Right on schedule, the Spotlight event Ubisoft announced earlier this week went live today, offering a fresh look at Skull and Bones. After suffering continuous delays since its announcement in 2017, the open-world live-service game is finally coming out later this year, with it now having a November 8 launch date. Developer Ubisoft Singapore"s deep dive that premiered today can be seen above.
Set in an open world inspired by the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy, Skull and Bones offers a arcade-y naval combat experience where players can embark on their pirate journeys solo or co-op, while also having the option of PvP encounters.
Those who have played Assassin"s Creed Black Flag may recognize the ship combat formula being presented here, with several types of long-range and short-range weaponry available, from cannons to mortars, for taking down and plundering other ships and emplacements. There are missions to complete, treasures to find, resources to gather, and even contracts to fulfil from various factions.
The difference here, however, is the lack of any individual pirate control. The chosen ship is the player character with its own upgrade systems. While there is a pirate players can customize, they can only be controlled when at hub area for facilities like obtaining missions, getting upgrades, and matchmaking.
Skull and Bones is coming out on PC (Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, as well as Google Stadia and Amazon Luna streaming services. The game will also be a part of Ubisoft+ subscription on PC at launch.