Skull and Bones receives another release date after years of delays

Skull and Bones
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

One of the most surprising reveals at last night’s The Game Awards ceremony was the sudden return of Skull and Bones, a co-op open-world pirate action-RPG that was first announced all the way back in 2017.

Just in case you’ve forgotten - and frankly who can blame you after all this time - Skull and Bones is a game that looks like it might be a bit of a spiritual successor to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. 

Set in a fictionalized rendition of the Indian Ocean featuring the Coast of Africa and East Indies to explore, it takes place in a shared world where players must complete missions and increase their pirate infamy rating in order to upgrade their ships and become the most fearsome plunderer on the sea.

Naval combat and exploration is the key draw here, and is also the area where Skull and Bones seems to draw most from Assassin’s Creed 4. With customizable ships and intense battles, it has always looked like the perfect way to live out your pirate fantasy.

Unfortunately, however, the game has faced a very troubled development and has received multiple delays since its initial reveal six years ago. Each time, the game has reemerged in a slightly different state including subtle changes to its setting and even an entire branding overhaul.

Now, at long last, it appears that Skull and Bones is actually going to (if you can excuse the pun) ship. At The Game Awards, Ubisoft showcased an all new trailer that goes into detail about some of the mechanics eager pirates can expect to see. You can watch the full trailer below:

The most interesting part here is the trailer’s ending though, which grandly reveals the new release date February 16, 2024. Skull and Bones is set to release on PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Amazon Luna (Amazon’s game-streaming service if you’re not in the know). It's also worth noting that those with a subscription to Ubisoft+ can play the game up to three days early.

Pre-orders are available now and, while it is yet to be seen whether the game does actually come out this time, it’s a very promising sign.

For great games that have already released, see our guides to the best single-player games or the best indie games.

Dashiell Wood
Hardware Writer

Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

Read more
Assassin's Creed Shadows key art showing Naoe and Yasuke drawing weapons and standing side by side, against a red background
Assassin's Creed Shadows gets delayed again, as Ubisoft pushes the game back by nearly five weeks
Naoe and Yasuke fight side by side
Assassin's Creed Shadows release date and everything we know
A screenshot showing Naoe looking at the hidden blade in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Beware of spoilers! Early copies of Assassin's Creed Shadows have been leaked weeks before its release
TechRadar Gaming's most anticipated 2025 games.
From Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, these are our most anticipated games of 2025
A screenshot showing Yasuke on horseback in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Upcoming games 2025 for console and PC
Assassins Creed Codename Hexe logo, formed from a bundle of twigs ganging from a branch
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe - everything we know
Latest in Gaming
Lego Pokemon
Pokemon and Lego announce the most electrifying collaboration of all time and I’m going to be first in line
Starfield
Starfield could be getting a PS5 release after fans spot a PlayStation logo on work-in-progress Creation
Four operators survey Verdansk. One holds a sniper rifle, one binoculars, another holds is landing with their parachute, while the last wears a skull mask
Verdansk returns to Warzone in a matter of weeks and I’m dreaming of the return of two iconic weapons - here’s what you need to know about its release date and what to expect
The Future Games Show Spring Showcase
The Future Games Show returns this week for its Spring Showcase, here's how to watch and what games to expect
PS5 Pro feature
New Playstation studio is helmed by veteran Call of Duty dev and has been 'working away in the shadows'
A girl covered in bloddy flowers sits on a boat
Silent Hill f's content warning has been detailed by the ESRB, and it's not exactly what I'd call light reading
Latest in News
Lego Pokemon
Pokemon and Lego announce the most electrifying collaboration of all time and I’m going to be first in line
Apple Watch app health
Apple Watch blood pressure monitoring tech revealed in patent
Using Zipped files and folders in Windows 11
Hidden clues suggest Microsoft is moving another part of Windows 11’s Control Panel to the Settings app – and this time it’s mouse options
an image of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Finally! One UI 7 has a release date - here are the Samsung phones that’ll get it first
Google Cloud logo
Google to acquire cloud security platform Wiz in $32 billion deal
GIMP 3.0 interface from the website
Our favorite free photo editor finally got the update it deserves - and these are the top 5 features designers should know about