After a turbulent development and multiple delays, Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones could be preparing to launch as soon as this coming November.
Twitter user ALumia_Italia claims to have found details on the game's launch in an Xbox Store listing, Eurogamer reports. According to the tweet, the listing makes mention of a pre-order bonus, additional missions, a “Smuggler Pass Token”, a digital soundtrack and artbook and a premium bonus pack. Most importantly, it also includes a potential release date: November 8 2022.
Skull & Bones announcement is imminent. Xbox Store listings are ready, some examples:1) SKULL AND BONES™ PRE-ORDER BONUS2) Bloody Bones' Legacy Mission3) The Ashen Corsair Mission4) Smuggler Pass Token5) Digital Soundtrack and Artbook6) Premium Bonus Pack...June 28, 2022
This release date finding was subsequently corroborated by known insider and leaker Tom Henderson, who simply tweeted a green tick in response.
ALumia_Italia suggests that the game’s listing on the Xbox Store means a Skull and Bones “announcement is imminent”. Indeed, Tom Henderson has claimed earlier this month in a report for TryHardGuides that, according to his sources, Ubisoft is planning to re-reveal the game in early July and that the re-reveal will include a release date confirmation.
Right now, Skull and Bones doesn’t have an official release date, though earlier this year Ubisoft said in a financial briefing that it expects the game to launch in this financial year, so before April 2023. November 8 would certainly fit that goal.
Of course, any leaked release dates should always be taken with a pretty sizeable pinch of salt. We won’t know the release date for Skull and Bones with any certainty until we hear it officially from Ubisoft.
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Analysis: Is it likely?
It’s safe to say that Skull and Bones is a game that’s been a long-time coming. First revealed all the way back in 2017, it’s had its release date pushed back multiple times amidst reports of a reboot mid-development.
Back in September 2020 update, Ubisoft Singapore creative director Elisabeth Pellen said the game was being made with a “new vision” and, as recently as February 2022, Ubisoft stated that Skull and Bones is now a "multiplayer first" game, suggesting that the mentions of single-player elements made in early E3 presentations no longer apply.
Despite these issues and delays, however, in recent months it’s been looking increasingly likely that the game could finally be preparing to launch because this leak certainly isn’t the first.
Back in April, for instance, some gameplay footage was leaked (via VGC) and Tom Henderson reported Technical Playtest invites being distributed. Ubisoft’s apparent response to the leaks was to tell fans to “keep your eyes on the horizon”.
Even more recently, in May the game was rated in South Korea and it was just a few days ago that it received its ESRB rating of ‘M’ for Mature.
With all of these things considered, it does feel possible that Ubisoft could be gearing up for a Skull and Bones announcement. A November – or should we say Novemb-arrr – release date doesn’t feel outside the realms of possibility either. If it's not going to be a month where you can truly lean into the 'arrr' sound then, really, what's the point?
