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Skull and Bones (video game)

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Not to be confused with Skull and Bones or Skull & Crossbones (video game).

Skull and Bones
Developer(s)Ubisoft Singapore[a]
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)
  • Elisabeth Pellen
  • Juen Yeow Mak
Producer(s)Karl Luhe
Designer(s)
  • Simon Lemay-Comtois
  • Guhem Marin
  • Andy Tan
Programmer(s)
  • Yvan Laval
  • Jussi Markkanen
Artist(s)
  • Franco Perez
  • Andie Sulistio
  • Kobe Sek
  • Wil Wells
Writer(s)
  • Joel Janisse
  • Axel Droxler
Composer(s)Tom Holkenborg
Stephen Lukach
EngineUbisoft Anvil
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 16, 2024
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Skull and Bones is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Singapore and published by Ubisoft. The game revolves around piracy and naval warfare with a fantastical setting in East Africa and Southeast Asia during the late 17th century, the peak of the historical Golden Age of Piracy. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on February 16, 2024, after multiple delays and developmental difficulties, to mixed reviews from critics.

Gameplay

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As of 2017, Skull and Bones was marketed as a tactical action game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective.[1][2] Players take control of a minimally customizable pirate ship (which has a stamina bar; limiting movement speed),[3][4] and may choose to sail the Indian Ocean on a single-player campaign, or gather up to five other players to ally in limited player versus player gameplay in Disputed Waters. Players must have a treasure map in order to engage in PvP.[5][6][7][8]

Wind positioning can be assessed to gain an advantage in battle.[9] Players may collect additional ships throughout the game, such as sloops-of-war, frigates and brigantines, whose weapons include mortars, broadside cannons, and rockets. Ships can be charged into with brute force and boarded by NPC crew but not the player character. The rate of inflicted damage is gauged by the health bar. A core component is the multiplayer mode Loot Hunt, where two groups of players are challenged in treasure hunting to further accumulate their riches. Each given ship's crow's nest is scalable for use as a lookout point,[1][8][10] and spyglasses will be available.[4] Another large part of the game is plundering Forts and Settlements.[11]

Development and release

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Skull and Bones is the first video game led by developer Ubisoft Singapore, which drew inspiration from the naval battles of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[7] The game began development in 2013, being initially envisioned as an expansion of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, then an MMO spinoff title under the name Black Flag Infinite.[12] It was then spun off as an independent project, in part due to its initial technology becoming outdated.

According to a Kotaku report, the game has undergone multiple changes in direction and scope during development, exceeding its budget multiple times. Initially set in the Caribbean, it was moved to the fantastical Hyperborea, then finally East Africa and Southeast Asia. Gameplay was redesigned multiple times, focusing variously on naval exploration and ship-to-ship combat, before both were scrapped in favour of land-based survival elements inspired by games like Rust. Developers contacted by journalist Ethan Gach attributed these difficulties to conflicting ideas, management issues, and lack of consistent direction.[12] The project reportedly cost Ubisoft $200 million.[13]

The game was revealed during Ubisoft's press conference at E3 2017. It was confirmed for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with enhancements for PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X. Alongside the game, Ubisoft Singapore announced the "Keepers of the Code" program, designed to allow players to aid in the fine-tuning of its live-service aspects.[6][14]

Originally set to be released in Q3/Q4 2018,[6] the game was later delayed into 2019,[15] and again to sometime after March 2020.[16] On a call with investors in October 2019, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the game had been pushed back to at least the 2021–2022 fiscal year.[17]

In September 2020, it was revealed that while development was continuing, a "new vision" for the game had emerged, which resulted in release delays as more development time was needed. Additionally, it was stated that additional Ubisoft Studios, such as Ubisoft Berlin, were co-developing the game alongside Ubisoft Singapore.[18]

In May 2021, Ubisoft announced a subsequent delay to the 2022–2023 fiscal year.[19] Later that July, Kotaku reported that the game could not be cancelled due to receiving large subsidies from the Singapore government.[20]

In July 2022, the company revealed a November 8 release date for the game, and that the game would launch on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (replacing the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).[21] In September 2022, Ubisoft announced that the release was pushed back to March 9, 2023.[22] In January 2023, Ubisoft delayed the game to the 2023–2024 fiscal year due to the underperformance of recent launches. However, new footage for the game was released.[23][24][25] A closed beta was released on August 25, 2023.[26] In October 2023, it was announced that the game would be released in early 2024.[27] At The Game Awards 2023, the final release date of February 16, 2024 was revealed.[28]

Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, justified the $70 price tag of Skull and Bones, emphasizing its status as a "quadruple-A game" despite incorporating live-service elements like an in-game store, battle pass, seasonal events, and premium currency.[29] The game reportedly cost $200 million in its decade-long development and Ubisoft did not expect it to break even.[30]

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It was announced in early 2019 that Ubisoft was partnering with Atlas Entertainment to adapt Skull and Bones into a television show. It will be executive produced by Danielle Kreinik, Jason Altman, Andy Horwitz, Richard Suckle and Amanda Segel, with Segel slated to write the pilot episode.[31]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Skull and Bones received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[32][33][34]

Sales

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In the United Kingdom, Skull and Bones debuted at 4th place in the weekly boxed charts. The game's sales were less than a quarter of Sea of Thieves, when it launched in 2018.[47]

According to Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, the game had accumulated around 850,000 players (including those who played using the free trial) by February 22, 2024.[30]

Awards

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Following E3 2017, Skull and Bones was nominated for Game Critics Awards' Best Original Game and Best Online Multiplayer awards.[48] It was nominated for Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project at the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards.[49]

Notes

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  1. ^ Additional work by Ubisoft Belgrade, Ubisoft Berlin, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Kyiv, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Mumbai, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Philippines, Ubisoft Pune, and Ubisoft Shanghai

References

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  1. ^ a b Hansen, Steven (June 12, 2017). "Skull and Bones is a tactical action pirate game from Ubisoft". Destructoid. ModernMethod. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  2. ^ Hannley, Steve (June 12, 2017). "E3 2017: Ubisoft Announces Expansive Pirate Game 'Skull & Bones'". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  3. ^ Whitaker, Ron (June 13, 2017). "Ubisoft Shows Off New Pirate Game Skull and Bones". The Escapist. Defy Media. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Fenlon, Wes (June 12, 2017). "Ubisoft announces Skull and Bones, an open world multiplayer pirate game". PC Gamer. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  5. ^ Chalk, Andy (June 21, 2017). "Ubisoft confirms that Skull and Bones will have a single-player 'narrative campaign'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Sanchez, Miranda (June 12, 2017). "E3 2017: Ubisoft Singapore Reveals Pirate Game Skull and Bones". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Purchese, Robert (June 12, 2017). "Ubisoft reveals new pirate game Skull & Bones". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Martindale, Jon (June 14, 2017). "Here's all we know about Ubisoft's new pillaging pirate title, 'Skull and Bones'". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  9. ^ "Fix Skull and Bones Lag With The Best Reducer". www.lagofast.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Van Allen, Eric (June 12, 2017). "Ubisoft Announces Skull And Bones, Pirate Game Based On Black Flag's Ship Combat". Kotaku. Univision Communications. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  11. ^ "DevBlog: Plundering Forts and Settlements. However all combat is limited to your ship. There is no combat on foot/land". www.ubisoft.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Gach, Ethan (July 20, 2021). "First It Was An Assassin's Creed Expansion, Now It's Ubisoft's 8 Year Nightmare". Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  13. ^ Butts, Dylan (February 21, 2024). "Skull and Bones, Singapore's first major video game title, launches to mixed reviews after decade-long wait". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Dring, Christopher (June 12, 2017). "How Ghost Recon Phantoms influenced Ubisoft's Skull and Bones". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  15. ^ Good, Owen S. (May 17, 2018). "Skull & Bones, Ubisoft's pirate game, delayed into 2019-2020". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  16. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (May 15, 2019). "Ubisoft Planning Four AAA Releases Through March 2020". IGN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  17. ^ Guillemot, Yves (October 24, 2019). "Conference call - October 24, 2019 - 6:15 PM Paris Time". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  18. ^ Pellen, Elisabeth (September 9, 2020). "An Update on Skull & Bones". Ubisoft. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  19. ^ Ivan, Tom (May 11, 2021). "Ubisoft has delayed Skull & Bones again". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "First It Was an Assassin's Creed Expansion, Now It's Ubisoft's 8 Year Nightmare". July 20, 2021. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  21. ^ Kim, Matt (July 7, 2022). "Skull and Bones Release Date Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Phillips, Tom (September 28, 2022). "Skull and Bones delayed to March 2023". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  23. ^ Wales, Matt (January 11, 2023). "Ubisoft cancels three unannounced games, delays Skull and Bones again". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (January 11, 2023). "Ubisoft Cancels Three Unannounced Games, Delays Skull and Bones for the Sixth Time". IGN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  25. ^ Nair, Rupesh (January 16, 2023). "Skull and Bones Receives New Gameplay Footage Update; Beyond Good and Evil 2 Still Happening Despite Recent Ubisoft Cancellations, and More". IGN India. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  26. ^ "Skull and Bones Closed Beta Date Revealed". Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  27. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (October 26, 2023). "Skull and Bones Has Yet Another New Release Window". IGN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  28. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (December 8, 2023). "Skull and Bones Release Date Finally Revealed, Again | Game Awards 2023". IGN. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  29. ^ Chalk, Andy (February 8, 2024). "Ubisoft CEO defends Skull and Bones' $70 price tag, says it's 'a quadruple-A game'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Henderson, Tom (February 22, 2024). "EXCLUSIVE - Skull and Bones Has Less Than 1 Million Players Total, Including Free Trial Players". Insider Gaming. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  31. ^ Shanley, Patrick (February 20, 2019). "Ubisoft Developing a Female-Driven 'Skull & Bones' TV Show (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  32. ^ a b "Skull and Bones for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Skull and Bones for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Skull and Bones for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  35. ^ Rodriguez, Jason (February 19, 2024). "Skull and Bones: Ubisoft's pirate adventure is more red flag than Black Flag". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  36. ^ Wales, Matt (February 21, 2024). "Skull and Bones review - entertaining combat can't save a lifeless pirate adventure". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  37. ^ Miller, Matt (February 21, 2024). "Skull and Bones Review - Middle High Sea". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  38. ^ Wakeling, Richard (February 21, 2024). "Skull And Bones Review - Dead In The Water". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  39. ^ Loveridge, Sam (February 20, 2024). "Skull and Bones review: "Too much of a grind for too little reward"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  40. ^ Kent, Thomas (February 19, 2024). "Review: Skull and Bones". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  41. ^ Northup, Travis (February 16, 2024). "Skull and Bones Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  42. ^ Prescott, Shaun (February 16, 2024). "Skulls and Bones review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  43. ^ Faulkner, Cheri (February 16, 2024). "Skull and Bones review – a bad pirate game 11 years in the making". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  44. ^ Adam, Khayl (February 21, 2024). "Skull and Bones Review (PS5)". Push Square. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  45. ^ MacDonald, Keza (February 20, 2024). "Skull and Bones review – yo ho ho and some pockets of fun". The Guardian. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  46. ^ Bardwell, Tom (February 23, 2024). "Skull and Bones review – better late than never". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  47. ^ Obedkov, Evgeny (February 20, 2024). "Skull and Bones debuts poorly on UK boxed charts, with physical sales 4x weaker than Sea of Thieves' launch". Game World Observer. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  48. ^ Keefer, John (June 26, 2017). "Ubisoft Rakes In 14 Nominations for E3 2017 Game Critics' Awards". Shacknews. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017.
  49. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 17, 2023). "Avatar: The Way of Water Leads Visual Effects Society Awards Nominations". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
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