Skull and Bones receives another release date after years of delays

One of the most surprising reveals at last night’s The Game Awards ceremony was the sudden return of Skull and Bones, a co-op open-world pirate action-RPG that was first announced all the way back in 2017.

Just in case you’ve forgotten - and frankly who can blame you after all this time - Skull and Bones is a game that looks like it might be a bit of a spiritual successor to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. 

Set in a fictionalized rendition of the Indian Ocean featuring the Coast of Africa and East Indies to explore, it takes place in a shared world where players must complete missions and increase their pirate infamy rating in order to upgrade their ships and become the most fearsome plunderer on the sea.

Naval combat and exploration is the key draw here, and is also the area where Skull and Bones seems to draw most from Assassin’s Creed 4. With customizable ships and intense battles, it has always looked like the perfect way to live out your pirate fantasy.

Unfortunately, however, the game has faced a very troubled development and has received multiple delays since its initial reveal six years ago. Each time, the game has reemerged in a slightly different state including subtle changes to its setting and even an entire branding overhaul.

Now, at long last, it appears that Skull and Bones is actually going to (if you can excuse the pun) ship. At The Game Awards, Ubisoft showcased an all new trailer that goes into detail about some of the mechanics eager pirates can expect to see. You can watch the full trailer below:

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The most interesting part here is the trailer’s ending though, which grandly reveals the new release date February 16, 2024. Skull and Bones is set to release on PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Amazon Luna (Amazon’s game-streaming service if you’re not in the know). It's also worth noting that those with a subscription to Ubisoft+ can play the game up to three days early.

Pre-orders are available now and, while it is yet to be seen whether the game does actually come out this time, it’s a very promising sign.

For great games that have already released, see our guides to the best single-player games or the best indie games.