Long-awaited Ubisoft game postponed yet again – Times of India

Right now, Ubisoft can’t seem to catch a break. After an underwhelming 2022 with no successful games released, the AAA game company faces another setback with multiple forthcoming projects either delayed or cancelled. One of the most anticipated titles that has borne the brunt is the pirate game, Skull And Bones.
In its press release, Ubisoft revealed that ‘Skull And Bones,’ a game whose development started way back in 2013, has been delayed yet again. This is the sixth time the game’s release has been postponed. Now, it’s expected to come out sometime in 2024. Besides this, three unannounced games have been binned.

Skull And Bones: A game stuck in development hell for several years
Initially envisioned as a DLC for ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,’ Skull And Bones eventually shaped into a standalone IP and was announced in 2017 for the Q3-Q4 2018 release window. It generated significant hype among the gaming community who were charmed by the pirate gameplay featured in Black Flag.
Throughout the succeeding years, Skull And Bones underwent plenty of foundational changes and multiple delays as its budget ballooned with time. Last year, those waiting for the game got some reprieve when Ubisoft unveiled a trailer and stamped a late 2022 release date on it. Not long after, the date was pushed to early 2023 before being pushed again recently.

A poor financial year forced Ubisoft’s hand
Ubisoft’s press release reflected upon its poor year, where ‘Just Dance 2023’ and ‘Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope’ performed below the firm’s expectations. It attributed its poor financial condition to the industry’s shift towards “mega-brands and everlasting live games.”
In the official document, CEO Yves Guillemot said, “Despite excellent ratings and players’ reception as well as an ambitious marketing plan, we were surprised by Mario + Rabbids®: Sparks of Hope underperformance in the final weeks of 2022 and early January. Just Dance® 2023 underperformed as well. Therefore, with the approval of the Board of Directors, we are taking additional important strategic and operational decisions today. It is key to continue adapting our organization, to further strengthen our execution and to ensure we both deliver amazing games to players as well as great value creation.”
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