Skull and Bones will take gamers to the Golden Age of Piracy where they will create their own unique pirate captains and sail through the beautiful yet treacherous Indian Ocean filled with rich merchant trade routes to loot. Whether it is on their own or as part of a pirate gang, gamers will take the helm of their powerful warship and lead their crew into the endless battle to rule the seas and become the deadliest pirate kingpin.

In Skull and Bones, you are an insatiable, upstart pirate captain who has refused the king’s pardon. Having nothing to lose, you sailed from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, an exotic and untamed frontier full of lavish riches.

However, these rich and idyllic waters are also a battleground where far-reaching colonial empires, powerful trading corporations, and ruthless pirate gangs are fiercely competing for their share of these valuable treasures.

During your journey to become the ultimate pirate kingpin, you will build a fleet of ships you can customize, prey upon lucrative trade routes, and take down rival pirate captains, memorable characters, or other players. In order to survive in this ruthless ocean, you will have to ally with other pirate captains to form the most influential pirate gang, becoming too big to fail and joining the endless struggle for supremacy of the Indian Ocean.

Skull and Bones is an online naval game that will take players across a dynamic, shared open-ocean that reacts to their actions and evolves to continuously challenge them. Building upon the studio’s naval gameplay expertise, Skull & Bones introduces an innovative wind system that gives gamers tactical opportunities to navigate more quickly, shoot further, hit harder, escape deadly blows, and position themselves to decimate their victims. Gamers will also be able to build their own fleet of ships, which can specialize in different battle conditions using the game’s extensive customization options.

The Skull and Bones Open Beta is now available from February 8th to 11th with cross-play and cross-progression on PS5, Xbox Series X|S as well as PC through the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store.

Players will be able to reach the Infamy Cap of Tier 6 and earn up to 5 exclusive rewards including unique ship cosmetics, emote, weapon and Pandal Lemur pet. Carry-over will also be available, allowing players to have a head-start when the game releases on February 16th.

Open Beta Details

Discover the red isle, the coast of africa

Located within the Red Isle is the pirate den of Sainte-Anne. Ruled by John Scurlock, the local Kingpin you'll deal with as you start your rise to the top of the pirate world. This Den is a safe zone where you can interact with other players, craft your ships, weapons, and equipment with the help of the skilled craftsmen who have made this place their home. You'll be able to access your warehouse to store loot, repair your ship, sell the commodities you liberated from rich merchants, and more.

Discover a whole new region: the east indies

While you might have discovered the Red Isle and the Coast of Africa during one of the previous Closed Betas, you will now be able to cross over the Open Seas and set foot in the East Indies.

The seasoned Captains who've established their reputation in the Red Isle and Coast of Africa will have to face and overcome new challenges here.
Other less experienced Captains, might end up going back to the more forgiving seas of the Red Isle. That is until you feel ready to take on the challenge again.

Reach Telok Penjarah, the Pirate Den in the East Indies, where you'll meet Admiral Rahma who rules over it. Like Sainte-Anne, this will be a safe zone where you can interact with other players, meet with craftsmen who will be able to help you upgrade your loadout.

Explore the Red Isle, Coast of Africa, Open Seas as well as the East Indies during this Open Beta to meet the different factions present in-game and face them peacefully or turn against them in combat.

Main campaign contracts and infamy tiers

As you find your sea legs in the world of Skull and Bones, the most direct path forward will be Main Campaign Contracts. These contracts will act as a guide as you build your reputation and discover more about the world.

During the Open Beta, you will be able to complete them up until the contract called "Exterminate the Rat".

Despite the Infamy and main contracts progression lock, we have heard the feedback from many of you and will allow you to continue explore the world of Skull and Bones for the entire duration of the Open Beta.

You will be able to play and experience the world of Skull and Bones up until the rank of Brigand (Tiers 6 rank 1).  

But do go off the beaten path and forge your own pirate adventure! Once you have reached the Brigand rank, your Infamy rank will remain at that level, but you are free to keep on playing to your heart's content for the rest of the duration of the Open Beta.

You'll have plenty of loot to hunt down, silver to gain, and activities to complete. Make full use of your Logbook and the Journal in the Map tab to pin and track activities!

Open beta participation rewards

Open Beta participants will be able to unlock a set of exclusive rewards for use at launch.  

Reach Tiers 2	Ship cosmetic: Sir Reginald Grim Sail emblem
Reach Tiers 4	Ship cosmetic: Tarred Sail pattern
Reach Tiers 6	Emote: Sign language
Use a medium ship	Pet: "Cookie" The Lemur
Participate in a World Event (Merchant Convoy, Elite Captains)	Weapon: "Basilisk I" Culverin

streams & twitch drops

The Skull and Bones Open Beta is not under NDA. That means you can stream your sailing and plundering sessions as much as you'd like!

Throughout the Open Beta, as you watch your favourite streamers overcome the odds as they attack a fort or in their search for legendary treasures, you can unlock a scruffy new ship pet: Snow Leopard.

How to unlock your Twitch Drop:

• Watch for 1 hour one of the Twitch streamers with the "Drops enabled" tag.

• Once you receive the notification you have unlocked the drop, claim it within 24h.

Key Features:

• Choose your own pirate captain and grow into the fierce legend that you have always wanted to be.Select your pirate ship class based on your preferred playstyle, evolving it with a rich RPG system. From the safe harbor of your hideout, recruit your crew, customize the ship of your dreams, and pick up on the latest rumors before you set sail to leave your mark on the world. With each successful heist, as your wealth and reputation increases, the world and other players begin to challenge your ascension. Sailing alone becomes a dangerous gamble. Your long-term survival depends on your ability to form the most powerful pirate gang in the Indian Ocean.
• Experience unparalleled naval gameplay delivered by the studio who pioneered and designed naval combat for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Live the thrills, brutality, and intensity of naval combat as you fight for domination of the seas. Harness the innovative wind system in order to navigate more quickly, shoot further, hit harder, escape deadly blows, and position yourself to decimate your victims. Stalk your enemies and use your spyglass to identify weaknesses. Rally your gang to hunt and overpower large merchant ships and outsmart powerful rivals. Approach combat your own way with a wide number of tactical options at your disposal.
• Explore a systemic shared world that reacts to your actions and challenge your ascension across multiple parts of the Indian Ocean. Choose your path: engage in combat solo, or team up with other players to take down vicious predatory factions and well-defended convoys. The rewards are yours to share, or steal, if you are willing to face the consequences of betrayal and become a target for other players. There are even rumors of horrifying dangers lurking beneath the surface…
• Treacherous disputed waters separate the unique regions of the Indian Ocean, where pirate gangs compete for riches in explosive naval battles. Confront rival players in competitive 5v5 matches, and experience the ultimate pirate fantasy in a variety of game modes while you plunder the most valuable loot from the Indian Ocean’s richest trade routes and grow your influence.
• Fighting your way to the top will attract greater challenges for you and your gang. As the world evolves, Skull & Bones will continuously test the heights of your skill, the depths of your greed, and the resolve of your alliances. Vast new regions to explore, powerful ships, devastating weapons, and daring enemies, along with greater rewards, will tempt you from across the four corners of the Indian Ocean. Every victory will bring you closer to glory and raises the price on your head.

Skull and Bones will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 16, 2024.