Skull and Bones: The Long-Awaited Seafaring MMO with a Decade-Long Development History

Imagine a game where you set sail on the high seas, commanding your own fearsome pirate ship and exploring the open ocean. Skull and Bones, the upcoming seafaring MMO, promises to bring this vision to life. Despite initial impressions suggesting a release date of 2024, the game has been in development for far longer – over a decade, to be exact.

Ubisoft's Uncharacteristic Development Timeline

While it's common knowledge that game development takes time, Ubisoft is a publisher known for pushing out visually stunning titles relatively quickly. However, Skull and Bones stands out as an anomaly in their catalog, having spent an unusually long time in development.

So, what's the reason behind this prolonged development cycle? While we can't pinpoint the exact motivation, it's worth noting that Ubisoft's reputation for churning out high-quality games fairly rapidly could be an internal pressure driving their efforts on Skull and Bones.

Related: Skull and Bones Closed Beta Keeps Crashing (How to Fix)

A Decade in the Making: How Long Has Skull and Bones Been in Development?

Skull and Bones began development as an Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag expansion around 2013 but eventually evolved into a standalone game. As of 2023, the game has been in development for ten years. By its February 16, 2024, release, it will have been over a decade in the making.

The game's extended development time has been marked by multiple delays, each leading to renewed efforts and eventual changes in the game's quality and accessibility. The latest closed beta, which we experienced firsthand in December 2023, shows significant improvements over previous builds.

Why the Repeated Delays?

Unfortunately, the official reasons behind each delay are unclear. However, we do know that Ubisoft's commitments to quality and internal satisfaction with gameplay have been cited as reasons for delays. Other potential factors have come to light over time.