Ubisoft Wastes $850 Million on Skull and Bones: A Total Money Pit!

Ubisoft Spent a Staggering $650-850 Million on Skull and Bones: The Financial Ruin of a AAAA Game

According to insider information shared by YouTuber Endymion, Skull and Bones has become the project that may have doomed Ubisoft. Rather than the previously thought culprits, like Star Wars Outlaws, Endymion’s sources suggest that Skull and Bones is the real reason behind Ubisoft's current financial struggles, especially following the disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws.

Endymion revealed, “My sources have indicated that Ubisoft has poured between $650 million and $850 million into Skull and Bones over the past ten years.” The game, which has gone through multiple iterations, reportedly failed so badly that it significantly contributed to Ubisoft’s precarious financial position. “They invested an astronomical amount of resources into this Skull and Bones game, and it clearly did not pay off,” he noted.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot had previously labeled Skull and Bones as a AAAA game, defending its hefty $70 price tag during a February Q3 sales call for fiscal year 2024, shortly before its release. When questioned by investors about the pricing strategy, Guillemot insisted, “Skull and Bones is a fully-fledged game. You can see it on the market today. It’s very expansive, and we believe players will appreciate the depth and completeness of this AAA, AAAA title.”

Despite these assurances, the reality post-launch tells a different story. Tom Henderson from Insider Gaming reported that the game has struggled to maintain an active player base. “At the time of writing, Skull and Bones has around 850,000 players total, including those taking advantage of the eight-hour free trial offered by Ubisoft.” However, the numbers don’t lie—after its Steam release on August 22, 2024, Skull and Bones peaked at only 2,615 concurrent players. The most recent data indicates a staggering decline, with a 24-hour peak of just 412 players, marking an 85% drop.

Sales estimates for Skull and Bones have been dismal, with figures hovering between 23,600 and 34,100 copies sold. For context, this is comparable to Firewalk Studios’ Concord, which had Steam sales estimated at around 20,800 to 25,700. With such low numbers, it seems likely that Ubisoft may never recoup the vast investment made in this skull and bones MMO, raising serious questions about the future of the franchise.

In summary, as Skull and Bones struggles in the marketplace, the narrative surrounding its development and release continues to unravel. Ubisoft's ambitious venture into the world of piracy may end up being more of a cautionary tale than a success story.