Ubisoft Singapore’s first foray into leading development of a video game – a game now we know as Skull & Bones – has been a rocky one. The team drew inspiration from the naval battles of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and began development in 2013 with the intention of creating an expansion for the popular game. However, Skull and Bones was soon spun off as an independent project due to its outdated technology, and development has been plagued by a series of setbacks and changes.
Initially set in the Caribbean, the game’s setting was moved to Hyperborea – a fantastical setting – before finally settling on the Indian Ocean. The gameplay has also undergone numerous redesigns, with the focus shifting from naval exploration and ship-to-ship combat to land-based survival elements inspired by games like Rust. Developers have attributed these issues to conflicting ideas, management problems, and a lack of clear direction.
The game was most recently set to release on March 9, 2023, but in January 2023, Ubisoft delayed it for the sixth time due to recent launches underperforming, and it now has an undetermined release date in the 2023–2024 fiscal year.
Skull & Bones is supposed to be a live-service game, and considering how risky such games are, it might beg the question: if Ubisoft is going through a rocky phase financially, why are they willing to risk their future on a live-service game? Especially because they didn’t have a wildly successful title like Fortnite or Apex Legends to use as an inspiration.
Well, the thing is, they do have a successful live service game under their belt, it’s just that this game has been busy satisfying its own specific niche, so it has not received much attention from the mainstream.
The game in question is For Honor. For Honor, Ubisoft’s medieval-themed multiplayer fighting game, has been a surprising success as a live-service game, and the reasons behind its longevity are multifaceted. There is hope that the team behind Skull & Bones can replicate the success of their fellow Ubisoft title, For Honor.
One of the main reasons for For Honor’s success is its unique combat system, which combines elements of fighting games and action games. This gave the game a distinct identity that set it apart from other multiplayer titles on the market. Similarly, Skull & Bones can benefit from a unique selling point that stands out from other naval games (especially Sea of Thieves), such as a complex trading or political system that can keep players invested.
Another factor that contributed to For Honor’s success was its steady stream of post-launch content, which kept players engaged and added value to the game. Skull & Bones is also planned to be a live-service game, meaning that players will expect regular content updates and events to keep them engaged. The developers need to ensure that they have a solid post-launch roadmap that is well-communicated to players.
For Honor also introduced a single-player campaign, which provided context and lore for the game’s world while allowing players to practice the game’s mechanics. Skull & Bones, which is primarily a multiplayer game, also has a single-player mode; or, to be more exact, it’s designed in a way that can be finished solo. It would be great if the developers focused on the single-player aspect of the game a bit more and provided players with a chance to explore the game’s world and its history.
Finally, For Honor maintained a healthy player base by listening to community feedback and making changes based on it. Skull & Bones can learn from this approach by regularly communicating with its player base, taking their feedback into account, and making necessary changes to improve the game. By doing so, the developers can build a strong community around Skull & Bones, which is crucial for any successful live-service game.
After a live-service game takes off, the only thing that can kill it quickly is ignoring the fanbase. Overwatch is the most glaring victim of this shortcoming. It’s not clear if Skull & Bones will take off or not, but if it does, ignoring the community would be the biggest mistake its developers could make.
