seventeen years while once again redesigning the whole thing. When you buy your great grandniece Skull And Bones for her 17th birthday, you'll be able to tell her you were there for the mythical open beta of '24.
During the Q&A session of a recent earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended the decision to price upcoming pirate-themed multiplayer title Skull and Bones at $70 despite the game having live-service trappings.
After beginning development in 2013 and numerous delays later, Ubisoft Singapore’s seafaring pirate action RPG, Skull & Bones, will finally set sail next week. In the meantime, you can watch the launch trailer and even jump in early with the game’s open beta, which kicks off today.
Ubisoft's live-service pirate ship game Skull and Bones is a «quadruple-A» project, company boss Yves Guillemot has said.
Thar be no room for landlubbers here. Get ready to start a golden age pirate’s journey taking you from shipwrecked nobody to kingpin when Skull and Bones launches February 16 on PlayStation 5, with an Open Beta running from February 8-11*. The development team at Ubisoft Singapore has been hard at work ensuring that the Skull and Bones experience is as immersive as possible on PS5, thanks to features like 3D audio, adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and more.