Will Skull and Bones delay hurt it in long run?

The development of Skull and Bones has seen plenty of speed bumps, with yet another delaying the pirate-themed title. The game began its life in 2013, and fans wondered if they would ever actually see a release date. In July, Ubisoft revealed to the community that the title's launch date was going to be November 8, 2022.

Now, the game is being pushed back so the company can deliver the best experience possible. Potential players will have to wait until March 9, 2023, to get their hands on Skull and Bones. By that point, the hype will likely be dead due to the release of other popular titles. This will surely hinder its success in the short run as well as the long run.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.

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Skull and Bones delay will be game's demise

Skull and Bones was set to arrive just before the holiday season. That would have made it a great gift for Christmas and given gamers plenty of time to play it before several other high-profile titles launched. However, it will now be released just before Spring with loads of competition. This means only the most hardcore and eager gamers will purchase S&B, with the majority of players preoccupied with a variety of other games.

With nearly a decade of hype surrounding the game — from its rumored existence to its actual reveal — there has to be a point when the excitement disappears. This is probably what the title will see happen before its release.

This is unfortunate as the game is expected to be a realistic experience involving pirates, which players have been waiting for since Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. The likelihood that the title will exceed expectations in March 2023 rather than November 2022 is small.

Of course, the game could be as polished as possible with Ubisoft's decision to delay it. However, if there's no hype, the title might be a lost cause from the get-go, with only a handful of gamers diving into the experience at launch. This lack of initial success will likely prove to be detrimental to the title in the long run, as the game will never reach the heights it could have with a bigger playerbase.

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Titles releasing before Skull and Bones

Games like Hogwarts Legacy will launch first and could easily lesser S&B's playerbase (Image via Warner Bros.)

Players always seem to find the time to purchase and play the most anticipated titles. Between now and the release of Skull and Bones, there will be a lot of games to indulge in.

Here is every big offering coming out before the pirate-themed game that could hinder its success:

• Overwatch 2
• Gotham Knights
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
• The Calisto Protocol
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Hogwarts Legacy

There are plenty of other games that are arriving before Skull and Bones. If Ubisoft wants the spiritual successor to Black Flag to be a hit, they will need to ensure a flawless launch. On top of that, they will need to promote the game so as many eyes are on it as possible.

If the developers fall short anywhere, the listed titles coming prior to the release of Skull and Bones will take up players' time and the Ubisoft game might turn out to be a failure. Hopefully, that won't happen.