Skull and Bones: Everything you need to know about the closed beta in December and the launch in 2024

Skull and bones will be released on February 16, 2024 and offers Xbox Series X|S players open sea exploration and naval battles. For those who like to sail across the vast Indian Ocean and get a taste of pirate life: you can Register now for a chance to join the closed beta from 15th to 18th December 2023.

Your destination in Skull and bones The goal is to become a pirate boss, amassing riches, a fearsome fleet of ships and a notorious reputation along the way. However, this is easier said than done. When the game begins, you find yourself on the wrong side of a devastating naval battle. As a castaway, gather all the resources you can to make your way to the pirate hideout of Sainte-Anne, where your rags-to-riches story truly begins.

The first thing you need to understand Skull and bones is disgrace. Shame is a measure of your progress and a pirate’s most important resource Skull and bones. It determines what contracts are available to you, what ships you can build, what resources you can harvest, what weapons you can craft, and much more. I do pretty much everything Skull and bones will bring you infamy, from hunting crocodiles and smuggling rum to tracking down bounties and unearthing hidden treasure.

Get to know Sainte Anne

If you want to dominate the seas, you must first become comfortable on land. In the Pirate Cave of Sainte-Anne you can make contracts, build new ships and buy and sell your goods. This is also where you craft the weapons, accessories, and furniture you need to equip your ships. You can also customize your pirate’s appearance, manage your cargo to maximize profits, repair your ships, and customize them for the job with the right tools. Sainte-Anne is also where you meet John Scurlock, a pirate boss who sends you on missions to find the golden path Skull and bones (which brings you the best rewards and the greatest shame).

Grab a few contracts and available missions, pack a few repair kits and set sail! Your journey will soon bring you back to the pirate port, hopefully with more cargo than when you left and not too many holes in the hull. Your actions on the open sea often bring you valuable loot, but also come at the expense of resources that you need to replenish, such as ammunition and repair kits. Upon returning to port, complete your contracts, redeem your loot, craft an upgrade, store additional supplies for later, complete more contracts, replenish your survival resources, and get back on the road. That is Skull and bones’ Start in the early gameplay loop, and this is how you begin to build infamy and make a name for yourself.

Build your fleet

Of course, a pirate is nothing without a ship, and with your first real ship, the Bedar, you can explore the Red Isle, the area around Sainte-Anne, where dangers and opportunities await. Before you set sail, you must prepare your equipment for use Skull and bones’ Bread and butter: sea combat.

All ships arrived Skull and bones Have weapon slots for the various cannons and other artillery you can unlock. The Bedar has three slots – one on the left, right and front of the ship (port, starboard or bow for those interested in nautical science). Eventually you will unlock ships with four attachment slots, allowing you to attach weapons to all four sides of a ship. Many of your early missions involve sinking a certain number of a certain type of ship or looting settlements, so you’ll need to be well armed.

The starting cannons are up to the task early on, but soon you’ll want to specialize your armament. Long guns are good for hitting targets from (relatively) safer distances and pinpointing enemy weak points, while semi-cannons act as ship-mounted shotguns with a large area of ​​effect at close range. As you expand your fleet, more exotic weapons such as bombardments, torpedoes, naval fire and more can dramatically change the way you fight at sea. Likewise, the armor plates you choose for your ships have different resistances. Metal armor protects you from piercing damage, while wet skins protect you from fire-based attacks. If you’re having trouble during a particularly difficult fight, scout the enemy ships with your binoculars to find out what kind of damage they do and what they’re vulnerable to.

If you want to improve your weapons, armor or furniture that grant buffs, you will need to reach certain levels of infamy and find the right blueprints, which may be located far from Sainte-Anne. Luckily, each provider makes it clear what level you need to reach and where to find the specific design you’re looking for.

Sail with a murderous crew

While contracts give you specific objectives to complete, there are plenty of opportunities on the open sea. Hunt merchant ships, raid settlements, trade goods, collect crafting resources, track down blueprints, and explore the map to see what else awaits you. As you explore, you’ll often encounter other players Skull and bonesyou can interact with them in two ways. The first is to play together in co-op mode: approach their ship or send out a flare to call for help, and join a group to face more difficult challenges and get better loot . For more difficult objectives such as timed world events, cooperation is crucial. As the name suggests, these events expire if not completed quickly. For example, you may come across a wealthy trading convoy carrying rare and valuable goods, but their heavily armored ships don’t sink easily – and if you don’t sink them before they complete their route, their rewards will be lost. Team up with nearby players or friends to take them down in a coordinated attack and reap the benefits.

Co-op is also helpful for pirates, who keep an open ear for rumors and gossip in Sainte-Anne. Conversations you overhear could lead you to a mysterious ghost ship that only appears at night, or to a malevolent sea monster. These events are among the greatest challenges Skull and bones has to offer, but with the help of a fleet of friends, anyone can overcome even the supernatural.

If you’re feeling a little more reckless in your quest for wealth, PvP challenges are also available. All you have to do is find a legendary treasure map. These will lead you to incredibly valuable loot; The only catch is that this will mark your location to all nearby players and allow them to attack you. If they overpower you, they will steal your cargo and claim the legendary map’s treasure for themselves. With great risk comes great reward, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to hunt the treasure or hunt those who do.

Become a kingpin

As your shame increases, so does the world of Skull and bones. More advanced contracts take you to remote corners of the Indian Ocean, and larger ships and better weapons ensure you can survive in those corners.

Infamy comes in different levels. Once you reach the Brigand level, you join The Helm, a secret smuggling network, and unlock your own pirate liar. At this point, you are not doing tasks for others, but running your own operation as you acquire exotic materials and process them into illegal goods to sell on the black market. Upgrade The Helm, conquer key territories, and expand your operations to stay in business and dominate the seas.

Play your way

Ultimately, how you play Skull and bones is up to you. Will you be alone on the high seas in search of treasure? Will you team up with a group of friends to wage naval wars and hunt other players? Will you uncover every blueprint and hidden secret across the Indian Ocean? And perhaps most importantly, will you have a pet lemur or cat on board your ship? There is no wrong way to play Skull and bonesSo get ready to become the pirate kingpin when the game launches on February 16, 2024 and get up to three days of early access Pre-order the Premium Edition now from the Microsoft Store for Xbox.