Few games have undergone a development cycle as tumultuous as Skull & Bones, an open-world pirate adventure that has been in the works for nearly a decade. Since its initial reveal at E3 2017, the game has reportedly gone through numerous redesigns and has been delayed several times. But a new report from VGC indicates Skull & Bones’ reemergence from the depths, with a possible 2022 release window. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about Skull & Bones, including its possible launch date, gameplay, and details about its problematic development cycle.

When is the Skull & Bones release window?

According to VGC, Skull & Bones will supposedly launch on November 8, 2022, with a re-reveal scheduled for sometime in early July 2022. This hasn’t been confirmed by its developer Ubisoft, but we do know the company has reiterated time and time and again that Skull & Bones is not canceled.

As VGC notes, the game has been rated by the ESRB, which indicates that it will likely launch soon. Currently, Ubisoft doesn’t have much scheduled for fall 2022, so this could very well be the company’s big game to end the year with a bang.

Is there a Skull & Bones trailer?

There is a trailer, but it was originally published in 2017, alongside the game’s initial reveal. Since then, Skull & Bones has changed a lot, so the trailer might not be the best representation of what the game looks like now. Still, you can get a sense of the overall vibe Ubisoft was going for at the time.

Who is the Skull & Bones developer?

Skull & Bones is in development at Ubisoft Singapore, the team responsible for many Assassin’s Creed games including Black Flag — which is one of the biggest inspirations for the upcoming pirate adventure. In fact, this game initially started off as a multiplayer expansion to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but eventually spun into something of its own.

It has been in the works since 2013 and has undergone numerous iterations — at one point being an MMO before spinning into a live service game.

According to a report from Kotaku, the game suffered from a lack of creative vision, management issues, and supposedly cost Ubisoft $120 million as of 2021.

What are the Skull & Bones platforms?

The game was originally planned to launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but will almost certainly come to current-gen consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This has yet to be confirmed by Ubisoft.

Even though Ubisoft tends to support the Nintendo Switch, it’s unclear if Skull & Bones will come to the handheld hybrid system.

What will the Skull & Bones gameplay be like?

In 2018, Skull & Bones was a multiplayer pirate game that focused on ship battles, with players taking on various roles to control and attack large vessels in the ocean. It’s unclear how much of that remains in the current iteration, but naval battles were reportedly dialed back in favor of on-land gameplay, though it’s unclear to what degree. The game is still aiming to focus on multiplayer action with up to three players, taking you on a journey to become the most infamous pirate of all time.

It’s likely many planned ideas won’t make it into the final cut since Ubisoft probably wants to get this game out the door. We’ll find out more during the game’s rumored re-reveal in July 2022.