Ubisoft's swashbuckling pirate adventure game, Skull & Bones, reportedly will not release until 2022. The open-world title was first announced by Ubisoft in 2017, supposedly taking inspiration from the naval combat and exploration featured in 2013's Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and featuring online multiplayer elements. Since then the game has experienced numerous delays due to a reportedly troubled production.
The development of Skull & Bones has apparently been quite troubled, leading to numerous delays. In September 2020 Ubisoft announced that the pirate-focused title's development had been completely rebooted, despite the fact that the game had been announced back in 2017. Development team Ubisoft Singapore, lead by creative director Elisabeth Pellen, revealed that the game's numerous delays had stemmed from the creators needing more time to flesh out the game. Pellen stated that the open-world pirate title had evolved into "something bigger" than was originally conceived, although no specific details were provided. Then in November 2020 it was announced that Ubisoft Singapore's managing director Hugues Ricour had been removed from the studio after accusations of harassment were leveled against him.
Video game journalist site Eurogamer reports that Skull & Bones is expected to release within the 2022-2023 financial year. This additional delay suggests ongoing issues with the game's development, as the title has apparently evolved into a massively multiplayer shared-world pirate experience. This information reportedly came from Ubisoft's latest full year earning's call, rather than an official announcement from Ubisoft pertaining to the game's development.
While gamers will have to wait before they explore the seven seas in Skull & Bones, the multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves can offer players a very similar experience. This title, developed by Rare, allows players to become a pirate legend by completing voyages in the service of various trading companies. Along the way players may encounter other scurvy-ridden scoundrels, with whom they can form alliances or engage in deadly combat. A seasonal system was recently added to the game, which is now in its second season, allowing players to earn rewards by completing challenges.
Skull & Bones was announced nearly five years ago, and still little has been seen of the seafaring title. Players reacted quite positively to the pirate gameplay featured in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, but numerous delays have caused much of the anticipation for the spiritual successor to slowly die. With Sea of Thieves now claiming the multiplayer pirate game crown, it will take a lot for Ubisoft to drum up any excitement for Skull & Bones.
Source: Eurogamer