Skull & Bones is one of several games out there that is becoming almost mythical in terms of whether or not it's actually coming out. With several major delays already under its belt, interested Ubisoft fans have been left to wonder if it is DOA. While we still don't have a release date, we do at least have a new release window. It's far off, but it's there.
The latest financial report from Ubisoft can be found here and highlights a few key areas that players might find interesting. Before we dive into a pirate's life, let's talk about a few other key titles in the works. According to the report shown to investors, Rainbow Six Quarantine (which is a working title, at this point), Far Cry 6, Roller Champions, The Division Heartland, and more are on schedule to launch between now and March 31, 2022 (pending no further delays).
For Skull & Bones, that particular project is scheduled to release sometime between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. The bad news? No chance at something this year. The good news is that it's something.
Skull & Bones was revealed shortly after Sea of Thieves, and many were looking forward to the realistic pirate adventure. The first reveal trailer looked awesome, but with each delay, that hope for an eventual release has waned. That being said, the gameplay mechanics look incredibly concise, which makes the long development of Skull & Bones more valuable, and hopefully, Ubisoft can avoid any major glitches when the game eventually launches.
For background, Skull & Bones is a nautical experience that promises an adventure rooted in the Golden Age of Piracy, a time where captains were nothing short of ruthless, and warships dominated the oceans with a ferocity that made the thirst for war insatiable. Players find themselves as a captain during these wartorn times, a captain that refuses the King's pardon, and instead undertakes an adventure of treasure and power untamed by complicit society. The short of it? It looks exciting. Hopefully, we'll get a closer look at what progress has been made sooner rather than later.
Today, Amazon Games showcased the upcoming PC MMORPG New World with a new trailer that highlights the expedition experience. Expeditions are similar to what players may be familiar with from other MMORPGs in terms of dungeon crawls, group-play endeavors with some puzzling, monster-slaying, and big rewards.. Today’s focus is on the Amrine Excavation, a 5-player delve into the unknown to unearth ancient treasures. Of course, we all know what happens when you head into a long-lost excavation in search of riches, you can be sure to find some other nasties down there as you try to get out with the goods. Check out the trailer below for a look at Amrine, as well as a broader overview of what’s coming with New World this August when it’s scheduled to release.
Click here to watch embedded mediaAmrine Excavation is meant to be an introductory dungeon experience, so players can sort of cut their teeth on teaming up with other players and making their way through a traditional 5-player excursion here. Intro dungeons may not be the most important in terms of player progression, but they are an amazing tool to get players into the MMORPG experience and can be the most memorable. If you look at something like World of Warcraft, most old timers can tell you detailed stories about their first treks through Deadmines, Wailing Caverns, or Shadowfang Keep. Hopefully, New World’s dungeon experiences will prove to be compelling, repeatable content that gets players engaging with each other alongside the encounters.
New World has had its release date pushed back, so hopefully this summer release sticks. While COVID has had massive industry repercussions across the board for the gaming industry over the past year, New World has continually revamped, replaced, and altered systems and mechanics as they tinker with things leading up to release. We’ll see what New World can bring to the MMORPG table on August 31.