‘Skull And Bones’ Closed Beta: 10 Things To Expect In Ubisoft’s Delayed Pirate Fantasy

Heave-ho, Ubisoft Singapore‘s got something to show. After 10 years in development, the studio’s pirate fantasy Skull And Bones has finally set sail for a closed beta, which ran from 25 to 28 August.

Building on the gameplay footage revealed at last year’s Ubisoft Forward Spotlight event, this updated iteration offered a polished look at the title’s open sea setting and a first taste of the swashbuckling life. The experience whisked players away to the waters of Sainte Anne, the Red Isle, and the Coast of Africa, who can engage in various side activities, naval battles, and multiplayer fun along the way. For the closed beta, the available content was limited to:

• Buccaneer Infamy (Tier 6 cap)
• 15 main campaign contracts
• Two playable regions
• Seven ships
• 60+ weapons, armour, and equipment

But more of that later. Going back to the tumultuous golden age of piracy, Skull and Bones follows a buccaneer, born into a life of poverty, who heads for the lawless seas seeking a fresh start, only to be shipwrecked. With nothing to lose, they set out to learn from ruthless cutthroats, defy the powerful corporations, and reign as the most fearsome pirate kingpin.

Having played the closed beta, here are 10 things to expect in the full game (on top of naval battles and world exploration) — most of which can be glimpsed in our 30-minute gameplay video above.

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1) Arr, time to plunder

What’s a pirate life without some plundering? In Skull and Bones, wayfarers can pillage Forts, Capital Settlements, and other places of interests while sailing the seas. It won’t be an easy task, though: these plunders will pit them against waves of enemies in multi-stage battles, where players have to chip away at their defenses under heavy fire.

A word of friendly advice? Be sure to always keep up with the artillery action. Once defeated, players are given a time window to retrieve their resources, or risk losing them forever. For better odds, it’s recommended to reach the Freebooter tier, take down weapon stations situated around the premises, and scout out the area before triggering a plunder. Do it right, and rewards lay in wait.

2) Bounty board for bountiful rewards

Bounties are another staple when you live on the seas. The bounty board is where players can accept contracts to hunt down notorious pirates, indicated by a red crosshair with a skull on the map. Available in both solo and co-op play, each bounty offers a unique challenge, but there’s no need to fear — understand the attacking behaviour or patterns of the target captain and their ship, and you’ll emerge victorious. After all, knowing your enemy is half the battle won.

3) Customisation rules the high seas

As a role-playing title, Skull and Bones features some elements of customisation. Players will be able to choose how their character looks like, from body shape and hairstyle to tattoo designs. It’s nothing too elaborate, offering enough options to set an avatar apart from the other, with an in-game feature allowing further changes to their wardrobe, appearance, and sex.

Customisation isn’t just limited to character creation, however. As the story progresses, a ship’s weapon loadout, furniture (which grants select perks), and cosmetics can all be modified, so there’s always room to mix and match.

4) Dynamic events: Investigations, treasure hunting, sea monsters, and more

A pirate’s life is never dull. There are many side activities in Skull and Bones, but some of the more prominent ones include taking part in investigations and hunting down sea monsters, ghost ships, and treasure maps. To uncover investigations, look out for NPCs with the speech bubble icon, eavesdrop on their conversation to get a clue, and follow the trail. Complete the process, and more of the game’s story and the motivations of legendary pirates will be revealed.

If lore isn’t quite up your alley, the sea monsters and ghost ships — which spawn frequently during the night — promise a good thrill. These can be triggered in two different ways: by taking on a contract at Freebooter or higher Infamy (Buccaneer tier for ghost ships), or auto unlocking at Rover Infamy (Brigand tier for the latter). Stock up on repair kits, grab a friend, and you’re all set to dive into the action.

5) Gathering resources, crafting, and upgrading

Keeping in line with the RPG framework, Ubisoft’s upcoming title tasks players with collecting materials and blueprints to craft or upgrade their weapons, armour, captain tools, furniture, and more. Required resources are indicated on the map, and depending on what’s needed, players may find themselves in a mini-game of sorts, where they have to click on the sweet spot on a metre to obtain them (similar to the mechanics in rhythm games). The process can be a little tedious, but hey, it’s all in the name of ruling the seas.

6) Infamy makes a pirate

Speaking of gaining more power, notoriety is the name of the game in Skull and Bones. As players kill, threaten, plunder, and hunt down both monsters and pirates, their Infamy will grow. It’s the shiny badge that endorses just how badass they are, increasing the risk of getting attacked on the waters by enemy ships and other players.

However, what’s life without a bit of a thrill? The goal is simple: increase your Infamy, build more powerful ships and weapons, and lead your crew to victory — laws be damned. There’s certainly no shortage of outlets to get started, with every activity, from completing quests and taking down enemy ships, contributing experience points to the Infamy level metre. Fail, and you lose Infamy points.

7) Job board for the bored

The grind never stops, even as a pirate. The job board puts up interesting jobs with varying levels of risk and reward that players can pick up at any point in the game. Unlike bounties, they aren’t all focused on naval warfare, allowing for a good break in pace.

8) Multiplayer special: Cutthroat Cargo Hunt (PvP)

A PvP special, the Cutthroat Cargo Hunt is as its name suggests — merciless, exciting, and highly dangerous. The chase is triggered once a player picks up Legendary Treasure Maps while at sea, appearing as a floating loot with a red glow around it. With a unique icon tagged to them, the map carrier will have to outrun their pursuers, dock at the outpost highlighted on the map, and dig up the treasure for a huge payout.

Of course, there’s always a catch. Fast travel is banned during this activity, and docking is strictly confined to the destination outpost. Dock anywhere else, and the player will lose their map.

9) Supply and demand

Where there’s supply, demand follows. Skull and Bones lets players monitor the flow of their resources or goods, and make their own financial calls. To maximise profits, buy items when they are “in plentiful supply” and sell them when they are “highest in demand”, but take note that the economy for each settlement or region operates independently.

10) World events

Fortune favours the bold, and World Events promise plenty of riches to go around. These high-risk, high-reward challenges are best tackled in a group — and for good reason. Buccaneers will have to take down merchant ships with extremely high value cargo travelling across the seas, escorted by an army of warships, and claim their loot for themselves. Danger, who?

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Skull and Bones is slated for release sometime in fiscal year 2023 to 2024.