Skull and bones was recently delayed again and currently has no release date. We have a vague idea of when it might arrive, but at this point we’re waiting for Ubisoft to set a new date for the upcoming pirate adventure game.
Skull and bones has already been delayed several times, but the most recent delay pushed the game’s release date to “early 2023-24”, according to Ubisoft (opens in a new tab)which means we won’t get our hands on it for a few more months.
Since it was announced many years ago, Skull and bones has undergone quite dramatic changes. What started as a classy ship fighting game has evolved into a more standard Ubisoft adventure game. PvP is still there, but the main part of the game feels more like a single-player RPG.
Here’s what we know Skull and bones so far, including a prediction of when it’s likely to come out.
Skull and Bones: get to the point
- What is this? Ubisoft’s upcoming pirate adventure
- What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC
- When can I play it? “Early 2023-24”
Skull & Bones: Release Date and Platforms
Skull and bones has been delayed for the sixth time, with the pirate adventure now set to release “in early 2023-24”.
Skull and bones will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. When the game was first announced, it was confirmed that it would only be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Although it was supposed to be released in 2018. After many delays and the launch of a new generation of consoles, Skull and bones now ditched PS4 and Xbox One. It will still be on PC, but will also come to PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S instead.
Skull and bones it will also be Ubisoft’s first game to sell below $70/£70 for next-gen consoles, something it has not previously committed to.
Skull and Bones Harbingers
Latest trailer
After the recent delay in Skull and bones, Ubisoft has published a 30-minute video presenting some of the new gameplay mechanics. You can watch it below to better understand how the game has changed over the past year.
More trailers
We have included the key Skull and bones trailers throughout this article, but you can find them all Skull and bones trailers that have been released so far The official Ubisoft YouTube channel. (opens in a new tab)
Skull and Crossbones gameplay
When Skull and bones was first revealed to be more like Rainbow Six Siege than it seems now. The game was a small-team PvP game where each player took the role of a ship, outfitted it with specialized weapons and armor, and then two teams smashed each other to pieces with cannons and muskets.
That has all changed, or at least is no longer in the spotlight. Now, Skull and bones this is the first survival game. You start life as a shipwrecked pirate. You must scavenge for resources to build a tiny, virtually defenseless sailing ship, and from those humble beginnings you will grow into a pirate lord.
Using your ship, you will sail the open world, searching for wood, precious metals and all other resources needed to craft equipment. You will face AI enemies such as other ships, but also wild animals such as hippos and sharks. You’ll get more resources and loot from them by using them to trade for money in pirate caves and other outposts, or use them in your crafting.
The best way to earn money, equipment and blueprints is to make contracts. With these quests, you’ll be hunting for bounty, raiding cities, or searching for long-lost treasure. The contracts you have access to are determined by your “infamy”, and completing contracts will also help you raise your infamy level. While you can buy gear and ships with the loot you collect, Skull and bones allows you to craft equipment that fits the schooner.
As you cross the seven seas Skull and bonesyou will discover the plans. These can be rewards for completing contracts or hidden at the bottom of treasure chests. They will be necessary to create the game. With the blueprints and resources you find in the world, whether from searching shipwrecks, collecting natural resources, or hunting animals in the sea, you can build brand new ships, craft new weapons and armor, and upgrade all the equipment on your ship.
Some of the most powerful hulls and equipment will have to be crafted. So if you want to become the most feared pirate in the seven seas, you will have to invest your time in craftsmanship and blueprints.
Multiplayer skull and bones
Skull and bones started life as a PvP game but has since evolved into a survival game that can be played completely solo. This is quite a drastic change from the original vision of Ubisoft’s open-world pirate game. However, Skull and bones multiplayer still exists in a modified form.
While the entire game can be played solo, you can open it up to other players, both friends and foes. When you take on a contract mission and go out into the world to collect loot, you can invite another player to your party by joining a cooperative mission. While this will make the game a little easier and you’ll have to split some of the earnings as you’ll often fight more enemies and get more loot than your cargo hold can hold, sharing it with a friend doesn’t mean you’ll end up with less.
You can also open up your game to enemy players by turning the seven seas into a PvP arena. While you can’t be attacked in the safe waters around the pirate cave, once you sneak out of its confines you can be targeted by other players. Of course, you may not attract much attention on your way to a mission, but when you’re on your way back to port with a cargo hold full of loot, enemy players will see you as a high-value booster target and may come to track you down.
This way PvP and co-op still have their share Skull and bones but it is in a greatly reduced form.
Skull and Bones ship types
There will be many types of ships Skull and bones, each with significant strengths and weaknesses. The three types that Ubisoft confirmed in Ubisoft Forward are Cargo Ships, Navigation Ships, and Firepower Ships. There may be even more types we haven’t seen yet, but in addition to these categories, we know that there are many hulls of each type, so there will be plenty of opportunities to find the perfect ship for your play style.
Cargo ships
Larger and slower than shield ships, cargo ships have large holds that allow them to carry much more loot than any other type of ship. While they may not be as good at fighting as firepower ships or as fast as navigation ships, if you take a cargo ship into battle you won’t have to drop any loot.
Navigation ships
While you won’t have much armor or hardpoints to install lines of cannon, navigation ships are the fastest and most maneuverable type of ship. Not only are they good at scouting, but in battle a good captain will be able to sneak between enemies and overtake their guns. Their other weakness is the small hold, so this type of ship is best used when you have a friend to help you loot after a battle.
Firepower ships
If you want to take combat into battle, this will be the type of ship for you. It may not be as fast or maneuverable as a navigation ship, it may not have the armor or hold of a cargo ship, but a ship with firepower can load the most guns and dominate the battlefield.
Skull and Bones: News
Skull & Bones ‘not a narrative driven game’
If you’re looking for a great story in Skull bones, you can relax these expectations. Speaking in an interview with Real achievements (opens in a new tab)game director Ryan Barnard told us:
“Skull and bones it’s not a role-playing game. We have narrative elements – in the game you will meet important NPCs called Kingpins who have their own stories that you learn by developing relationships with them by making contracts with them. There is a story in the game that allows us to build the whole world, but it is not the main goal. We want players to create their own stories and be able to choose what type of pirate they want to be.”
Instead, Barnard calls the progression system, Infamy, the driving force behind this campaign. Given that this is a live-action experience, it’s not surprising that the story isn’t in the spotlight, though it may prove disappointing for those looking for a new single-player pirate adventure.