A live service game’s mere existence seems to go hand-in-hand with skepticism, especially where consistent and satisfactory post-launch support is concerned, and when the live service game in question is Skull and Bones, you can bet your bottom dollar that skepticism is going to be even more intense. The game has had enough trouble getting to launch as it is, being waylaid by everything from development issues and reboots to delays and more, so exactly how well is Ubisoft going to be able to support the game and ensure that it can maintain the sort of player base any live service game needs in order to continue justifying its existence.
Well, its developers are certainly confident that they’ve got the right formula. Speaking with Well-Played, senior producer Neven Dravinski said that Skull and Bones’ development team has “doubled down on the things that make this game great” and feels confident that the game is going to have “legs and longevity.”
“We’ve doubled down on the things that make this game great and really focused on the positives, such as the setting, the naval combat, the commitment to co-op, the deep rich lore combined with economy and progression,” Dravinski said. “We feel like we have the ingredients for creating fun, engaging content that people will always come back to.
“We believe in creating an additive experience where we’re continuously adding to the board, so to speak, creating new experiences, refining it with the community. It’s something that we believe has legs and longevity.”
He went on to highlight the value of player feedback, explaining that thanks to the relationship that the Skull and Bones development team has already built with players through insider programs, betas, and more, it’s better placed to tailor the game to what the community wants.
“We’ve invested in insider programs, we’ve invested in user tests, previous betas, but these are all valuable data points that are going to help us create something that people want to keep coming back to,” Dravinski said.
Ubisoft recently revealed what Skull and Bones’ year 1 of post-launch support is going to entail– over the course of four seasons, the game will add new World Events, Pirate Lords and sea monsters for players to seek out and battle, and more. Additionally, the open world multiplayer title’s endgame has also been detailed.
An open beta of Skull and Bones will be available on all platforms from February 7 to 11.
Skull and Bones launches on February 16 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
