Skull and Bones

Open-world naval action RPG centered on customizable ship combat

Ubisoft Singapore · Published by Ubisoft · Released Aug 22, 2024

Reviews: Mixed; 66% of 4,995
Recent reviews: Mostly Positive; 70% of 204 in 30 days
Playing now: 148; right now
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update: 1 week ago; Sep 14, 2026

What is Skull and Bones?

An open-world naval action RPG set in the Indian Ocean. You sail and customize ships, choose weapon loadouts, battle other vessels, and tackle world events, fortified settlements, and pirate hunters alone or in co-op fleets; PvP is also available. A persistent internet connection and Ubisoft account are required.

For you if...

+you want ship-focused combat with solo, co-op, and PvP options
+you like exploring an open ocean with dynamic weather
+you enjoy tailoring ship classes and weapons to different roles

Not for you if...

−you want substantial sword fighting and on-foot island exploration
−you need an offline game without account requirements

What players say

66% of 4,995 reviews are positive · 70% of 204 in the last 30 days

Players praise the fast, arcade-like ship battles and describe open-water sailing as relaxing. The most common complaints concern repetitive late-game grinding, weekly upgrade timers, cluttered menus, numerous currencies, and paid-cosmetic prompts. Recent reviews also criticize the cancellation of announced land combat.

Screenshots and trailer

Skull and Bones system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel i3 4150 or AMD FX 4300
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 950 2GB or AMD Radeon R9 270X 2GB
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Storage: 90 GB available space
DirectX: Version 11

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM: BattlEye
Third-party account: Ubisoft Account (Supports Linking to Steam Account)
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows
Achievements: 50
Steam features: In-app purchases, HDR
Age rating: 17+

Steam Deck: Verified

All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Shows Steam Deck controller icons
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

Multiplayer and co-op

Languages

Full audio: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese. Text only: Arabic, Korean, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish - Latin America, Traditional Chinese, Italian, Polish.