Play Skull and Bones before the multiplayer pirate game “launches” next week – if it actually launches…

Continuing their great joke of pretending to be planning the release of Skull and Bones, Ubisoft has launched an open beta for their open-world multiplayer pirate ship game today. The free beta runs until Sunday evening. After that, Ubisoft is likely to delay the game for another few years while they redesign the whole thing again. When you buy your great-grandson Skull and Bones for his 17th birthday, you’ll be able to tell him you were there for the legendary ’24 open beta.

Open beta spawns in a wide variety of waters, from the Red Isle launch zone to the East Indies, the African coast and the open seas.

It allows you to start ranking up with the game’s main campaign contracts. You can also take on side contracts and head money, and get a taste of world events. It has cross-platform multiplayer and development options, so it’s good that you’ll be able to play with friends.

What’s more, your progress can be transferred to the full game! During the open beta, Ubisoft also offers goodies like ship cosmetics and a lemur pet if you reach certain Infamy ranks.

The open beta is available on PC through Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store. No, there is no Steam. Also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Xeries XS. For those in Europe, the open beta ends after midnight on Monday.

For more information, check out Ubisoft’s open beta page and this devblog. (See links below.)

Ubisoft still says that Skull and Bones will be fully released on February 16th. Almost seven years after the game was first announced. You have to admire their dedication to the title. See you in 2074. I can’t wait to see how beautiful water effects will be in video games by then…

Source: Ubisoft (1, 2)