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Ubisoft has defended Skull and Bones' lofty price tag, dubbing it a "quadruple A game," but many who've played the recent beta aren't sold on it.
Skull and Bones' journey to store shelves has been anything but smooth sailing, and if you're planning on finally setting sail on this high-seas adventure, it's going to cost you no less than $70.
In a recent investors call (thanks VGC), Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot was challenged on the game's price by an analyst who argued that considering it appears to be going down the live-service route - with battle passes, seasonal events, an in-game store, and premium currency - the move could potentially limit the size of the player base. Instead, they suggested a free-to-play model might be more fitting.
Guillemot defended the $70 asking price, saying, "You will see that Skull and Bones is a fully-fledged game. It's a very big game, and we feel that people will really see how vast and complete that game is. It's a really full, triple… quadruple-A game, that will deliver in the long run."
While Guillemot certainly seems confident that Skull and Bones is value for money, it's a different story over on the Skull and Bones subreddit. User walkingdead1282 says the game is "fine so far" but adds that "no way" is it worth $70. They highlight issues such as ships feeling "like they're sliding on the water rather than moving through it," and mast flags not blowing in the same direction as the wind breaking the immersion, and say these "make this less of the game it's supposed to be."
Many others are in agreement, saying that while they enjoy the game, the price is too high. "There is absolutely no way I'd pay $70 (or $90) for this game," comments one player. Another writes, "I love this game, but the max I pay for any game is 40-50."
Weighing in on the issue on a separate post, user Accomplished-Month85 reckons that the cost of entry will be Skull and Bones' undoing. "I feel like this won't gain much traction," they write. "If this wasn't in development hell and they didn't need to recoup development costs, I could see this as a $30 to max $40 game, or better yet, free to play."
Skull and Bones started development all the way back in 2013, initially as an expansion for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. It's set to release this Friday, February 16, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, meaning there's only days to go before we find out whether, after all these years, it rides high or sinks like a stone.
