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

Ubisoft is steering Skull and Bones into its most ambitious year yet, with Year 2 set to transform the pirate multiplayer game through a slew of exciting additions. These include new game modes, ships, the introduction of a Kraken, and a much-anticipated feature: land combat.

During a special Year 2 showcase that premiered yesterday, Ubisoft unveiled their roadmap for the coming year, filled with content that promises to keep players hooked. The spotlight, however, was on Season 3: Guts and Glory, slated for this fall, which will finally bring the long-awaited land combat to the game. Players will be able to step off their ships and engage in swordfights and gun battles on land as part of the Rogue Warlord update. This new feature will allow players to explore sandy beaches and damp caves to rescue skilled crewmembers known as Officers. A teaser video offered a glimpse into what to expect, though the full experience remains under wraps until later this year.

While land combat stands out as the headline feature of Skull and Bones Year 2, the showcase revealed a wealth of other updates to keep players engaged throughout 2025. Kicking off today, April 15, Season 1: Ascent into Chaos introduces an 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, launching in the summer of 2025, will bring Megaforts and the formidable Frigate large ships. Finally, Season 4: Eye of the Beast, set for this winter, will unveil the Kraken, the Hunter’s Guild, and the Corvette large ship.

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

Skull and Bones set sail on February 16, 2024, and is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. In our review, we awarded it a 7/10. While Ubisoft has been tight-lipped about specific sales figures, they did mention that the game achieved "record player engagement" shortly after its release. Interestingly, the launch of Skull and Bones also saw a 200% increase in players for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.