Reportedly, Skull & Bones, the long-awaited pirate game from Ubisoft, will not feature ship or land-based PvP options. Originally announced during Ubisoft's E3 2017 press conference, Skull & Bones has faced many delays in the last several years. An earnings report from the publisher earlier this year, though, maintains the title will launch sometime before April 2023. However, it still lacks a concrete release window.
Skull & Bones somewhat reentered the spotlight this past March, after Ubisoft opened registration for an Insider Program in search of playtesters. And just recently, a technical test build of the game leaked online, allowing the public to get a much closer look at the experience as a whole. Players will assume the role of an ordinary pirate trying to evolve themselves into the stuff of legend. Such an adventure takes place in an Indian Ocean-inspired territory whose pirate den of Sainte-Anne constitutes a massive user hub. Based on the footage featured in Skull & Bones' leaked gameplay, Sainte-Anne is where swashbucklers go to socialize with other players, as well as purchase provisions, ship upgrades, and new equipment.
Industry insider Tom Henderson penned a report for eXputer that offers insight into the Skull & Bones playtests. According to said playtests, the pirate game lacks PvP for both ship and land-based combat options. Henderson's report also alleges that land exploration feels especially restrictive. Though players will be able to exit their ships, Ubisoft limited encounters to NPCs who sell and buy goods. In terms of naval combat, users can expect to battle NPC-run vessels in addition to mythical creatures in "world events."
Ubisoft has yet to officially corroborate any of the above details. In fact, very little has been said about Skull & Bones' supposed Sea of Thieves-like social experience. In the previously mentioned gameplay leak, a tutorial narrator teased that players will be able to match up in teams of three to take on various contracts. But how exactly such opportunities may pan out presently remains a mystery.
Developed by Ubisoft Singapore, Skull & Bones began as an offshoot of the much-beloved ship battles in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. While this type of gameplay returned in AC Rogue and AC Odyssey, these features have yet to receive deeper exploration in an open-world Ubisoft game. The hope is that Skull & Bones will take ship combat to new heights, but the reported lack of PvP features may seem off-putting to some.
Skull & Bones is in development for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Source: eXputer