At E3, Ubisoft announced a completely new game, the open-world pirate game Skull & Bones. In it, you play as a pirate captain in the 18th century and roam the Indian Ocean. There will be PvE, PvP, and a campaign. And a beta will be coming soon!
Skull & Bones – Black Flag Inspired
Anyone who played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag back then will remember the thrilling sea battles you fought as a pirate against your enemies. The developers at Ubisoft also had a lot of fun with it. They enjoyed the pirate battles so much that they developed a completely own game around the naval battles: Skull & Bones, which was introduced last night at E3.
Skull & Bones: Ship Types as Classes
Skull & Bones is set in the 18th century in the Indian Ocean. This is where piracy flourished at the time. Your character is an aspiring young captain who wants to start a career as a pirate here. The game offers you a sleek ship that comes in one of three classes:
- Frigates are resilient and well-armed. They are good tanks at close range that shield other ships.
- Brigantines are fast and maneuverable. They quickly catch up and ravage the enemy by firing at close range and ramming when necessary.
- Sloops are the lightest ships in the game, capable of firing at long distances, making them hard to hit.
Skull & Bones: PvE or PvP?
With your ship, you will immediately unsettle the seas of the open world and either lurk for merchant ships in PvE or hunt other pirates in contested waters (the PvP zone) in 5vs5 battles.
In PvE, you follow a vertical progression. The more you loot, the better your reputation. This, in turn, gives you access to increasingly valuable targets.
In the PvP mode, Ubisoft wants to regulate progression differently. Progression here is more horizontal, so that all players can enjoy and no one becomes too powerful.
Also cool: With plenty of customization options, every pirate ship should look unique. This way, you should be able to recognize from a distance that a particularly bloodthirsty pirate has just appeared by its silhouette and flag.
Skull & Bones: Weather Effects, Pirate Fleets, and Solo Campaigns
The battles in Skull & Bones are not only fought with cannons and ships. The sea itself also plays a role, as wind, weather, and currents significantly affect the behavior of your sailor. For example, you can outmaneuver the opponent or lure them into an unfavorable current. When fleeing from pirate hunters, it is sometimes necessary to sail through a storm or to risk an escape through a treacherous reef.
Skull & Bones is clearly designed as a multiplayer game where you and other captains simultaneously unsettle the seas and can even form real fleets with other players.
Such fleet operations resemble raids in other MMOs, only instead of taking down a dragon, you’re dismantling a merchant convoy with escort protection.
Ubisoft has also announced a solo campaign in which you follow a story and regularly encounter recurring characters. Additionally, various naval powers of the era and the feared Dutch East India Company will make your life difficult. Ubisoft will reveal more information about the campaign at a later date.
Skull & Bones: Beta Sign-Up and Release Date
If you are already excited about Skull & Bones, unfortunately, you will have to wait a bit longer. Because Ubisoft’s pirate game is currently planned for the fall of 2018. It will be released on PC as well as Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Enhanced versions for Xbox One X or PS4 Pro are also planned.
If you can’t wait until 2018, you can already sign up for the Skull & Bones beta using the given link and set sail much earlier. When the beta will start, however, is still unknown.
Also interesting: Our theme page for E3 – All highlights at a glance
