Skull and Bones: Release Date, Trailers, Platforms, and More

Skull and Bones is an upcoming action-adventure video game. Read on for a comprehensive overview of what we know so far about the game

Skull and Bones is an action-adventure game developed and published by Ubisoft. The version was initially meant for Google Stadia as well but was eventually abandoned due to the service’s cancellation.

The game’s primary gameplay features are naval combat and piracy, and it has exciting single-player and multiplayer possibilities. Gamers can take part in exciting high-octane adventures that involve traversing dangerous waterways and engaging in fierce ship fights.

The release date of the eagerly awaited pirate role-playing game was announced in a new teaser that made its premiere at The Game Awards 2023. This game is a noteworthy addition to the gaming scene in 2024 because fans have been eagerly awaiting it.

Based on the previews thus far, Skull and Bones seems to adhere to the standard open-world Ubisoft format. Players begin as shipwrecked pirates and work their way up to become legendary pirates by completing tasks, visiting sites, and personalizing their vessels. The game’s original concept has undergone significant changes since its initial unveiling. Read on for a comprehensive overview of what we know so far about Skull and Bones.

Skull and Bones Release Date

The release date for Skull and Bones has been officially revealed as February 16, 2024, according to an announcement at The Game Awards 2023. The disclosure, accompanied by a sea shanty in a new trailer, marks the end of a prolonged wait, as the game has faced several delays.

Initially slated for March 9, the release was postponed to a vague window between 2023 and 2024. Ubisoft has now delivered on this commitment, raising hopes that the much-anticipated game will finally be in players’ hands in just a few weeks.

Skull and Bones Platforms

The Skull and Bones game is set to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and Amazon Luna. Initially planned for a 2018 release, the game was also intended to be available on PS4 and Xbox One. However, Ubisoft abandoned support for these older systems, redirecting its attention to the current-generation platforms.

Skull and Bones Setting

Skull and Bones is situated in the historical era known as the ‘Golden Age of Piracy,’ spanning from the 1650s to the 1730s and characterized by widespread maritime piracy. Ubisoft has chosen to depict an open world set in the Indian Ocean, described as beautiful and dangerous. In this game, players take on the role of a burgeoning pirate. They start as humble outcasts with the primary goals of acquiring infamy and searching for resources. These endeavors contribute to the overarching objective of constructing the most formidable pirate ship in the region.

Skull and Bones Gameplay

When Skull and Bones was initially revealed, it had a more focused resemblance to Rainbow Six Siege than its current iteration. Originally, the game was centered around small team player-versus-player (PvP) gameplay, with each player assuming the role of a ship. The teams equipped their ships with specialized guns and armor, engaging in intense battles where cannons and muskets were the primary weapons.

However, the game has undergone significant changes, shifting its focus towards an action RPG experience. In the updated version, players start as shipwrecked pirates, compelled to scout resources and construct a basic sailing vessel. Progressing from this humble beginning, the goal is to ascend to the status of a pirate lord.

The open-world gameplay involves sailing around and scouting resources like lumber and precious metals for crafting equipment. Players encounter AI enemies, including other ships and wild animals like hippos and sharks, from which they harvest resources and booty. Players can trade this loot for money at pirate dens and outposts or use it in crafting.

Contracts play a crucial role in earning money, equipment, and blueprints. These contracts involve tasks such as hunting bounties, assaulting towns, or searching for lost treasure. Completing contracts raises the player’s ‘infamy’ level, unlocking access to more challenging contracts and enhancing the overall experience. While players can purchase gear and ships with acquired loot, Skull and Bones emphasizes crafting equipment to customize their schooner.

Exploring the seas in Skull and Bones reveals blueprints essential for the game’s crafting system. These blueprints can be rewards for contract completion or hidden in treasure chests. They enable players to craft entirely new ships, develop weapons and armor, and upgrade various fittings on their ships. Crafting becomes vital to the game, especially for obtaining the most powerful hulls and equipment.

Ship Types

Skull and Bones introduces various ship types, each designed with distinctive attributes catering to different playstyles. Among the confirmed ship categories are Cargo Ships, which, though larger and slower, boast expansive holds for carrying substantial loot.

Navigation Ships stand out for their exceptional speed and maneuverability, making them ideal for scouting and agile maneuvers in battle. However, their limited armor and smaller holds necessitate cooperative loot collection.

On the other hand, Firepower Ships are combat-focused, excelling in firepower with the ability to carry the most guns. These ships are not as fast or maneuverable as navigation ships and lack the cargo capacity of cargo ships. However, they shine in dominating the battlefield. The availability of multiple hulls within each category ensures players have numerous opportunities to discover the ship that aligns perfectly with their preferred approach to piracy on the high seas.

News

Skull and Bones loses another creative director

Skull and Bones experienced another departure in its creative leadership, as Elisabeth Pellen, the creative director since 2018, left the project, as reported by Kotaku.

Skull and Bones gets a song at Ubisoft Forward 2023

During Ubisoft Forward 2023, Skull and Bones made a presence primarily through musical performance, announcing a beta offering a glimmer of game-related information.

Skull and Bones is ‘not a narrative-driven game’

In terms of narrative focus, Skull and Bones diverges from traditional storytelling, as game director Ryan Barnard emphasized in an interview with True Achievements. He stated, “Skull and Bones is not a narrative-driven game.” While the game incorporates narrative elements such as interactions with significant NPCs called Kingpins, who reveal their stories as players engage in contracts, the main emphasis is on the Infamy progression system.

Barnard highlighted the intention for players to create their pirate tales and choose their pirate identity. Given the live-service nature of the game, this orientation towards player-driven stories may disappoint those seeking a more conventional single-player pirate adventure.

Single-player

According to recent information, Skull and Bones is primarily designed as a multiplayer-first, live-service experience. While Ubisoft hasn’t provided a clear delineation, players will have the option to play solo. Instead of a defined single-player campaign, the game encourages players to “create your own stories” as they navigate pirate contracts and missions solo, encountering pirate-hunting AI and necessary NPCs. Additionally, players can engage in co-op gameplay, allowing them to team up with two friends to explore the pirate-infested waters.

Multiplayer

The primary focus of Skull and Bones lies in its multiplayer experience. Ubisoft has crafted the game to allow players to navigate the open seas solo or in groups of three, participating in Player versus Environment (PvE) or Player versus Environment versus Player (PvEvP) scenarios. PvE involves contending with existing elements in the game, while PvEvP introduces real-world players into the mix for added excitement. The design of Skull and Bones emphasizes competitive pirate action, with ship-to-ship combat and defensive systems tailored for player interaction. Each player can acquire their own secret pirate lair in the game to enhance the immersive pirate fantasy.

Trailers

The first official trailer for Skull and Bones debuted at E3 2017, setting the game in 1721 on the Indian Ocean during the prime time for historical pirate activities. The trailer showcased visually stunning, albeit pre-rendered, scenes of pirate and cargo ships engaging in intense battles on turbulent seas. Cannonballs tore through ship hulls, splintering wood, and shattering masts, creating a cinematic portrayal of pirate warfare. The trailer climaxed with the appearance of two new pirate crews and the ominous threat of a colossal Kraken-type creature lurking just below the surface as a crew salvages loot from the waters.

As for the plot, story, and characters, the announcement trailer provided minimal information. Given that Skull and Bones is described as an online experience, it has been speculated that it may not feature a traditional story. Comparing the game to Sea of Thieves, it may concentrate on shorter missions, task chains, and dynamic events between PvP naval battles. This is only speculation, given how much the game has changed since its original release.

At a special Ubisoft Forward event in June 2023, Skull and Bones’ first official trailer was unveiled. The protagonist takes on the persona of a pirate after waking up on the coast by themselves after a shipwreck. In the gameplay reveal, he rises from obscurity to become a renowned captain of a crew and fleet. This is a good fit for the game’s emphasis on multiplayer gameplay.

The Game Awards 2023 trailer, released later, confirmed the latest release date for Skull and Bones. The trailer added anticipation and hope that the game will finally meet its scheduled launch.

Pre-order

Pre-orders for Skull and Bones are currently available on the official website, offering Standard and Premium editions.

The Standard Edition, priced at $70, includes the base game Skull and Bones for the chosen gaming platform.

For those opting for the Premium Edition at $100, these additional bonuses are included:

• The Ballad of Bloody Bones Collection
• Two extra missions
• The official digital art book and the soundtrack

Is Skull and Bones Cross Platform?

Certainly, Skull and Bones supports cross-platform play, enabling players on various devices to engage in shared gaming experiences. Ubisoft officially announced that individuals playing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S can collaborate and compete in the same virtual seas. Furthermore, the game extends crossplay compatibility to different cloud platforms, fostering seamless connectivity and gameplay.

Ubisoft shared this information in official announcements and blog posts. It emphasizes Skull and Bones’ dedication to fostering inclusivity across various gaming platforms. This cross-platform functionality encourages cooperative and competitive interactions among friends, promoting a more expansive and interconnected player community.

Beta Access For Skull And Bones

For those with reservations about Skull and Bones, an opportunity to experience the game early was available through the latest closed beta. It ran from December 14 to December 18 in US time zones, as per information on the official Ubisoft website. Preloads for the beta commenced on December 12, and with a required PC space of 65GB, the download size is expected to be close to that figure. While the beta spans the entire window, participants were limited to a six-hour time cap, preventing extensive binge-playing across multiple days.

Will Skull And Bones Be On Game Pass?

While several Ubisoft games are accessible on Xbox Game Pass, Skull and Bones is not part of the lineup. This multiplayer pirate game is currently not featured on Microsoft’s subscription service, and there is little expectation for it to be added in the future. The reason for this lies in Ubisoft’s focus on its own subscription service, Ubisoft+, which takes precedence. Although Ubisoft and Microsoft have collaborated on cloud streaming rights, particularly for Activision’s games, most of Ubisoft’s new first-party games, including Skull and Bones, are unlikely to be included in Game Pass.

Is Skull and Bones on Steam?

No, initially, Skull and Bones won’t be released on Steam due to its exclusivity to the Epic Games Store. Like recent Ubisoft titles like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones is exclusively available on Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store for PC.

However, the absence of Skull and Bones on Steam at the outset doesn’t rule out the possibility of it being added to the platform in the future. Using examples from other Ubisoft games, such as Far Cry 6, which arrived on Steam approximately 18 months after its initial release, and Watchdogs Legion, which took over two years to make its way to Steam, there’s a chance that Skull and Bones Steam could become available around late 2025 or early 2026.

Game Characters

In Skull and Bones, players encounter several intriguing characters shaping the game’s narrative and gameplay. La Buse is the central antagonist, portrayed as a ruthless and aggressive pirate. The unnamed pirate trio, including a female captain and two male pirates, appears to be customizable protagonists.

Taljheed, introduced as a fortune teller, adds an exciting dynamic to the game. Players seek his insights to aid their mission against La Buse, and his fortunes act as modifiers impacting gameplay.

Cassandra, a shipwright briefly showcased in a Hunting Grounds mode walkthrough, plays a crucial role in ship development and maintenance. Players interact with Cassandra to upgrade various ship components, indicating a focus on customization and enhancing the overall gaming experience.

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