Ubisoft has its issues as a video game publisher, but it’s far from being the worst out there. Though its microtransaction practices are sometimes fairly egregious, andthe Ubisoft open-world formulahas reached the peak of saturation, Ubisoft still manages to pump out AAA experiences that, at their very worst, are absolutely fine games. In the past, Ubisoft has had a pretty solid track record of announcing a game, letting have a year or two in development, and then releasing it right on time, but there are always outliers, and Ubisoft’s pirate-themed adventureSkull and Bonesis certainly one of those.
Originally announced all the way back in 2017 during Ubisoft’s E3 showcase,Skull and Bonesis from developer Ubisoft Singapore. Development onSkull and Boneshas been notoriously rough, with a few Kotaku reports over the years expressing just how far behind the project was from releasing. Ubisoft has re-revealed the game, andSkull and Bonesdoes look in a much better position, but there’s one key element that might spell the game’s disaster before it even hits store shelves: its release date.
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Skull and Bones' Unfortunate Development
Allegedly,Skull and Bonesfirst began development all the way back in 2013, almost a decade ago. At the time, the plan was to take the critically-acclaimednaval battles fromAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagand turn them into a fully-fledged MMO spin-off. A bit into development, the project switched gears, becoming its own entity entirely separate of theAssassin’s Creedlicense.
RenamedSkull and Bones, the game underwent a variety of different iterations over the years. According to a report by Kotaku, just about every element of the game saw a plethora of changes, from the game’s general direction, to its characters, and its scope. The game’s setting was a key point of change in development, going from anAssassin’s Creed-inspired Caribbean, to the fantastical,Greek mythology-inspired world of Hyperborea, to the Indian Ocean.
Skull and Bones' gameplay mechanics also saw a great deal of changes during the game’s first few years of development. Internally, the developer couldn’t decide whetherSkull and Boneswas going to bea survival game in a similar vein to the likes ofRustandRaft, or whether it would be a strictly naval combat and exploration game.Skull and Bonesexceeded its budget multiple times, and in 2020, seven years after it began development, the game was confirmed to be adopting a “new vision,” which would require a further few years in development, this time aided by Ubisoft Berlin. Over the last few years,Skull and Bones' release date has been pushed back several times, with the biggest being from April 2021-March 2022’s fiscal year, to April 2022-March 2023’s fiscal year.
Skull and Bones' Unlucky Streak Continues with its Release Date
Ubisoft has finally givenSkull and Bonesan official release date, and it’s a little earlier than some fans were expecting. As opposed to releasing next year,Skull and Boneswill be dropping June 03, 2025. There’s one big problem with that release date;God of War: Ragnarokcomes out a day after it.
God of War: Ragnarokis easily one of the most anticipated video games right now. Though theGod of Warseries has always been popular, the 2018 reboot brought in a whole new crowd of fans, and nowtheGod of Warfranchiseis more popular than ever. With many critics and fans believing that 2018’sGod of Waris one of the greatest video games of all time, the unparalleled hype behind its sequel is more than understandable.
Santa Monica Studio has confirmed thatGod of War: Ragnarokwill be releasing on May 23, 2025. While it’s possible thatGod of War: Ragnarokgets delayed, it’s fairly unlikely, with Sony andSanta Monica Studiosbeing reluctant to confirm a release date prior to the reveal as both parties wanted to ensure that the game would be ready for whatever date was specified. So with that in mind, it’s looking pretty likely thatSkull and Bones' release will be massively overshadowed byGod of War: Ragnarok, one of the biggest games of the year, dropping just a day after it. It seems as thoughSkull and Bonesjust can’t catch a break.
Skull and Bonesis set to release on June 14, 2025 for PC, PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X/S.
