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.

Ubisoft announced the launch of “Waves of Change,” a Skull and Bones in-game charity event: from March 18 to March 31, when Skull and Bones players defeat in-game enemies, Ubisoft will make donations on their behalf to support the preservation of underwater ecosystems.

Ubisoft’s goal is to raise 300,000 € in donations by the end of the event.

Ubisoft is partnering with Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation, whose mission is to protect and restore our oceans by leading strategic, directed campaigns that achieve measurable outcomes. Oceana leverages law, science, grassroots activism, advocacy, and strategic communications to contribute to policy change around the world.

For a limited two-week period, all players, including those currently on the free trial, will automatically join this event, facing off against Skirmishers, Headhunters, and the notorious Pirate Lord Philippe La Peste. Ubisoft will contribute to Oceana based on the number of defeats inflicted upon these adversaries. The daily progress towards the 300,000 € donation target will be monitored and displayed on a dedicated webpage, allowing players to track their contributions. Participants will also earn in-game rewards - the Pioneer set - as a token of appreciation for their involvement.

As a founding member of the Playing for the Planet Alliance, an initiative facilitated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Ubisoft is committed to acting on its responsibility as one of the world’s leading video game companies to not only reduce its own carbon footprint but also educate and inspire its global communities to act.

“At Ubisoft, we believe that we can harness the power of games to raise awareness and take action on environmental issues. With ‘Waves of Change,’ we’re proud to give Skull and Bones players an opportunity to support Oceana’s vital work to preserve our oceans,” said Neven Dravinski, Senior Producer of Skull and Bones, Ubisoft Singapore. “By bringing our community together through the fun gameplay that they know and love, we can help make a difference for a cause that our team is passionate about.”

“The oceans are in trouble because of human-caused threats like climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction,” said Jon Frank, Director, Global Corporate & Celebrity Partnerships, Oceana. “Thankfully, they are resilient too. Together with Ubisoft, we hope ‘Waves of Change’ inspires people to join Oceana and help us rebuild abundant and biodiverse oceans.”

Mobilizing Ubisoft’s communities for the planet through games is one essential pillar of the company’s environmental commitment, Play Green. It complements Ubisoft’s rigorous approach to reducing its carbon emissions and contributing to global carbon neutrality. Ubisoft set a science-based target in line with the Paris Agreement to help limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2030, which was validated by the Science-Based Target Initiative. The company has committed to reducing its absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030 from a 2020 base year and ensuring 67% of its suppliers by spend will have science-based targets by 2026.

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.