Is Skull and Bones open world?

After six years and multiple delays, Skull and Bones, a co-op pirate ARPG, is set to launch on Feb. 16 across most major platforms. While it does have an expansive world, one of the biggest queries on everyone’s minds is whether it’s an open-world game.

Skull and Bones open world, explained

Yes, Skull and Bones is open-world. In this co-op pirate action RPG, you must brave the harsh seas to become the ultimate pirate kingpin as you participate in shared contracts and loot. If you’re more of a solo pirate, you can play Skull and Bones solo too.

If you’re curious about how big this open world is, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are around 241mi2 (625km2 square kilometers) of land and seas to enjoy. For comparison, Skull and Bones is more expansive than Red Dead Redemption (approximately 29mi2) and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (roughly 100mi2). So, you have quite a big world to explore.

There are also a few interesting open-world mechanics, such as the Spyglass, which helps you find and identify a ship and its rank and loadout, and you can also use Flares, which you shoot into the sky if you need assistance. But as the combat in Skull and Bones is more PvE, unless you’re playing with friends, you may share your location with other players who’d rather see you at the bottom of the ocean than help you.

While most of your time will be spent destroying your enemy’s ships and exploring the high seas, you can also take a break and venture across the lands where you may find settlements and outposts filled with merchants, contracts, and production sites.

So, if you’re ready to dive into Skull and Bones, it officially launches on Friday, Feb. 16 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X/S.