'Sea’ you soon: Skull & Bones hit with another delay

Uh oh, we've got that 'sinking' feeling again, as Ubisoft's Skull & Bones has been hit with another delay. One day, we might finally set sail with the nautical adventure, but for the time being, we're left adrift in a sea of troubled development. 

If you thought things were bad with Cyberpunk 2077's numerous delays and fans sharpening their pitchforks towards CD Projekt Red, that's nothing compared to Skull & Bones. These days, the maritime game has been delayed so many times it's become a bit of a running joke. 

Skull & Bones delayed again in 2024

Ubisoft has struck Skull & Bones' bow with another deadly shot and seen it shifted from its planned release. Skull & Bones has previously moved from September 2022 to November 2022, finally netting a March 2023 release. That didn't happen, so we eventually got a vague "early" 2023-24 fiscal year window.

Now, a late 2023-24 fiscal year release pegs Skull & Bones for somewhere between January 1 and March 31, 2024. The writing was already on the wall, and with 2023 winding to a close, was anyone really buying that we'd be setting sail in time for Christmas? Still, it's another frustrating turn of events. 

Worryingly, the updated financials confirm an unknown "large game" is also being delayed, with fears that the hyped Star Wars: Outlaws is the one that's now being etched in for a post-April 2024 release. This would fit with rumours that the female-led smuggler story wasn't developing as well as hoped.

Skull & Bones' complicated history

Click to enlarge

At this point, it's hard for many to get excited about Skull & Bones. Considering the game has been in development for over a decade, it's an achingly long delay akin to Rockstar leaving us dangling with GTA 6. With development starting in 2013, Skull & Bones was officially revealed at E3 2017.

We've been so close to Skull & Bones before, with its getting a closed beta in August 2023, an ESRB rating, and even a list of available platforms. Unfortunately, the title took a bashing and likely went back into dry dock for some extra work before release.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is one of the series' best-loved outings, meaning Skull & Bones' legacy starting out life as an expansion hopefully won't tarnish this. The question is, can the ship stay afloat amidst these rough waters? Either way, four delays in a year isn't a good look.