It’s time again to ask the evergreen question – what the heck is going on with Skull and Bones? We recently heard reports that Ubisoft’s pirate game was still directionless, despite over $120 million already being sunk into it, but now a reliable insider has stepped in to share some slightly more hopeful details. According to Tom Henderson, Skull and Bones isn’t going to arrive any time soon, but development is in a “decent spot,” with naval combat shaping up well. Henderson also shares a number of gameplay details, such as the game having several tiers of ships, limited third-person on-foot sections, and a large open-world inspired by the Indian Ocean and Madagascar. You can check out Henderson’s tweetstorm, below.
In #SkullAndBones, there are 5 tiers of ships (small, medium, large etc.) and are categorized into three different categories. Cargo, Combat, and Exploration.
Unlocking different ships are tied to blueprints, which you can buy at different settlements. pic.twitter.com/TUf3mZIHdd
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
Buying a blueprint isn’t the only hurdle though, as you’ll need the right amount of resources such as wood, metal and fibre to build your ship.
A bigger ship doesn’t mean a better ship either, as smaller ships are more nimble and can go where bigger ships can’t.
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
An example given was that a smaller ship might outrun a bigger ship by staying close to the shore or going up a river because the bigger ships would get beached on the bottom of shallow waters. pic.twitter.com/9DOKhMXLs5
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
Every ship has a pre-determined amount of cannons, but other weaponry can be added/upgraded to put on your ship. Cannons, Ballistas, Flame Throwers, Mortars and more can be attached to your ship in addition to different ammo types (chain-linked cannon balls for example). pic.twitter.com/T2bjGtV4uc
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
You can upgrade your ship at any time, granted you have the money to do so. Adding extra armor, adding smelteries, storage boxes to carry more inventory etc. is all possible. There’s a lot of customization options also, including changing your sail, wheel, shanties etc.
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
The game is open world and seems to be set in the Indian Ocean with the fictional pirate haven being based on Madagascar.
The “Coast of Azania” (Mozambique) is a location on the map. pic.twitter.com/tC4VgL7TmM
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
You start the game as a nobody, building a raft and then eventually a small fishing boat, where you can then explore the open sea.
You collect quests, increase your pirate rep and collect resources to get your first pirate ship. pic.twitter.com/JyqCHhltEq
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
Player progression is currently tracked by the amount of money you earn via doing jobs, raiding other ships, plundering settlements, raiding fortresses, and doing cargo runs.
The more money you make as a pirate, the more powerful you become. pic.twitter.com/MuUCGpi6wt
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
Ship perspective is pretty similar to 2018 gameplay, just with small changes.
While on land, it’s in third-person and you can only walk on foot in safe havens and hideouts. There is no combat, parkour, or anything special to walking as the captain other than to go meet NPCs. pic.twitter.com/3uAiMhoo6h
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
Overall, the game isn’t “near completion” but is reported to be in a decent spot with a lot of good combat.
The middle of the map is a big open sea and it can take some “good afk time” to sail across – I’ll try and get specifics as to how long that actually is.
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 15, 2021
So, where does the truth lie? Is Skull and Bones rudderless or actually in a solid place? Henderson has absolutely proven he has the goods when it comes to Battlefield and Call of Duty, but he isn’t necessarily known for his Ubisoft leaks, so take this with a grain of salt. That said, if the details he’s shared are accurate it does sound like Skull and Bones has a fairly solid direction at this point. I’d play the game he described.
Skull and Bones has been announced for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. The game is currently slated to release during Ubisoft’s 2023 fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2023.
