Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 60 | 158 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 30 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 66% | 64 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 38 | 307 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 56% | 57 | 163 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 27, 2026) · 32 reviews sampled · 163 total reviews in window · weighted 12.9 up / 4.6 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (130)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 35
“Skull and Bones is not something I can recommend to anyone. If you want to play a good game about pirates, I suggest going back to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, released years ago. It's really interesting that a game released 11 years after its development and seven years after its announcement ultimately turned out to be worse and more primitive than the older title that inspired it. Unfortunately, though, practically nothing worked out in Skull and Bones. It's an incomplete title, full of flaws and bad decisions. Playing it was a road through agony for me. It may not be the worst game we've gotten and will get this year, but it's still disappointing.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Skull and Bones appears to be a project pursued due to financial support rather than player demand. It borrows elements from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag but omits enjoyable features like swimming. The game reduces the player to controlling a ship in a superficial world, revealing its lackluster content once the initial gloss wears off.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“You wrote that review of Skull and Bones in a really lighthearted way. Yes, because the folks at Ubisoft started this whole joke. The game was made for players from ten years ago, and after all the complications it went through during development, the developers should have just given up on it altogether. Instead of being a pirate, you become a ship, be like a ship, think like a ship, feel like a ship. But these days, that’s simply not enough. The dismal pace, the dreadful gameplay, the boring story, no land, the insane grind, opening chests, all of that is worth next to nothing in this game. I have to admit that I enjoy sailing into the unknown, but not when the same loop keeps playing over and over. So I’ll give the game credit for its naval battles and leave it at that, because I can’t think of anything else to say. When I factor in the price on top of that, I feel sorry for my piggy bank, just like when I bought Redfall. Then again, the pirates ripped me off, didn’t they?”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Skull and Bones falls short of being a deserving successor to Assassin's Creed Black Flag, and it also lacks substantial elements to support Ubisoft's assertion that it is the first-ever AAAA title.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“I wish Skull and Bones was the pirate extravaganza it could and should have been. But other than some fleeting ship combat, if you want to get the real pirate experience, look elsewhere.”
read full review ↗ - 30
- 50
“Skull And Bones' sailing and naval combat are solid and well-made from the get-go. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to carry the entire game and its insane "quadruple A" price tag. Whether it's the lacklustre storytelling, the shallow gameplay mechanics, or the uninspired multiplayer, there's no denying that Skull and Bones fails to live up to the hype. And as players lower their anchors and bid farewell to this ill-fated voyage, one can't help but wonder what could have been if only Ubisoft's higher-ups and management had dared to chart a course less travelled.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Skull and Bones has fun naval combat and great ship customisation but it's buried by tedious quests, grinding and a shallow endgame that feels unfinished in its current state.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Skull and Bones delivers boatloads of explosive tactical action, with players playing the part of pirates in an impressive oceanic world. Its 17th-century naval battles are best-in-class, with developer Ubisoft Singapore building a firm foundation for future voyages. But with no real story to speak of and little in the way of variation, repetition inevitably sets in. While not the spiritual successor to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag as some might have been hoping for, Skull and Bones is never-the-less an incredibly unique, reactive game well worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Clearly, Skull and Bones has suffered from years of development and numerous changes of direction. The handling of the ships is well done, but everything around them is much less so. The in-game phases are very repetitive, and boarding and pillaging are nothing more than identical cinematics. The very principle of the experience is to go back and forth until you reach the end of the main campaign. Not to mention that the technology is not worthy of a game marketed in 2024 at this price.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Instead of a "gritty pirate game," Skull and Bones is a looter shooter on the high seas that keeps stepping on its own toes. I hope future seasons will transform it into a game that's good for more than novelty ship battles.”
read full review ↗ - 45
“Skull and Bones has potential but the result is disappointing. the gameplay gets boring after the first hours and the game fails to deliver story wise.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Maintenance 27th August - Item Salvage, Splash Screen , & Contract FixesAug 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 25th August - World Event, Contract & Stability FixesAug 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Y3S2 PATCH NOTES: CRIMSON WATERSAug 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Year 3 Season 2 Development Update: IPP17 Recap & Community Q&AJul 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 07th July - Combat Fixes, Stability Improvements & Kraken rewardsJul 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 09th June - Multiple fixes & improvementsJun 8, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 02nd June - Combat and stability Fixes, UI UpdatesJun 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 26th May - Various Fixes, Community Feedback under investigationMay 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 19th May - Various Fixes & Stability ImprovementsMay 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Year 3 Season 1 Patch NotesMay 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 28th April - Known Issues Update & Seasonal Reset InformationApr 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- ICYMI: Galleon Coming With Year 3 Season 1Apr 24, 2026
- Maintenance Update - 21 April - Smuggler Pass Fix & Known Issues UpdateApr 20, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance Update - 14 April - Known Issues UpdateApr 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance Update - 7 April - Corvette Rollback, Quest Fixes, Fast Travel FixApr 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Y2S4 PATCH NOTESFeb 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Y2S3.1 Patch NotesDec 8, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Y2S3 Patch NotesOct 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Letter from the ProducerSep 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Y2S2 Patch NotesJul 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Y2S1.1 - Patch NotesMay 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Year 2 Season 1 Patch NotesApr 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Y1S4.2 – Patch NotesFeb 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Y1S4.1 Patch NotesDec 9, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Y1S4 - Shadows of the Deep - Patch NotesNov 15, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Y1S3.2 Patch NotesOct 14, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update on Title Update Y1S3.1 Maintenance IssuesSep 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Maintenance 17th September - UPDATEDSep 17, 2024
- Maintenance 17th September - UpdateSep 17, 2024
- Y1S3.1 Patch NotesSep 16, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Y1S3 - Into the Dragon's Wake - Patch NotesAug 22, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- An update about upcoming Free TrialAug 21, 2024