Skull and Bones price: Is it free to play?

How many pieces of eight do you need?

pirates point at pirate ship in skull and bones
Image via Ubisoft.

After many years of development, Skull and Bones is finally releasing on Feb. 16, but the current state of the game may get you wondering if it’s free to play.

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Skull and Bones changed its direction multiple times to the point many players didn’t even know what the game would look like until recently. 

After playing the beta tests, Skull and Bones looks and feels like a live-service multiplayer pirate RPG. However, considering the mixed receptions of those tests and the existence of Sea of Thieves, I don’t blame you for asking whether the game is free to play.

Is Skull and Bones free to play?

Vendor standing in their shop in Skull and Bones
Vendors want to make a profit and so does Ubisoft. Image via Ubisoft

Unfortunately, no, Skull and Bones is not free to play. It’s a full premium release like any other Ubisoft title released in the past few years. The game has a free open beta weekend ahead of its Feb. 16 release date, so you can try it out before buying it, but other than that, you’ll have to pay cash to play it.

How much is Skull and Bones?

Pirate ship on fire during a ship battle in the storm
Those are dangerous seas. Image via Ubisoft

Skull and Bones Standard Edition costs $59.99. If you’re pre-ordering the game, you’ll also receive a Highness of the High Sea Pack pre-order bonus. For $89.99, you can get Skull and Bones Premium Edition, which comes with three days of early access if pre-ordered, two extra missions, and cosmetic items for yourself and your ship.

Pre-orders can be quite a risky purchase in this case because, as mentioned, the community view on the game is quite mixed. I suggest you wait until reviews and community feedback start flowing in once the game is released before buying the game. Alternatively, you can access Skull and Bones through Ubisoft Plus, although that’s quite an expensive way to try the game.

Author
Image of Edward Strazd
Edward Strazd
Freelance News and SEO Writer for Dot Esports, covering everything from live service games like Destiny 2 and Fortnite to new releases. Writing about games since 2021. When he's not writing, he's probably grinding for loot in Destiny 2.