Ubisoft delays Skull & Bones for second consecutive year

Ubisoft has delayed open-world pirate game Skull & Bones into 2020.

Announced at E3 2017, the Singapore-helmed title was originally scheduled for a late 2018 release. In its last end-year results in May 2018, Ubisoft announced it had slipped into 2019.

On Wednesday, the company said it would now release Skull & Bones in its next fiscal year, which runs between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

In a post on its Twitter account, the game’s development team said that “quality remains our number one focus.”

“We’re going to batten down the hatches and push back on the game’s arrival—this is a challenging news for us all, but it’s what’s needed to make Skull & Bones as awesome as it can be! Our focus remains on quality first and we’re grateful for your undying support.”

In 2017 Ubisoft described Skull & Bones as an online naval game “that will take players across a dynamic, shared open-ocean that reacts to their actions and evolves to continuously challenge them.”

The game was set to allow players to build their own fleet of ships, with specialisation in different battle conditions using the game’s extensive customization options, as well as a wind system designed to give players tactical opportunities.

“Thanks to our systemic living world, our gameplay innovations, a strong fantasy and the team’s commitment to support the game in the long term, we believe that Skull & Bones will bring players a unique experience allowing them to live the intriguing and thrilling life of pirates,” said creative director, Justin Farren.