A Skull and Bones open beta is happening after years of delays

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After years of delays and problems, we’re getting a Skull and Bones open beta at last, as Ubisoft’s open-world pirate game gets closer to leaving port. The Skull and Bones open beta runs from Feb. 8, 2024, through Feb. 11, 2024, ahead of the game’s full launch on Feb. 18, 2024.

The Skull and Bones open beta features full crossplay support between PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Windows, Ubisoft Connect, and the Epic Games Store. Those who take part can reach up to Tier 6’s Infamy Cap and earn exclusive cosmetics, and all progress will carry over to the full game at launch.

Ubisoft made the announcement alongside an outline of Skull and Bones’ endgame plan and Year 1 roadmap, and it sounds like the team has big goals.

“Transition from working with Kingpins to becoming their rivals, facing the perilous consequences of the treacherous pirate life,” Ubisoft said in the description. “Seize control of The Helm, an unrivaled smuggling colossus, and build your smuggling empire. Control manufactories across the Indian Ocean, increase profits through strategic control of trade routes, and invest in upgrades for your operations.”

“On top of these, Legendary Heists and Hostile Takeovers activities also add thrilling twists to empire-building, with new end game features introduced each season.”

There’s also PvP, legendary treasure hunts, bounties, and a sense of competition with leaderboards ranking each Kingpins’ progress, which reset at the start of each new season.

Skull and Bones has certainly sailed through some rough waters to reach this point. Development reportedly began in 2013 before Ubisoft announced the project in 2017 and delayed it multiple times since then.

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