Skull and Bones: Insider wants to know release date and pre-order bonuses

The Twitter channel Aggiornamenti Lumia is always scouring the Microsoft stores for previously unpublished entries. The Skull & Bones release date has now also been revealed, as well as the extras for pre-ordering the game.

Skull and Bones: release and more info

The most important facts about Skull and Bones:

• Genre: MMO, action-adventure
• Setting: Indian Ocean, 17th and early 18th centuries
• Game mode: Single player, multiplayer, co-op
• Platforms: Still unknown
• release: Planned for the second half of fiscal year 2022 (October 2022 to March 2023)
• Age rating: Still unknown
• Developer: UbisoftSingapore
• Publishers: Ubisoft

Note: Little is officially known so far and many elements are said to have been completely changed several times during development. So the dates for Skull and Bones are subject to change.

How much of this trailer from E3 2018 will still be in the finished game is unclear:

June 29, 2022:

Skull and Bones is scheduled for release in November

The rumors and leaks about Skull and Bones intensify. According to the Twitter channel Agiornamenti Lumia, there is already an unpublished entry about Ubisoft’s pirate adventure in the Xbox Store. The release date here is the November 8, 2022 noted. (Source: Aggiornamenti Lumia via Twitter). The entry also includes information about the pre-order edition of the game.

In addition to the usual extras such as additional missions, the soundtrack and an art book, there is also a Smuggler Pass Token. It could be one in game currency act. In the ESRB rating already mentioned in this article, there is a reference to Microtransactions in Skull and Bones. You may find out as soon as next week whether there is any truth to the rumors.

June 27, 2022:

Official unveiling next week

Leaker Tom Henderson wants to know from his sources that the official reveal of Skull and Bones will take place in the Week of July 4th, 2022 it’s planned. According to Henderson, the targeted release date should also be mentioned and the first gameplay shown. (Source: Try Hard Guides). There were several major redesigns during the game’s development, making this a second reveal of the game, although Skull and Bones was already revealed at E3 2017.

ESRB rating reveals important details

The age classification of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) only names platforms (like the Brazilian counterpart). PC, Google Stadia, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Accordingly, no release for the last-gen consoles is planned for the time being. Skull & Bones receives an M for “Mature”, which means it is suitable for people aged 17 and over. The reasons for this are the depiction of violence, blood, dead bodies, swear words, the use of drugs and the depiction of sex work. In addition, the ESRB indicates the presence of in game purchases out, the typical microtransactions seem to exist in Skull and Bones like in many Ubisoft games. (Source: ESRB)

June 21, 2022:

Skull and Bones: Last Gen release may not be planned

After South Korea, there was now also a first age rating for Ubisoft’s pirate game Skull and Bones in Brazil. The game should be released there from the age of 16. The classification is the second indication of the actual release of Skull and Bones, which has had to go through one or the other storm during development. The most interesting detail, however, are the specified platforms. (Source: Twisted Voxels).

Only the platforms are listed PC, Google Stadia, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It seems Ubisoft wants to bet on the latest generation of consoles, and one for now Forego release for PS4 and Xbox One. A last-gen release is not completely off the table, but we are currently (still) in the transition phase between two console generations. Publishers have to decide whether they still want to accept the technical limitations of the old hardware for their new games.

May 16, 2022:

First age rating for Skull and Bones

The first solid indication that Skull and Bones is actually entering the release port comes from South Korea. The local authority responsible for the Age rating of video games has made a rating for the PC version of Skull and Bones. (Source: VGC). The Game Management Committee has approved the game in South Korea “Not suitable for young people”.. The reason for this is the depiction of drug and alcohol consumption. It goes without saying that a pirate game does not lack the obligatory bottle of rum.

The first age ratings are often an indication that a game is actually approaching release, but this cannot rule out another postponement. Skull and Bones has had a very problematic development, which makes it difficult to assess. Of course, should the game be postponed again, there’s a risk that we’ll run out of silly nautical idioms, and nobody really wants that.

May 12, 2022:

Skull and Bones is scheduled for release in the next ten months

In the latest financial report from Ubisoft, the publisher announced that it would release the pirate adventure later this fiscal year. (Source: Ubisoft) Ubisoft’s fiscal year always starts on March 31st, which means that Skull and Bones should be released within the next ten months. In a conversation with Ubisoft’s investors, CFO Frédérick Duguet said the release was planned for the second half of the fiscal year, i.e. the period between October 2022 and March 2023. (Source: Ubisoft).

Originally Skull and Bones was supposed to be released in late 2018 and has been repeatedly postponed over the years. So it’s hard to say how secure the new release window is.

May 5, 2022:

Skull and Bones: Ubisoft confirms the authenticity of the leak

A 6-minute gameplay video for Skull and Bones has been circulating for a few days, showing various gameplay mechanics. These include the naval battles, the social hubs of the multiplayer game, the crafting and the reputation system. The footage has already been extensively discussed in a Reddit post. Although the video for the post itself has now been blocked, there are many links to renewed uploads in the thread. (Source: Reddit). Ubisoft has already confirmed to Kotaku that it is actually gameplay for Skull and Bones, it says “early footage that doesn’t reflect the quality and features of the final game”. (Source: Kotaku).

However, the feedback from the players so far has been negative. However, when making your own judgment, you should keep in mind that this is not the finished game. According to reports, the development of Skull and Bones has been anything but smooth. A detailed report by Kotaku describes the development as a nightmare. (Source: Kotaku). Many players see the leaked material as confirmation and do not give Skull and Bones very good future prospects.

Possible sale of Ubisoft

The bad publicity should not only damage the game, but possibly also Ubisoft’s future plans. According to a Bloomberg report, there are said to be investors interested in acquiring Ubisoft. (Source: Bloomberg). Kotaku claims to have learned from its own sources that Ubisoft currently “wants to put the balance sheets in order” for a possible sale. (Source: Kotaku). The fact that Skull and Bones, which was already leaking due to the problematic development, is now also getting a riff from negative feedback on the leak, should probably not do very well for the sale of the entire fleet, including the shipyards.