Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones, a title that has waiting for a chance to dock for over a decade, is now scheduled to set sail on February 16, 2024. This latest development is a significant milestone for a game that has journey through turbulent waters, marked by multiple delays and changes in vision.
Originally announced at E3 2017, Skull and Bones is Ubisoft Singapore’s ambitious project that initially began its life as a multiplayer naval warfare game, an offshoot from the ship-to-ship combat featured in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. In recent years, the game has evolved into a third-person open-world pirate adventure set in the Indian Ocean.
The years-long development journey of Skull and Bones has been far from smooth sailing. Following its initial reveal, it went through a series of delays and reimaginings. The internal struggles within Ubisoft, including a spell with abuse and harassment allegations that led to significant changes in senior management, further contributed to the game’s delayed development. The game’s transformation into an open-world adventure represented a huge departure from its original concept. Despite the setbacks and the emergence of new gaming generations, Ubisoft remained committed to the project, reflecting the company’s determination to see it through to completion.
Skull and Bones’ release date announcement comes at a time when Ubisoft has faced challenges with other titles such as Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Just Dance 2023. Insider Gaming reports that a Premium Edition of Skull and Bones will be available, offering three days of early access starting on February 13, 2024. This aligns with Ubisoft’s strategy to launch the game before the end of the fiscal year.
Ultimately, the decision to finally release Skull and Bones is influenced by more than just developmental milestones. A big reason for its release is the funding Ubisoft received from the Singapore government. Regardless of whether what’s coming out in February is representative of the planned final product or not, Ubisoft may simply be choosing to release the game for no other reason than to finally get things over with. Thus, anyone expecting Skull and Bones to be a good game might want to temper their expectations. For all intents and purposes, Skull and Bones is not going to be the naval off-shoot to Assassin’s Creed that most fans envisioned all these years.
It certainly doesn’t help that Skull and Bones is facing stiff competition in a crowded market in February. It shares the same release window of other major titles, namely Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Helldivers 2, and Persona 3 Reload.
Skull and Bones will have to be a really good game to steal the spotlight from its competition, which is highly unlikely. The earlier comments from beta testers suggest that Skull and Bones is a game that doesn’t know what it’s trying to be.
The journey of Skull and Bones highlights the complexities of game development, particularly for ambitious projects a lot of studios are relying to become big hits to help them thrive and make profit. Its evolution from a naval warfare game to an open-world pirate adventure, coupled with internal and external challenges, highlights the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. Regardless of whether it ends up being a good game or not, its release marks the culmination of a decade-long development process and wait.
And, hey, if Skull and Bones does turn out to be a half decent game, Ubisoft can always milk it more by promising that “more” single-player content is coming out in the next 2-3 years.
Skull and Bones is part of a stacked lineup from Ubisoft in 2024, which already includes Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on January 18, and, quite possibly, Star Wars: Outlaws, which may or may not have been delayed from its “original” March 2024 release date.
