Despite a dwindling player base, Ubisoft confirms continued support for Skull and Bones into Year 2. While the game hasn’t sunk entirely, the numbers paint a grim picture.
Live-service games have struggled to make their mark lately, with many sinking to the bottom of the Steam charts. Skull and Bones seems to be following that trajectory. It’s not inherently a bad game—as noted in our review—but stripping away the colorful characters, exploration, and pirate antics of the Golden Age of Piracy in favor of uninspired live-service mechanics has left it with a niche appeal, unlike the broad appeal of titles like Sea of Thieves or Black Flag.
Calling Skull and Bones a “quadruple-A game” shortly before launch also proved to be one of the most overconfident claims in gaming history (with honorable mention to John Romero’s infamous Daikatana campaign).
Yet Ubisoft appears unwilling to abandon the ship just yet. According to Insider Gaming, the company has plans for Year 2 content for Skull and Bones. However, it’s unclear how many players will be around to enjoy it. Steam Charts shows an average of fewer than 200 concurrent players over the past 30 days. Granted, the game only arrived on Steam six months after its initial Ubisoft Connect release. Nevertheless, many other online titles—like the Battlefield series, Titanfall 2, and Sea of Thieves—have thrived on Steam long after their initial launches, making Skull and Bones’ numbers look particularly dire in comparison.
Insider Gaming’s source did not disclose the current player count, only stating that it “might surprise people.”
Extending support for a live-service game into its second year, especially one with such a large investment, may seem logical. However, this comes from a company that recently announced the closure of its online shooter XDefiant just six months after launch, resulting in nearly 300 layoffs. Keeping Skull and Bones afloat might stave off another round of layoffs, but it feels like a game on borrowed time.
Source: PC Gamer
