Ubisoft Delays Skull & Bones for at Least a Year

Ubisoft’s online pirate game Skull & Bones has been delayed until 2019 at the earliest.

Just under a year after the game was announced during last year’s E3, Ubisoft has returned with news of the delay just before E3 comes around again. In an statement to investors provided in Ubisoft’s financial report, it was confirmed that Skull & Bones wouldn’t be setting sail until either 2019 or 2020.

“In line with previous practices and in view of the acceleration of our digital transformation, growth in back-catalog sales and excellent momentum of recent releases, Ubisoft has decided to give itself more time to develop Skull & Bones to offer players an even more engaging experience,” Ubisoft’s financial report said. “Skull & Bones is now scheduled for release in 2019-20.”

It’s a bummer for those who were hoping to see Ubisoft’s game out sometime sooner than the new release timeframe, but Ubisoft took to the company’s forums to talk candidly with players about the game’s delay and why it was necessary. Calling Skull & Bones the biggest game that Ubisoft Singapore has ever worked on and saying that it’s a project “filled with passion,” Skull & Bones creative director Justin Farren reaffirmed Ubisoft’s goal for the game and the plans that the devs have for the online game’s world.

“Our goal remains as clear as ever: build a shared systemic open ocean that captures the essence of the pirate fantasy and is full of activities. We aspire to create a game where the act of attacking and robbing ships at sea – and where every single decision you make – requires you to carefully assess the risk versus reward.

“We also are building a world rich in lore and stories, where you’ll come across memorable characters and have the canvas to create your own stories. Letting you set your own objectives and to take down your rivals on your own terms is key to the experience we want to create.”

It’s not all bad news though – Skull & Bones will be making a return during this year’s E3. Farren added that he and Ubisoft Singapore are excited to showcase more of the game during E3 2018 while showing off the progress of the past year. More frequent updates should also be expected in the future as Ubisoft moves towards Skull & Bones’ new release timeframe.