"Skull and Bones Adds Land Combat This Fall: Ubisoft Reveals Year 2 Plans"

Ubisoft is setting sail for an ambitious Year 2 for Skull and Bones, aiming to make it the pirate multiplayer game's most expansive year yet with a treasure trove of new content. This includes exciting additions like new game modes, ships, encounters with a legendary Kraken, and the much-anticipated land combat feature that fans have been clamoring for since the game's launch.

During a special Year 2 showcase that premiered yesterday, Ubisoft unveiled a detailed roadmap for the upcoming year. The highlight of the presentation is Season 3: Guts and Glory, scheduled for this fall, which will finally introduce land combat. Players will be able to step off their ships and engage in thrilling swordfights and gun battles on land as part of the Rogue Warlord additions. The feature will allow players to explore sandy beaches and damp caves to rescue skilled Officers, adding a new layer of depth to the gameplay. A teaser video provided a glimpse of what to expect, but the full experience awaits later this year.

While land combat stands out as the most significant addition, Ubisoft has planned a series of updates throughout 2025 that promise to keep players engaged. Season 1, Ascent into Chaos, launches today, April 15, introducing a new item ascension feature to enhance loot, challenging World Tiers, a new Schooner medium ship, and the team-based Death Tides PvP mode. Season 2: Oaths of War, set to release in the summer of 2025, will bring Megaforts and the impressive Frigate large ships. Finally, Season 4: Eye of the Beast will introduce the fearsome Kraken, a Hunter’s Guild, and the Corvette large ship this winter.

For those intrigued by these updates, Ubisoft is offering a free weekend for Skull and Bones from April 17 to 21. This is the perfect opportunity for new players to experience the pirate PvP action and for existing players to explore the new content. Additionally, the game will be available at a discounted price during this period, although the exact discount has not yet been announced.

Skull and Bones launched on February 16, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, receiving a 7/10 in our review. While Ubisoft has not released official sales figures, they did report "record player engagement" shortly after the game's release. Interestingly, the launch of Skull and Bones also led to a 200% increase in players for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, highlighting the renewed interest in pirate-themed games.