According to recent reports, Skull & Bones has failed to attract a significant number of players. As it seems, the game has not reached 1 million players yet, with around 850,000 players, including those playing it through the eight-hour free trial period.
As per Insider Gaming, one significant factor behind the game's poor player numbers was its price, which was criticised publicly and internally. The company's decision to make the game a fully priced one has been a source of contention among project staffers. “I think we all know this is a $30-$40 game at best, but it's not in our control to determine those things”, stated one Ubisoft employee.
Moreover, sources have revealed that the game's production cost the company roughly $200 million over a decade of development. Despite such a significant investment, the company does not intend to recoup the cost. The game's production involved hundreds of developers working across 11 studios, resulting in several changes in creative direction and continual internal delays.
Despite the low numbers, the report claims the game's engagement rate among players is quite good, with the typical user spending three to four hours in-game daily.
The game was released on February 16th and has received a mixed response from the gaming community. It currently has an Opencritic score of 60, with only 12% of the 52 reviewers recommending it. Skull & Bones is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Amazon Luna.
KitGuru says: Are you playing Skull and Bones? Do you think the game deserves more love from the gaming community?