Ahoy mateys! Aspiring pirates and sailors now have a chance to test the waters before Ubisoft sets sail with Skull and Bones. Ubisoft recently announced an open beta for the upcoming multiplayer pirate simulator running February 7th – 11th ahead of its February 16th launch.
The open beta kicks off February 7th at 6PM PT (2AM GMT and 1PM AET on February 8th) and remains navigable until 3PM PT on February 11th (11PM GMT and 10AM AET on February 12th). Players on PC (via Epic Games Store or Ubisoft Store), PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S can all join the high seas fun. And best of all – it’s open to everyone, unlike previous closed beta tests.
During the beta, players can tackle story-driven Mercenary Contracts, gain Infamy reputation, and experience the world of Skull and Bones…up to a point. To prevent overexposure, progression caps at max Brigand tier level 6 rank 1 before you can command full pirate empire domination. But it should showcase the core gameplay loop and progression.
Participants also snag exclusive open beta rewards like a fancy sail emblem and pet lemur to show off at launch. And Ubisoft already has four seasons of additional content planned for year one, spanning events, rewards, and themed battles.
Following the “games as a service” model popularized by the likes of Sea of Thieves and Destiny 2, Ubisoft faces high expectations to keep Skull and Bones engaging long-term. But with its emphasis on dramatic high seas battles and pirate fantasy fulfillment, I’m excited to hoist the mizzen and set sail when the beta opens on February 7th.
With a free chance to experience Skull and Bones early, see you on the virtual waves, mateys! We’ll find out soon enough if Ubisoft’s piratical undertaking has the wind at its sails or should walk the plank.
