Ubisoft’s upcoming pirate gameSkull and Bonesdoesn’t interest its playtesters, according to a recent report. Six years after its initial announcement during E3 2017, it seems thatSkull and Bonesstill needs extra development to bring the additional features players are hoping for.The idea ofSkull and Bonesbegan as an expansion ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagcentered around naval battles. Fans were thrilled to discover this open-world MMO where they could take control of their own customizable pirate ship, but soon reports emerged thatSkull and Boneswas stuck in development hell. According to various statements,Skull and Boneswas redesigned several times during its development, with multiple changes in direction and scope.Skull and Boneswas postponed six times, originally set to release by the end of 2018 to a now undetermined release date in the 2023 fiscal year.RELATED:Skull and Bones Shows 30 Minutes of New Gameplay Footage in Wake of Big Release Date DelayAccording to interviews conducted by Insider Gaming, the playtesters who had access toSkull and Bonesare not convinced by Ubisoft’s pirate game. Out of over 10 playtesters, only a couple were satisfied with the game, and the rest shared a feeling thatSkull and Boneswas nothing special. In a Twitter thread discussing these playtests, some players stated that they wouldn’t take part in future sessions even though they were invited to giveSkull and Bonesanother shot.
Despite Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot’s announcement that players would be “positively surprised” by the evolution ofSkull and Bones, playtesters are not convinced by the current state of the game.Skull and Bonesis reportedly plagued with game-breaking bugs and a lack of activities, including the absence of land combat. Two developers shared their worry about the progress of the game, stating that they wouldn’t be surprised ifSkull and Boneswasn’t released until the second half of 2023“at the earliest” due to the ongoing issues still needing to be fixed before commercial release.
Skull and Bones’ shaky development is no secret for players, who fear how the game will look when it eventually comes out. In mid-January, Sony began automaticallyrefundingSkull and Bonespre-orders on PlayStationas the game was delayed once more, even if players didn’t request it. Almost six years after its initial announcement,Skull and Bonesis stuck in a development nightmare that should hopefully conclude before March 2024 and the end of the current fiscal year. Ubisoft is currently in troubled waters, having recently canceled various games and facing employee strikes after its CEO made a comment that getting the company out of its current slump was up to the workers.
Skull and Bonesis currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Ubisoft Needs Another Assassin’s Creed Black Flag to Recreate the Hype Around Skull and Bones
