Skull and Bones Faces Ongoing Problems with No Release Date in Sight
The pirate RPG, Skull and Bones, continues to encounter obstacles as it loses yet another creative director and remains without an internal release date.
Elisabeth Pellen Departure
Elisabeth Pellen, who joined Ubisoft Singapore as the third creative director for Skull and Bones, has left the team. Although her LinkedIn profile indicates that she started in January 2019, reports suggest that she had been working with the team since 2018. Pellen has now assumed the role of online editorial director at Ubisoft. Despite concerns surrounding her departure, a spokesperson from Ubisoft told Kotaku that it is standard for a creative director to leave at the end of a project.
According to the spokesperson, “Five years ago, Elisabeth Pellen went to Ubisoft Singapore with a mission to reboot the creative direction of Skull and Bones. She succeeded, and the Skull and Bones team is now fulfilling her vision to deliver a unique naval action RPG experience to our players.”
Uncertainty Surrounding the Game’s Release Date
While Pellen’s departure is not entirely unexpected, the game continues to face challenges, including the lack of an internal release date. Although Ubisoft initially announced a late 2023 or early 2024 release window when the game was delayed in January 2023, it appears that the studio is still uncertain about the exact launch date. This contradicts Ubisoft’s previous statement, which claimed that a new release date would be revealed “very soon.”
Concerns About Employee Treatment
The studio is also grappling with reports of employee mistreatment, as previously reported by Kotaku in 2021. The Singapore Creative Media and Publishing Union has attempted to garner support from employees through office flyers. Ubisoft has acknowledged these concerns and stated that it values the importance of listening to its employees and fostering open dialogue. Currently, a ballot exercise is being conducted among eligible team members to determine formal recognition.
A Long and Troubled Development
Skull and Bones has faced a turbulent development process that has spanned nearly a decade. Initially conceived as a multiplayer spin-off to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in 2013, the game eventually became a standalone title. It was officially unveiled at E3 2017 with an initial release date set for 2018, but it has faced multiple delays since then. Reports suggest that the game has suffered from a lack of direction, poor management, and unclear design, all of which have contributed to its ever-shifting release window.