Skull & Bones Will Feature Open World Based on Madagascar, Per Leak
Ubisoft's long-delayed open-world pirate game, Skull & Bones, has received new details through a leak, which lays out features like ship tiers, player progression and customization, and an open-world setting inspired by Madagascar. The action game has had a long and troubled development period since its first announcement in 2017.
Development began on Skull & Bones in 2013, and while details on the game itself have been somewhat scarce, details on the game's long development cycle have been all too common. In May, for instance, it was reported that Skull & Bones' development was restarted from scratch earlier in 2021, after the project had already suffered numerous delays. The game has already cost Ubisoft a large amount of money, but development still continues; earlier this year, the game finally left the Alpha state.
Industry insider and notable leaker Tom Henderson has disclosed new information regarding Skull & Bones in a Twitter thread. To begin, Henderson claims that there are five size-based tiers of ships, which are split into three other categories based on distinctive functions such as cargo, combat, and exploration. When it comes to progression and customization, Skull & Bones seems to be made similar to other open-world titles, as players start with a raft and are required to earn money by completing various missions, raids, and side jobs to begin constructing their own pirate ship and crew, which can be equipped with an arsenal of upgrades. The game has previously been compared to Fortnite and Sea of Thieves, so this open-world, free-form style makes sense. Henderson stated that the game isn't "near completion" at the end of the thread, but he also fleshed out the game's setting, making it clear that the title will take place in the Indian Ocean and will feature a fictional pirate haven based in Madagascar and Mozambique. Players will be able to explore these locations in third-person, take on jobs and interact with NPCs, before setting sail to partake in high-sea battles.
Originally announced at Ubisoft's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017, Skull & Bones was initially scheduled to release in late 2018 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game continued to be delayed two more consecutive years before it was that a "new vision" had emerged, resulting in delays as more development time was needed. Recently, however, Ubisoft has announced that Skull & Bones won't release until 2022 or even 2023, disappointing fans who've already waited years for the game.
Skull & Bones is earning considerable notoriety for its lengthy development cycle and four consecutive years of delays. If the title does release in 2023, it will be ten years between the start of development and the release of the title, establishing a truly long wait for would-be pirates waiting to dive in to Ubisoft's nautical adventure.
Skull & Bones is in development now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: Tom Henderson/Twitter