UPDATE
Are you going to give Season 1 a shot? Do you believe these “record numbers” that people are playing the game in? Let us know below!
ORIGINAL STORY
So far, 2024 has been incredibly solid with its big AAA releases. Multiple companies like Atlus, SEGA, Capcom, and Square Enix have been dropping quality titles for gamers to enjoy. And then, there’s Ubisoft, who has been trying to spin the release of Skull and Bones into something positive. Their pirate-themed multiplayer adventure title has been in development limbo for years, and then when the beta finally released, it didn’t exactly spur people to try it out for full price. Ubisoft has been going overboard, pun intended, to sell it as a AAAA title, which many know by now to be nothing more than a puffery statement.
That hasn’t stopped them from dropping “figures” about the game. In a press release by Ubisoft, which was obtained by IGN, Skull and Bones is getting “record engagement numbers.” Stating that the game has an average playtime of 4 hours per session. That would be impressive if it had the players to back it up. Some people have already reported that the game only had a million people trying it…when you include the free trial and beta players. Ubisoft CONVENIENTLY didn’t mention how well the game had sold, and thus, this “stat record” can’t be taken at full face value.
Oh, and that “free trial” we mentioned? You could do it for eight hours…so it’s possible that gamers did long sessions to try the game out…further skewing the “record numbers.”
For those who ARE playing the game in full, you’re in luck, as Season 1, dubbed “Raging Tides,” has dropped, and in the patch notes, Ubisoft revealed what it would be like:
“Each season lasting 12 weeks, will introduce dynamic changes in the world, new events, legendary rivals, and challenges for players to participate in. Players can also look forward to more ships, weapons, cosmetics, and more. In Skull and Bones’ first season, prepare to clash against new rivals as tensions rise in Raging Tides. Battle the vicious Philippe La Peste, the ‘Plague King’ and his Fleet of Pestilence.”
Here’s the trailer for the first season:
The future of this game is uncertain on many metrics, not the least because players have been diving into a DIFFERENT pirate-themed game from Ubisoft ever since they dropped their new title, showing that they did this better ten years ago than they did now.
Furthermore, the fact that Ubisoft isn’t bragging about “big sales numbers” hints that their statements about the “game’s quality” aren’t holding up. We’ll have to wait and see what they say next.