Believe it or not, Ubisoft is doing another Skull and Bones closed beta later this month

pcgamer.com:

You have to give credit to Ubisoft for persistence: Another developer might've scuttled Skull and Bones ages ago, but Yves Guillemot and co. keep blowing into its sails, trying to propel it forward, and so it is that another Skull and Bones closed beta is coming next week.

For those just tuning in, Skull and Bones was announced in June 2017 as an open-world game of high-seas piracy, based on the seafaring bits of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, which came out in 2013. It was supposed to be out in 2018, but multiple delays have kept it from setting sail. In 2022 it looked like we were really and truly going to finally get our hands on it, but after a brief period of heady hope, a long-awaited gameplay reveal failed to impress, and just a couple months before the slated launch in November 2022, it was delayed again. And then, for good measure, again.

We still don't have a new release date, but the upcoming closed beta suggests that Ubisoft has at least a general target in mind. In this session, players will explore the Red Isle and the pirate den of Sainte Anne, as well as the coast of Africa, where they'll encounter various in-game factions and interact with them either peacefully or otherwise. There will be a main storyline to follow during the beta, as well as various side contracts and bounties to pick up, and a «Merchant Convoy World Event.»

Players who take part in the closed beta will earn rewards in the full release including ship cosmetics, some fireworks, and a special emote. Unfortunately, not everyone will get in: To take part, you'll need to register at ubisoft.com and then wait for the invitation to arrive. If you're admitted, preloading will begin at 3 am PT on August 22, while the beta itself will start at 7