After what felt like an eternity of waiting and a sea of delays, Ubisoft’s much-anticipated pirate adventure, Skull and Bones, has finally docked on console and PC shores. Are you itching to give it a whirl but your wallet’s giving you the side-eye? Well, you’ve hit the jackpot, matey! Ubisoft’s thrown open the treasure chest with an eight-hour free trial, available on all platforms.
Fancy taking the plunge? Just sail over to Ubisoft’s website and pick your platform to dive into the free trial. And hey, if you’re the type who’s got all the launchers lined up like ducks in a row—Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games, PlayStation Store, or Microsoft Store—you’re sorted there too.
Oh, and about the size… 640 × 360 or 480 × 270. But let’s be real, who’s counting pixels when there’s pirate booty to be had? Just make sure your browser’s up to snuff for HTML5 videos. Otherwise, you’ll be walking the plank instead of watching videos.
Ran into a snag with the video? Invalid file format, it says. And, oh, a barricade! “Sorry, but you can’t access this content!” it screams. They want your date of birth now. As if the sea cares how old you are when you’re facing the kraken.
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“Now Playing: Skull and Bones – Official Launch Trailer.” That’s what’s up next. Grab your popcorn.
This isn’t the first rodeo for Skull and Bones’ free trial; Ubisoft had an open beta earlier in February. And guess what? If you decide to buy the game after your free trial, your progress won’t be lost to Davy Jones’ Locker. It carries over.
But ahoy, there be some choppy waters ahead. Skull and Bones launched with a few barnacles on its hull, so to speak. Ubisoft’s already on deck, patching holes left and right. There’s this pesky issue with The Devil’s Maw contract they’re looking into. And the ocean? Apparently, it’s been a bit more unfriendly than usual. Ubisoft’s rolling out both client and server-side fixes. They even had to pull the plug on text and voice chat for a tick to make sure everything’s shipshape.
Skull and Bones isn’t just a flash in the pan; it’s a live-service game. Ubisoft’s planning to keep it afloat with a steady stream of updates and new content. Check out the trailer below if you’re curious.
Flashback to E3 2017, when Ubisoft first hoisted the Skull and Bones flag. It was pitched as a multiplayer-focused, ever-evolving “live” game, akin to Ubisoft’s other live-service ventures. The helm of this ship was Ubisoft Singapore, with a crew from Ubisoft’s global network of studios. Initially, they charted a course for a Fall 2017 release. But then… delay after delay after delay. The game saw numerous changes, even a “reboot,” and a change in creative director at least once. Kotaku dropped anchor on a report in 2021, mentioning that the Singapore government had given Ubisoft a nudge to finally get the game out to sea. And here we are.
Thinking about buying Skull and Bones? GameSpot’s got a buying guide that’ll help you navigate through the game’s various editions. Choose wisely, pirate.
