Skull and Bones still doesn't have a release date, but it will have a closed beta in August
You can't pirate this one
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Skull and Bones still doesn't have a release date, but Ubisoft have now announced that the game will have a closed beta in August. The developer announced the news that the much-delayed game would be receiving a beta alongside a… sea shanty, which is obviously fitting given the whole it being a pirate game thing, but is maybe the funniest way of doing such an announcement for a game that seems like it's never coming out. You can currently sign up to potentially join the closed beta on the game's website, with the test set to take place August 25-28.
The actual sea shanty itself was performed by country a cappella group Home Free, who have honestly done a good job at making a catchy tune, but there wasn't much new information to be gleaned from either the performance during the presentation, or the video that was released during it. A blog post from Ubisoft did go into a bit more detail though, which did touch a little bit on why the game is opting for a closed beta rather than just actually releasing.
"We are pushing ahead towards our game's release, which is set for this fiscal year, but we wanted to build on the lessons we've learned from the community since our comeback a year ago," said Skull and Bones senior producer Neven Dravinski. "So we're getting the game into the hands of a wider group of players with a public-facing Closed Beta, which is aligned with our ethos: to create a game for the community, with the community."
Dravinski also detailed some of the ways feedback has been incorporated into development, noting how there will be an increased number of ship and weapon variations available at launch, "allowing players to build customised playstyles to make the game experience their own." Naval navigation has also been changed with the addition of an external ship camera, too.
Skull and Bones doesn't currently have a release date, but is aiming to release this fiscal year, meaning it could be any time between now and early 2024.