Ubisoft is steering Skull and Bones into an ambitious Year 2, aiming to make it the most expansive pirate multiplayer experience yet with significant content updates. These include new game modes, ships, a mythical Kraken, and the much-anticipated feature of land combat, which fans have been clamoring for since the game's launch.
During a special Year 2 showcase that aired yesterday, Ubisoft unveiled its roadmap for the upcoming year, with Season 3: Guts and Glory standing out as the season that will introduce the long-awaited land combat. Set to roll out this fall, Season 3 will allow players to step off their ships and engage in thrilling swordfights and gun battles on land. This feature is part of the Rogue Warlord updates, where players will explore sandy beaches and damp caves to recruit skilled crew members known as Officers. A teaser video offered a glimpse of what's in store, but full details will be revealed later this year.
While land combat is the headline feature for Year 2, the showcase promised a treasure trove of other content to keep players engaged throughout 2025. Season 1: Ascent into Chaos, which launches today, April 15, introduces a new item ascension feature to enhance loot, challenging World Tiers, a new Schooner medium ship, and the Death Tides PvP mode for team-based action. Following this, Season 2: Oaths of War, scheduled for summer 2025, will bring Megaforts and the formidable Frigate large ships. The excitement continues with Season 4: Eye of the Beast, arriving this winter, featuring the Kraken, Hunter’s Guild, and the Corvette large ship.
If these updates sound appealing, you're in luck. Ubisoft is hosting a free weekend for Skull and Bones from April 17 to 21, giving players a chance to experience the pirate PvP action firsthand. Additionally, the game will be available at a discounted price during this period, although specific details on the discount have not yet been revealed.
Skull and Bones set sail on February 16, 2024, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, receiving a 7/10 in our review. While Ubisoft has been tight-lipped about official sales figures, they did mention achieving "record player engagement" shortly after launch. Notably, the game's release also saw a 200% surge in players for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
