It’s been nearly a year since Ubisoft revealed their upcoming online pirate adventure title. With this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo just around the corner, the developer has announced a rather large detail – Skull and Bones has been delayed.

This may be disheartening for some, especially those working hard on the game, but it’s definitely not an uncommon occurrence in the industry. As creative director Justin Farren states in a post on the developer’s blog, Skull and Bones is Ubisoft Singapore’s “biggest game yet.” “Many of us have been working on it for the last few years, and want to make this game right in order to achieve our ambition to deliver the ultimate pirate game set to thrill players at launch and for years to come,” he continued.

Farren then goes on to say that their goal remains unchanged. They are continuing to “build a shared systemic open ocean that captures the essence of the pirate fantasy and is full of activities. We aspire to create a game where the act of attacking and robbing ships at sea — and where every single decision you make — requires you to carefully assess the risk versus reward.” Of course, a world like this couldn’t possibly exist without lore as deep as the ocean itself. The creative director said:

We also are building a world rich in lore and stories, where you’ll come across memorable characters and have the canvas to create your own stories. Letting you set your own objectives and to take down your rivals on your own terms is key to the experience we want to create.”

Now, exactly how long will players have to wait until they get their hands on Skull and Bones? In a financial report to their investors, Ubisoft offered up some reasoning behind their decision. Here’s what they had to say:

In line with previous practices and in view of the acceleration of our digital transformation, growth in back-catalog sales and excellent momentum of recent releases, Ubisoft has decided to give itself more time to develop Skull & Bones to offer players an even more engaging experience. Skull & Bones is now scheduled for release in 2019-20.”

And there you have it. We can’t help but wonder if the release of Rare’s Sea of Thieves has anything to do with the delay of Skull and Bones. Maybe Ubisoft is watching and learning, hoping to give their players a great experience from day one. Only time will tell, but keep it tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers as this story develops. For other gaming news going on right now, check out the following:

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• Metro Exodus Release Delayed Until Next Year, Developer Responds
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What say you, gamers? Are you bummed to learn that Skull and Bones has been delayed for at least another year? What sort of details do you believe will be revealed at E3 next month? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!