Diving into the treacherous waters of the gaming industry, “Skull and Bones” has set sail with an ambitious blend of maritime strategy and swashbuckling adventure. This article shines some light on the Skull and Bones sales and breaks down the Skull and Bones statistics in a way that’s easy to get, whether you’re a seasoned pirate or just someone curious about what’s making waves in the gaming sea. From the number of units sold to the engagement metrics that hint at the player base’s dedication, we navigate through the data to bring you a comprehensive analysis
Skull and Bones has around 850,000 current players.
(Source: Insider Gaming)
- Skull and Bones has less than 1 million total players so far, including those who played the free 8-hour trial
- Ubisoft revealed that since launch, Skull and Bones players have been averaging 4 hours of daily playtime, which it calls a “record”
- However, it’s unclear if the player count and engagement will remain the same after the free trial expires.
- Initial review scores have been mixed to poor, with a Metacritic score of 57 out of 100
- At its price and player count, the game is not expected to earn back its development costs.
Skull and Bones has seen around 850,000 total players so far who have spent an average of 3-4 hours per day engaged with the game. While the daily playtime suggests current players are enjoying it, the lack of other data means the commercial success is unclear. The reception and reviews of the game have been mixed to poor. It seems to be struggling to live up to expectations as Ubisoft’s self-described “AAAA” game following over a decade in development. The game’s future appears uncertain at this stage.
Development costs for Skull and Bones were around $200 million over its 10+ year development
(Source: VGC)
- The $70 price point has been criticized both publicly and internally as too high for the game
- It’s unclear if the game will make back its development costs based on the current player numbers and reception.
- Less than 3 weeks after release, retailers have already slashed the price by $25, with some offering it for $44.99.
- Skull and Bones launched with an 8-hour free trial that lets players carry progress to the full game if purchased.
The quick discounting of Skull and Bones by retailers within its first few weeks of release implies that, despite Ubisoft’s view of it as a large-scale experience worthy of a $70 price tag, consumers were not eager to pay such a premium up front. As with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, an even steeper reduction may have been needed to attract more players and better sustain engagement in the long run. Only continued monitoring will show if slashing the price so rapidly can bolster sales and community over the long term.
Sources
- “EXCLUSIVE – Skull and Bones Has Less Than 1 Million Players Total, Including Free Trial Players”. Insider Gaming, 2024, https://insider-gaming.com/skull-and-bones-players-total/
- “Skull and Bones’ price has been slashed by $25 after less than three weeks”. VGC, 2024, https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/skull-and-bones-price-has-been-slashed-by-25-after-less-than-three-weeks/