Skull and Bones - release date, platforms, and everything we know

If you're still wondering about the Skull and Bones release date, that ship now looks to be ready to set sail. It's been years since Ubisoft first revealed Skull and Bones. Going all the way back to E3 2017, this one's being developed by Ubisoft Singapore, bringing us a mix of piracy and naval warfare. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, which saw notable acclaim for its naval gameplay.

However, since that reveal, Skull and Bones has seen troubled waters in its development, being repeatedly delayed for several years in a row. For those wondering what to expect from Ubisoft's upcoming game, here's everything we know so far.

Elsewhere, feel free to check out our Hellblade 2 hub to learn everything about the Senua's next mind-bending adventure. We've also got a hub for Marvel's Blade by the studio that made Dishonored, and Princess Peach: Showtime if you're a Nintendo fan.

When is the Skull and Bones release date?

Skull and Bones will release on February 16, 2024.

The long-awaited release date was finally revealed during The Game Awards 2023. Skull and Bones previously aimed to launch in March 2023, but delays pushed the game into limbo until recently.

Latest news

A surprise announcement on the official Ubisoft YouTube channel has shared that "Skull and Bones Closed Beta will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (Ubisoft Connect and Epic) from December 15 to 18." Players can register via the Skull and Bones website, but entry is not guaranteed.

After nearly a full year of waiting, we've finally had some more Skull and Bones news. The Game Awards showed off slick new trailers, pre-orders are open, and it looks like we're finally on course to the launch date of February 16, 2024.

First announced at a Ubisoft investors' call and later expanded upon on social media, the game has no new release date. It is still expected to arrive at some point in 2023.

Another pushback was announced in late September, moving the game from its November slot to March 9, 2023. A few more extra months to wait!

The Skull and Bones gameplay reveal took place yesterday, giving players their first proper glimpse at the game. From detailed sailing and nautical battles to taking contracts and earning cash, it's set to be a deep and immersive pirate experience. You can watch the entire livestream below.

A recent Ubisoft statement confirmed that Skull and Bones is still on track to release in the second half of fiscal year 2022. That places its release window any time between October 2022 and April 2023.

Ubisoft is reported to be "very happy" with the progress of Skull and Bones. That's the view of CFO Frederick Dugent who was speaking during the company's most recent earnings report (via TheGamer). In addition, Dugent also suggested that the company has no plans to cancel or delay the project any further.

Ubisoft's latest financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021-22 has shown that Ubisoft plans to release Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, and other games "by April 2023".

We still know so little about Ubisoft's Skull and Bones, aside from a handful of rumours. However, we do have some official news, but it's not exactly the positive kind. Skull and Bones' associate director, Antoine Henry, has left Ubisoft. Who knows where this leaves the project in 2022.

Ubisoft's latest full-year earnings call revealed that Skull and Bones is now expected to launch at some point after 2022. Chief financial officer Frédérick Duguet stated, “We strongly believe in the team’s creative vision and they have been given an increasingly ambitious mandate for the game.“Production led by [Ubisoft] Singapore has been advancing well over the past 12 months and the promise is better than ever. The additional time will allow the team to fully deliver on its vision.”

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot also offered a few words: “The Singapore studio has been developing for a long time a big part of the Assassin’s Creed franchise so it’s a really good studio. What we have been doing to make sure they could really come strongly with Skull & Bones is we increased the associate studios that are working with them at the moment so there’s a good and big team now working on the game and the last 12 months have really been good in terms of the way things were coming along, so we are confident they can really bring something really exceptional for the market.”

Platforms

Originally, Skull and Bones was confirmed to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and enhancements for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X users. However, since that time, Sony and Microsoft have launched the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S respectively.

As confirmed during the reveal live stream in July 2022, Skull and Bones will skip previous-gen consoles. As such, it's releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Luna. Pre-orders have also recently appeared on Ubisoft's store ahead of the February 16 launch.

Gameplay

Ubisoft Singapore has described it as a tactical third-person action game, set in an open world environment across the Indian Ocean. We can play as a customizable pirate captain, sailing these waters or taking on a single-player campaign. Multiplayer's also confirmed, letting us gather five friends for PvP gameplay.

Despite many years under wraps, the most recent gameplay trailer has been added below. It should be the most accurate representation of the state the game will launch in.

Skull and Bones trailers

As part of E3 2017, Ubisoft offered this cinematic announcement trailer, which you can watch below.

More recently, Ubisoft showed off the game through the exciting lens of a release date trailer at The Game Awards. Check it out below.

That's all we can share right now about Skull and Bones. For more on the latest releases, we can tell you about Zenless Zone Zero, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and Dragon's Dogma 2.