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Skull and Bones delayed to March 2023, open beta planned ahead of launch

Skull and Bones' latest delay will push it out of a 2022 release, but an Open Beta will supposedly come ahead of the game's new launch date.

TJ Denzer

September 28, 2022 9:25 AM

Image via Ubisoft

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Ubisoft’s multiplayer pirate adventure game Skull and Bones has been faced with another delay in its long line of troubled development. While Ubisoft seemed fairly confident in launching the game in 2022, that confidence has faltered a bit. It looks like the game will be pushed back to a March 2023. However, Ubisoft also announced that an open beta is being planned to take place ahead of the game’s new release date.

Ubisoft announced new details for Skull and Bones, including the delay and open beta, in a press release on September 28, 2022. According to the press release, Skull and Bones will now come out on March 9, 2023, launching on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and PC. It was originally slated to come out on November 8, 2022.

“While the game development is finished at this stage, the extra time will be used to further polish and balance the experience using players' feedback from our Technical tests and Insider Program which happened over the past two weeks,” the press release reads. “This is the right decision both for our players and for the long-term success of the game as March 9, 2023 provides for a suitable release window for this very unique new brand.”

Nonetheless, the delay doesn’t come without some good news for those who want to see what Ubisoft’s long-awaited pirate adventure. As Skull and Bones nears release, it will reportedly get an open beta to allow players to stress test and try out what adventure on the high seas is in store for them. Ubisoft will announce details on the Skull and Bones open beta at a later date.

We’ve seen some amount of gameplay for Skull and Bones in a previous showcase, but it seems Ubisoft still doesn’t feel like the game is quite ready. After years of waiting, it will remain to be seen if it can keep the new March 2023 release date intact. Stay tuned as we continue to follow for further updates.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.