Skull and Bones gets a closed beta in August 2023
Traveling over the seas in the Age of Sail was a rough affair and delays were frequent – after all, controlling the winds is not an ability we as a species have yet achieved. In that sense, Skull and Bones, developed by Ubisoft Singapore, is already delivering an authentic experience. After several delays Ubisoft has once again shown off the pirate game to the public, announcing a closed beta running from August 25 to 28, 2023. A new release date was not announced, but at least you'll soon be able to get your hands on the game and try your luck at being a pirate.
In Skull and Bones, players can steer their own customizable pirate ship through an open-world ocean region to hunt for treasure and lucrative prey, sinking and boarding ships.
The troubled project was initially described as a multiplayer-focused title, though Ubisoft has since then revealed that the game will contain some narrative elements. These are presented in investigation sequences and allow players to uncover more background and context for the area of the Indian Ocean they’re operating in.
Initially conceived as an expansion for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag all the way back in 2013, Skull and Bones then morphed into a MMO spin-off before fully becoming an independent game that was announced in 2017 for a 2018 release. A console generation and several development resets with a “new vision” later, Skull and Bones is still stuck in Davy Jones’ locker. Several other Ubisoft studios, such as the one located in Berlin, Germany, have been added to the team.
Skull and Bones is set to be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
