Highlights

  • Skull and Bones has faced numerous delays and changes in development, potentially making it a dated and worn-out game upon release.
  • The struggles of Skull and Bones could pave the way for a remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, with rumors suggesting that the same studio behind Skull and Bones may be involved in the remake.
  • The mechanics and visuals of Skull and Bones could be incorporated into a Black Flag remake, enhancing the gameplay experience and potentially generating excitement among fans.

Skull and Bones has had a long and rocky development cycle, being over a decade in the making. However, Skull and Bones' struggles may have made things easier for a certain heavily reported (albeit unconfirmed) remake.

Skull and Bones was unveiled at E3 2017, but was reportedly in development as early as 2013. Starting development as an expansion for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, the project's scope quickly became bigger and formed its own game. From there, it received delay after delay, so much so that its development has outlasted the lifetime of Google Stadia—a platform that was going to receive a port of the title. Everything about it has changed time and again, including its setting.

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A player interacting with an NPC in Skull and Bones
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Skull And Bones May Have Paddled So A Black Flag Remake Could Swim

Ubisoft's open-world pirate adventure looks to finally be leaving the port, with Skull and Bones primed to release on February 15. However, the title will now inevitably be withered by time; it's partially the product of a gaming culture found a decade in the past, conceived when the 8th generation of consoles was just beginning. In addition to potentially being dated, its development has sailed through the stormy waters of Ubisoft scandals, has seen creative leads come and go, and will be choc-a-bloc with all the live-service trappings that gamers have long grown weary of. I

That doesn't mean Skull and Bones was, is, or will be all for naught, however, as its release could still surprise fans. If it doesn't, it could still benefit the game that ideated it. A remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag has long been making rounds in the rumor mill. Though nothing's been confirmed, said rumors are pointing toward Ubisoft Singapore, the team behind Skull and Bones, being the studio behind it. If this is the case, Skull and Bones might just be what Black Flag needs for a refurbishment.

Skull and Bones' Look And Mechanics Could Be Grafted Onto A Black Flag Remake

Skull and Bones already looks to have mechanics that could benefit a Black Flag remake, such as additions to ship customization. Though Black Flag already has widely-lauded ship combat, any new touch-ups from Skull and Bones could then be ported into Black Flag. While one team works on Skull and Bones, another could be moving onto Black Flag and taking key elements with them.

The current generation of gaming expects greater fidelity than ever before, and that's at least one way Skull and Bones could improve Black Flag. Moreover, the standardization of a $70 price tag comes with the expectation that games live up to it with regard to quantity and quality of content. Taking assets and mechanics from Skull and Bones would let a new take on Black Flag do more whilst retaining a look virtually indistinct to its own.

Skull and Bones Could Get Fans Hyped Up for a Black Flag Remake

It seems strange for Skull and Bones to stay unrelated to a title with such a similar premise by the same publisher. Indeed, the rumors of a Black Flag remake were thought to have killed the latter in the cradle. With Skull and Bones looking to be another live service game with seasons and events, it would at least make sense to have a crossover event with Black Flag to market the remake.