Skull and Bones suffers sixth delay as Ubisoft sinks three other projects

Ubisoft has delayed its multiplayer pirate adventure game Skull and Bones for the sixth time and has cancelled three unannounced games.

In a press release, Ubisoft revealed it had cancelled three unannounced projects, on top of the four previously canned games announced in July, due to the developer and publisher facing "major challenges" and the underperformance of games such as Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Just Dance 2023. Ubisoft also confirmed that Skull and Bones had been delayed for a sixth time and will no longer launch on March 9th, 2023.

Ubisoft delays Skull and Bones again and cancels three unannounced games

Ubisoft says its strategy for the past four years has been about building long-lasting live service games and adapting its major franchises (Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and The Division) to "mega-brands" that can "reach players across the globe, across platforms, and business models." However, Ubisoft says that the "games from this investment phase have yet to be released, while our recent launches have not performed as well as expected." The company also points out that sales over the holiday season were "markedly and surprisingly slower than expected."

To strengthen its long-term growth and value creation prospects going forward, Ubisoft announced it would ensure all its energy "is focused on building our brands and live services into some of the most powerful within the industry." As a consequence of this, Ubisoft has cancelled three unannounced projects on top of four games that were previously cancelled in July last year.

As for Skull and Bones, Ubisoft says the multiplayer pirate adventure game will now launch "early" in Ubisoft's next financial year, which runs from April 2023 to March 2024. Skull and Bones was pushed back last year to March 9th, 2023, so it's possible that the delay could only be minor.

What do you make of Ubisoft's decisions here? Are you disappointed with the Skull and Bones delay? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.

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Written by Sean Carey

With a deep love for Xbox and achievements, Sean has committed to playing the best RPGs, racing games, and first-person shooters Xbox Game Pass and his precious free time will allow. Prior to joining TrueAchievements, Sean gained a degree in journalism from Solent University.