This article was updated at 6:49 PM BST and 7:19 PM BST with additional clarifications.
Ubisoft “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/ubisoft/ “> Ubisoft has restarted its open-world pirate game Skull & Bones, sources told VGC.
Announced at E3 2017, Skull & Bones is the first title led by the Ubisoft studio in Singapore. Highly inspired by his work creating naval battles for Assassin’s Creed (Series) “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/assassins-creed-series/ “> Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Skull & Bones was created to expand the concept to a complete game with customizable ships, multiplayer PvP battles and a great ocean to explore alone or with friends.
Ubisoft had big plans for the Skull & Bones IP and had even started developing a “female-led” television show with producer Atlus “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/sega/atlus/ “> Atlus Entertainment.
The game was originally slated for release in late 2018. However, it has since been delayed for three consecutive years, and recently slipped into Ubisoft’s financial year beginning in April 2021, and was noticeably absent from the Ubisoft Forward event. this weekend.
The pirate adventure has not been seen since E3 2018, when Ubisoft promised to launch a beta test that ultimately did not take place.
According to development sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, Skull & Bones had been struggling to make itself a unique position among Ubisoft’s existing portfolio of open-world games, which also includes Assassin’s Creed, The Division and Watch Dogs (Series) “href = “https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/watch-dogs-series/”>Watch Dogs, sparking a series of delays when Singapore tried to refine its concept.
Last year, the decision was made to restart the game entirely and move away from the premium box model of Ubisoft’s other open-world games, sources said.
VGC was told that the new Skull & Bones has moved into a ‘live’ game model. The game will now present a persistent game world with missions, characters, and stories that will dramatically evolve and change over time based on the collective actions of the community.
This is different from GaaS titles like The Division 2 “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/the-division-2/ “> The Division 2, which receive regular updates, but worlds, stories and relatively static content.
A person with knowledge of its development said that the “live narration” and social elements of Epic Games “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/companies/epic-games/ “> Epic’s Fortnite” href = ” https: //www.videogameschronicle.com/games/fortnite / “> Fortnite had been a great inspiration for the new direction of Skull & Bones. They said the Skull & Bones reboot would be more focused on collaboration, as Ubisoft wants to draw audiences beyond the fans of competitive action who often portray their other series.
The reboot also brought big changes to the game’s leadership, including the departure of creative director Justin Farren, who later joined Wargaming.
As part of the reboot, Skull & Bones Creative Director was replaced by former Editorial Vice President Elisabeth Pellen, VGC understands.
Pellen is a 20 year old Ubisoft veteran who most notably wrote and directed Shooter XIII 2003 and directed level design for Splinter Cell (series) “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/splinter-cell -series / “> The first sequel to Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow.
The respected creative spent the past decade working within Ubisoft’s influential editorial team, where she starred in dozens of titles in Assassin’s Creed, Trials, and Far Cry (series) “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/ far -cry-series / “> Far Cry franchises.
Skull & Bones hasn’t updated their Twitter account in over a year, when it promised fans it was “batten[ing] lower the hatches “to focus on making the game” as amazing as possible. “After that post, the game was delayed again on a financial call.
Commenting on the game’s latest delay in October 2019, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot “href =” https://www.videogameschronicle.com/people/yves-guillemot/ “> Yves Guillemot said it was” a A very great product for us “with” enormous potential “and that the company wanted to make sure to launch” at a level that surprises and pleases all players in the long term. “
Ubisoft declined to comment on this story.
On Sunday, the publisher’s Forward event did not address the company’s ongoing reorganization due to a wave of allegations of sexual misconduct.
The E3-style event aired 24 hours after the publisher of Assassin’s Creed confirmed that two of its most influential executives had resigned as part of their internal restructuring.
