Why Skull & Bones Isn’t On Steam

Skull & Bones, Ubisoft’s pirate game, may have hit choppy waters, but it’s finally sailed out. However, if you’re thinking of buying it, you might be wondering why Skull & Bones isn’t on Steam. Here’s the answer.

Why Skull & Bones Isn’t On Steam

Like many recent Ubisoft games, Skull & Bones is only on Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store. You can’t buy it on Steam, which is also the case for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and several other recent Ubisoft releases. Why? While Ubisoft hasn’t shared the details of the deal, they have an ongoing partnership with Epic that gives them exclusives on several Ubisoft games.

The fact that Epic takes a smaller commission has almost certainly helped. Steam collects around 30%, while Ubisoft takes 12%, which, if you’re selling an AAA game, can be a difference of millions. So, for now, at least, Skull & Bones is not on Steam due to an agreement between Epic and Ubisoft.

It could be a timed exclusive, which would mean the game will come to Steam later. That was the case with The Division 2, which launched on Epic in March 2019 but only hit Steam in Jan 2023. That’s nearly a four-year wait, though it would give you a chance to see whether Skull & Bones rides the waves or sinks without a trace.

What Is the Release Date for Skull & Bones?

So, just when can your hands on Skull & Bones? Steam users aside, it arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on Friday, February 16th, 2024. At least, it is for now, but the game has suffered through a ridiculous number of delays.

It was originally scheduled for a 2018 release, but it got pushed to 2019, then 2020, then… well, you get the picture. It’s been delayed six times, which has to be some kind of record, even by Dead Island 2 standards.

So, why all these delays? One of the most recent ones was so that developer Ubisoft Singapore could “fully deliver on its vision,” the usual “adding polish” explanation. But a similar excuse was given back in 2022, with the devs being “…hard at work polishing and balancing the experience ahead of the worldwide launch.”

But the game’s development has been troubled, with alleged changes of direction, management issues, and more. We probably won’t get the absolute truth for years, but, as reported by Kotaku, the game’s development has supposedly started over again several times. It’s been a choppy, choppy ride for this pirate title

So, the oft-delayed Skull & Bones isn’t on Steam due to an exclusivity agreement with Epic.

If you’re thinking of buying the pirate adventure, here are the game’s pre-order bonuses.