It’s been a rough 24 hours or so for Ubisoft. The company saw its stock prices fall after the cancellation of three unannounced games and the publication of its most recent sales figures, which also revealed a number of games that had underperformed. Perhaps most notable though, was the announcement that its pirate-themed adventure RPG Skull and Bones would be delayed once more.
This marks the sixth time that Skull and Bones has been pushed back. Needless to say, the news was met with frustration from the gaming community, especially amongst those who’d already pre-ordered the title. Ubisoft has now issued a statement on the Skull and Bones delay, explaining that “further polish and balancing” is needed to ensure that the game is fully ready for release.
The statement, which was shared on the official Skull and Bones Twitter feed earlier today, explains how the team at Ubisoft Singapore are still fully committed to the project, although how well this will be received by those who’ve been waiting years to play the game remains to be seen. “Our determination and focus remain the same,” reads the update, “(to) offer the best in-game experience to our players from day 1.”
It sounds as though there’s still room for improvement on Skull and Bones, which was pencilled in to launch on March 9 after its last pushback from a November 2022 release. “This extra time will help us in providing further polish and balancing to our game experience, following your feedback from previous tests,” Ubisoft says.
It’s clear that the team are also trying to sweeten the pill with the promise of “an array of exciting content” that’ll be making its way to the game’s social channels over the next few weeks or so, but as far as a new date for the game’s eventual release, things are still a bit vague. The statement does promise an update on Skull and Bones’ new release date and “upcoming test phases” will be communicated “very soon.” However, it may be a case of too little, too late for many players, especially if the comments on social media about the delay are anything to go by.
We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for further news on a new date for Skull and Bones’ release. Either way, it’s clear that Ubisoft is going to have to get its house in order and shift its focus onto some of its larger in-the-works projects in order to get back on an even keel.
