The long-awaited Ubisoft title Skull and Bones has had a more than tumultuous development cycle, with the game being announced in its earliest iterations as early as 2013. With over a decade having passed since this initial formulation, it is safe to say fans are more than eager to finally get their hands on the anticipated title.
It is worth noting that Skull and Bones has undergone significant developments in more recent years, with intended release dates and swathes of promotional material finally finding their way to fans. However, the game is still tainted by delays and Ubisoft's financial issues, and the recent news of preorders being quietly refunded for players on certain platforms indicates that the game may still have a very long way to go before it sees the light of day.
The Development History of Skull and Bones Among Delays and Release Dates
The earliest roots of Skull and Bones as a concept came from the successful 2013 release of Assassin's Creed Black Flag, in which Ubisoft desired to take the game's well-received sailing mechanics and translate them into a large-scale multiplayer experience. Over the course of this early development, the core tenets of Skull and Bones' gameplay were constantly shifting with things like geographical settings and the scale of combat being changed, marking the start of a long and troubled development.
Originally aiming for a 2018 release, Skull and Bones has been delayed several times, with intended release dates for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 all being further pushed back much to the dismay of fans. With the game recently receiving more tangible updates, many fans were expecting the recent expected release date of early 2023 as a reliable one, but Skull and Bones has now been delayed for a sixth time, with a release window of 2023-2024 now being slated.
What Skull and Bones Preorder Refunds Could Mean
Despite the comparative positivity that came with the recent promotional material and gameplay teasers for Skull and Bones, a recent development has significantly worried fans, and it is clear why. Players who had preordered Skull and Bones on PlayStation platforms have been refunded for the preorder, with the game no longer being able to purchase on the PlayStation store.
When considering that Skull and Bones has already been de-listed from the Steam marketplace, a very worrying trend is beginning to take shape regarding the title. With Ubisoft having to have okayed this decision, many fans are understandably seeing this as an admission of just how far Skull and Bones is from becoming a reality, with the development cycle for the title perhaps being in even more jeopardy than what fans already believe.
At the very least, the refunds of Skull and Bones preorders indicate that the game is not set to release for quite some time, and gives the already shaky current release window of 2023-2024 even less credibility. On the other hand, the decision could even indicate a potential full cancelation of the title to come further down the line, which is a real possibility given the unprecedented development time and amount of delays for Ubisoft games that already plague the piracy-based title.
Of course, these refunds may have simply been issued to ensure that preordering players will be able to receive a more comprehensive idea of what the game will entail before making the purchase again in the near future, which would admittedly be a good move on Ubisoft's part. Regardless, it is understandable why fans are so concerned about what the refunds could possibly mean for the future of Skull and Bones.
Skull and Bones is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.