The second round of Skull and Bones closed Beta kicked off on December 15 and will run until December 18, 2023. Players had the opportunity to join the closed beta from PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The reaction to the closed Beta test has been mixed, but mostly positive.
Ubisoft announced the launch of the Closed Beta on X with the caption “Prepare to set sail… #SkullAndBones Closed Beta is LIVE!” Several players were invited to join. However, if you did not get an invite, visit this link and register so that you will get a chance in future invites—if there would be any.
Those who got an invite can invite two friends to join them in the test. To invite your friends, do the following;
- In the confirmation email you received, select Invite My Friends
- Select Invite in the Ubisoft Connect friends list, next to your friend’s username
- Your friend will receive the invitation to the email address associated with their Ubisoft account
ALSO READ: Naughty Dog Killed The Last Of Us Online Ambition For 2 Reasons
Anyone all over the world can take part in the Closed Beta except people in Belarus, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Japan, Russia, South Sudan, and Syria.
During the allotted beta time, players will have the opportunity to explore Skull and Bones’ Red Isle. The maximum allotted time to each player is six hours. However, there is something that players must know about how time is being expended in Skull and Bones Closed Beta.
Unlike the Closed Beta of some other games, the time in Skull and Bones will continue to tick away even if you are just idling away on the menu screen. Therefore, we advise players to log out of the game whenever they want to take a break.
Your time will automatically pause when you log out of the game and will continue from where you left off the next time that you log into the game—as long as the beta is still running.
It is important to mention that all progression during the Closed Beta will not be saved and will not be carried over to the full game at launch. So, just have fun and don’t bother about your progress in Skull and Bones Closed Beta. However, all rewards earned during Skull and Bones Closed Beta can be redeemed at launch.
Interesting details of Skull and Bones Closed Beta test
Most developers or publishers will require Beta testers to sign an NDA that bars them from sharing any of the game’s content. Players who go against the NDA are often banned and the shared content taken down. In the Q&A section of Skull and Bones Closed Beta website, Ubisoft explained that players are free to share the game content.
“As the Closed Beta is not restricted by an NDA, all content from this beta can be streamed, captured, and shared publicly,” Ubisoft explained. “So feel free to share your first taste of pirate life with the community!”
ALSO READ: 7 Biggest Video Game Flops Of 2023 That Left Gamers Feeling Scammed
One thing that the Skull and Bones Closed Beta has revealed is the size of the game. The game will launch at around 65 GB. Also, minimum and recommended specs for Skull and Bones were disclosed in the Q&A section of the website.
Recommended requirements (1080p at 60 frames per second)
- Operating system: Windows 10 / Windows 11
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K, AMD Ryzen 5 3600, or better
- RAM: 16 GB (running dual-channel mode)
- Video card: NVIDIA RTX 2070 (8 GB), AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB), or better
- Hard drive: 65 GB available storage (SSD recommended)
Minimum requirements (1080p at 30 frames per second)
- Operating system: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7-4790, AMD Ryzen 5 1600, or better
- RAM: 8 GB (running dual-channel mode)
- Video card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 (6 GB), AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (8 GB), or better
- Hard drive: 65 GB available storage (SSD recommended)
Reactions to Skull and Bones have been mostly positive
It is believed that Skull and Bones initially started as an expansion of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Internally, the codename of the project was “Black Flag Infinity”. However, due to an overwhelmingly positive reception of the naval segment of Black Flag, Ubisoft decided to expand it into a new title.
The development of Skull and Bones allegedly dates back to 2013, although it was initially announced in 2017. However, it was delayed several times due to shifting management and troubled development. The game is now scheduled for release on February 16, 2024. Those who purchase the Premium Edition or subscribe to Ubisoft+ will get a 3-day early start.
ALSO READ: 15 Must-Have PlayStation Exclusive Video Game Art Books
While the reactions to Skull and Bones Closed Beta have been mostly positive, they were players who thought the game needed lots of polishing to be worth the $70 price tag.
“Tried out a lil #SkullandBones beta,” wrote @JandocTV on X, “not bad but also needs a bunch of polish. Need to mess with it more to see if it’s worth it. So far not $70 worth.”
If you were part of the Skull and Bones Closed Beta test, feel free to share your thoughts on the game with us in the comment below.
