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Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
After recreating the Crusades, renaissance Italy, and the American Revolution, Assassin’s Creed made the Golden Age of Piracy its playground in 2013. The historical setting enveloped players in a swashbuckling adventure across early 18th Century Caribbean waters. Naval combat mechanics entered the mix as a series first, proving so thrilling that fans wasted no time wishing for an Ubisoft-produced pirate game sans the trappings of Assassin’s Creed. The publisher unveiled such a project at E3 2017.
The Skull and Bones announcement trailer and subsequent gameplay walkthroughs promised the sailing experience from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag would be injected into a massive multiplayer romp. However, the idea derived from a simpler premise years prior, one that would’ve seen Black Flag receive a seafaring online suite post-launch. But ambitions swelled as Ubisoft executives heard the siren song of a recurring revenue stream; thus, Assassin’s Creed 4’s multiplayer mode morphed into a live service.
Creative leads struggled for years trying to devise a clear vision, all while Skull and Bones became marred by several regime changes, multiple reboots, and more than a few delays. Mismanagement in the development and publishing departments muddied the waters from the start, and Ubisoft’s bold insistence on a hefty premium price tag all but doomed the so-called “Quadruple-A” title. Despite nearly a decade of build up, the pirate game launched to minimal fanfare in February 2024, courting fewer than a million users in week one. Did this beleaguered endeavor ever stand a chance? Its tumultuous production history doesn’t suggest as much.
This is the tragedy of Skull and Bones.
Intro 0:00
Sponsorship 2:19
Black Flag Infinite 3:23
Project Liberté 5:43
Walking the Plank 10:28
Going Overboard 16:22
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