Captains, a Skull and Bones maintenance is incoming 🛠️

🗓️ Tuesday 27th May
⏰8AM CEST / 4PM AET / (26 MAY) 11PM PT
⏳~ 3h

🔧 Update Y2S1.1 will be deployed. Read the full Patch Notes below ⬇️

Death Tides, Skull and Bones’ long-awaited dedicated PvP game mode, is here!

Along with the release of Death Tides, this mid-season update brings to players balance changes, quality-of-life improvements, bugfixes, and stability improvements.

• Players will need to finish the Main Game’s Introductory Sequence in order for Death Tides to be visible in the Main Menu.
  
• To access Death Tides from the Journal in the Indian Ocean, players will need to finish the “Into the Lion’s Den” and “Death Tides” contracts.

• You may select up to 5 ships from your own fleet to participate in Death Tides! You can also do this through the Docking Screen > Manage Ship screen in the Indian Ocean.
  
• Each ship can be assigned 1 PvP ultimate as part of the ship customization to be used in Death Tides game modes (read more about Ultimates below).
  
• Still building up your dream fleet? Not to worry, there are 6 pre-fitted loadouts for players to jump into PvP immediately:
  
• All Preset ships are set by default at Ship Upgrade 7
  
• DPS-focused: Disruptor (Sloop), Pyrocast (Sambuk) and Lancelot (Bedar), Marksman (Garuda)
  
• Support-focused: Paladin (Barque)
  
• Tank: Stormwall (Battle Junk)

• While participating in Death Tides, you may encounter power-ups around the map that grants the individual a temporary boost. Sail over the power ups to gain short-term advantages such as increased speed and damage, or simply to recover some hull health.
  
• Upon picking up the power-ups, you are instantly granted one of the following:
  
• +30% Damage for 20s.
  
• +70% sailing speed for 25s and recover stamina by 60%.
  
• Repair all severe hull damage, recover stamina by 60% and Regenerates 6000 health points every 2 seconds for 15s.

• When you are sunk, you get the opportunity to select another ship to use or stick to your guns should you choose to!
  
• Repair Kits are available in Death Tides but only limited to 1 at a time - 1 granted on respawn.
  
• Each time a player spawns, you’ll obtain a Death Tides specific Repair Kit.
  
• Severe damage is fully repaired upon respawning.
  
• Crew attacks are not usable in Death Tides.
  
• Repair kits and food from your Inventory do not work in Death Tides.

Different pre-fitted ships have different types of Ultimates associated with them. Try all sorts of ships and their abilities! Charge your Ultimate to activate an Ultimate that is assigned to each ship to give you or your team an advantage during combat.
Ultimate Charge builds up passively over time, but can be accelerated by:

• Dealing damage
  
• Receiving damage
  
• Sinking opponents
  
• Healing teammates

Choose from 11 Ultimates to assign to each of 5 ships that you’ve chosen from your own fleet.

• Power Weapons are temporary weapons that are automatically equipped onto your ship when activated. Once equipped, you have the option to choose when you want to fire these weaponries. When you run out of ammunition, the weapons will be automatically unequipped, and your original weapons will return.
  
• Combat Skills apply temporary benefits
  
• Bastion: Confers a moment of invulnerability
  
• Combat Fury: Increase damage dealt, heals hull and Stamina
  
• Summon a Legendary entity that will support your team in fighting your enemy
  
• In Team-Based modes, each team is limited to one legendary summon at a time.
  
• The health of Legendary entities will be depleted over time.

• Based on individual (deaths, kills, damage, point capture, assists etc.) + team stats (score and win/loss), each player will receive up to a maximum of 1000 Infamy.
  
• All participants will receive some specialized material, Seasonal Currency, Smuggler points and Silver.
  
• Winner’s Bonus: Additional Specialized material, Seasonal Currency and Silver.
  
• Kingpin Bonus:
  
• Winning team will receive a Gold Raider Cache each
  
• The losing team will receive a Silver Raider Cache each

• Participating in matches will grant you PvP XP. Accumulate PvP XP to earn additional ships and equipment to aid you in your rise in notoriety in the Indian Ocean.

Tidebreaker: A 6v6 PVP game mode – be the first team to capture and defend a zone to gain victory points.

• Out of 5 capture zones, only 1 zone will be active (i.e. available for capture) at any point in time.
  
• Once the active point has been captured an announcement will be made, stating the next active point and the amount of time it is active will be made.
  
• Establish control and capture the active zone to gain points. More players of the same team within the zone increases the progress rate of capturing the zone. Beware! If there are less teammates contesting the control point, the opposing team will continue to make progress in capturing the control point – even if there is one teammate contesting the control point!
  
• Each successful capture gives the 1 Victory point. The first team to reach 3 points wins.
  
• If teams are tied at the end of the timer, the game enters Sudden Death, and the next team to capture a zone wins.

Fleetfire: A pure PVP game mode that pits 2 teams consisting of 3 or 6 players against each other - sink your opponents to gain victory points!

• Each opponent sunk earns you 1 Victory Point
  
• In 3v3 Fleetfire matches, the first team to reach 15 points wins.
  
• In 6v6 Fleetfire matches, the first team to reach 23 points wins.
  
• Alternatively, by the end of 15 minutes, the team with the highest score wins.
  
• If there is a tie at the end of 15 minutes, the game will enter Sudden Death - the next kill wins the match!

For more details on the new Death Tides mode, check out the Death Tides Deep Dive[skullandbonesgame.com].

Dev Note: With the release of Death Tides, balancing becomes an even more important topic to ensure match fairness and variety of builds. We continue to recognize the need for regular balance changes and have made some changes in response to feedback from internal testing and the Insider Program.
Moving forward, we will be aiming to make regular balance changes, where we release adjustments based on analyzed data and collected player sentiment. This new process and balancing cadence will help us to accurately quantify the impact of our changes through extensive internal testing, and at the same time provide predictability and time for players to adjust to new builds and adapt to the meta.
As we collect more data from the public release of Death Tides, please continue to provide your feedback through the usual social media channels.

• La Piqure I, II, III: Reduced the stamina drain from the Toxic perk from 15 to 7
  
• Dev Note: The Poison Long Guns have been adjusted for PVP previously a single salvo could take away most a player’s stamina. This effectively reduced their ability to brace which was detrimental to tank builds.

• Shell-shocked: Disables the ship’s ability to fire its weapons. The duration has been reduced from 5 seconds to 3.3 seconds.
  
• Shell-shocked: Increased buildup threshold on player ships by 20%.
  
• Diminishing Returns
  
• Diminishing returns have been enabled on select status effects. This is to make it more difficult to repeatedly apply these status effects that could potentially shut down your ability to retaliate in a PVP setting.
  
• How does Diminishing Returns work?
  
• Once a status effect is activated on a target, they gain a single stack of 45% charge resistance to that same status effect for 45 seconds.
  
• Should the same status effect get re-activated, another stack of 45% resistance is multiplied for a total of 70% resistance to the status effect charge. This also resets the 45 second timer.
  
• After 45 seconds without an activation one stack of resistance is removed.
  
• Enabled diminishing returns:
  
• Shell Shocked: Disables all your weapons for a given time and applies a one-off 3000 damage in an area.
  
• Torn Sails: Slows your sailing speed by 75%.

• Drastically reduced stamina cost of trimming while sailing by about 60% - 80% depending on the ship.
  
• Dev Note: This change is made so that stamina management can primarily be reserved for bracing especially in PVP situations. The change is also made to reduce the need manage stamina while sailing from location to location in the Indian Ocean.

• Increased accuracy of aim assist to make Boarding slightly easier.
  
• Increased buoyant stability of the Bedar.
  
• Dev note: This change should make aiming on the Bedar more stable and less affected by waves, and more in line with the stability of the Cutter.
  
• Expand friction area for leading shots when aiming.
  
• Dev note: This change should make aiming leading shots at enemies more stable and reliable.

• Contextually displayed more meaningful and accurate statistics on weapon tooltips depending on the type of weapon:
  
• Projectile Speed: Culverin, Demi-Cannon, Long Gun, Bombard, Torpedo, Ballista
  
• Time-to-target: Mortar, Rockets
  
• None: Sea Fire

• Added Sea Lord reinforcement fleets in World Tier II upon triggering a high level of hostility.
  
• Players will need to be in the corresponding regions for reinforcements to arrive:
  
• Phoenix Talon – East Indies
  
• Tides of Terror – Coast of Africa
  
• Hubac Twins – Red Isle
  
• Shadow Legion – Open Seas
  
• Dev note: This was done to make it easier for players completing the Ascension Mastery contract to spawn the contract’s objectives.
  
• Moderately increased difficulty level of each individual affix for Sea Monsters in World Tier II.
  
• Dev note: This was done to provide a more distinct experience between fighting a Sea Monster in World Tier II compared to World Tier I.
  
• Updated world event marker to be hidden upon entering the world event zone.
  
• Updated world event marker to be hidden from target ship when engaging in combat.

• Updated the Player Ship Rank indicator on the bottom left of the screen while at sea to turn red when in combat, indicating that Docking and Fast Travel are unavailable.
  
• Dev note: We are aware of frustrations expressed by many of you due to hostility rules you from docking after completing an activity. We are currently treating this issue as a top priority and working on a solution that should allow players to dock after a defined amount of time spent in the safe area, despite hostility.
  
• While this solution will be implemented in an upcoming patch, we are first implementing improvements to visual feedback to better indicate when docking is unavailable.

• Re-ordered the list of possible productions in the manufactory tooltip.
  
• Helm Ware items (that will produce Pieces of Eight) will now be shown higher on the list of contraband.
  
• Reduced difficulty of Spectral Defense encounters.
  
• The Ship Rank of the Maangodin and Spectral reinforcements have been lowered.
  
• The starting ship ranks of reinforcements will start at Ship Rank 9, lowered from starting at Ship Rank 10.
  
• Dev note: We noted that it was difficult for players to complete Spectral Defenses alone even with Ship Rank 14 ships. We’re reducing the difficulty to make the difficulty more manageable for solo players.

SPOILER WARNING - Please keep in mind that some of the descriptions below may contain spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!

• A Seaworthy Charge: Increased the interaction radius of the shipwreck.
  
• Ascension Mastery: Improved clarity of each region’s objectives in World Tier II.
  
• Dressed to Kill: Improved clarity of objectives.
  
• The Moonsmoke Queen: Removed the step reset mechanism during the battle with General Van Kinckel.
  
• Thrill of the Hunt: Updated contracts steps to require players to switch to the Dhow.

• Added materials exclusive to Zamaharibu required to upgrade various ships to Upgrade Level 7 to the Huntmaster in Lanitra.
  
• Dev note: With this change, players will be able to purchase these items to upgrade their ships even when Zamaharibu is not in rotation.
  
• Added a red color tint to item cost in vendors for items that are unpurchasable due to a lack of currency.
  
• Removed the “Loot Exclusive Modification” panel from the Item Ascension screen.
  
• Dev note: This caused some confusion as players could still change the modification by reforging the weapon.

• Improved descriptions for clues for where equipment can be obtained from.
  
• Added descriptions for several Affixes that were missing from the codex – these include: Rallying Cry, Commander, and Intimidating Prescence.
  
• Improved clues for the Masterwork Kit to mention Megaforts and Ah Pak as sources.

• Streamlined tutorial flow, combat encounters, and audio in the opening scene of the game.
  
• Added option for Fast Travel with an error tooltip for new players who have yet to unlock at least one outpost.
  
• Added a slight delay before tutorials can be closed to prevent accidental closing of tutorials.
  
• Added ability to skip certain dialogue scenes during the cutscene that plays upon reaching Sainte-Anne.
  
• Improved View Objectives button on the Journal to be more obvious for new players
  
• Shortened some cutscenes with the Vanity Atelier and John Scurlock.

• Added Team Voice Chat channel
  
• Team Voice Chat is only available in Death Tides.
  
• Team Voice Chat can be enabled in the Settings menu under Audio.
  
• Please ensure that your input and output devices are correctly configured.
  
• Added Voice attenuation settings in voice chat settings
  
• Dev note: As things might get chaotic in the heat of battle, and especially in Death Tides, we’ve added additional functionality for the Voice Chat feature, which allows for gameplay audio volume to temporarily reduce while voice is being transmitted by the player or other players, through a technical feature known as “Audio Ducking”.
  
• By enabling voice attenuation and adjusting the attenuation level, gameplay audio will “make way” for voice chat audio, making it easier to hear teammates and groupmates in battle.

[/i]

Added Microphone Threshold settings in voice chat settings

Adjust this setting to select the minimum volume level needed from your microphone before it is transmitted to other players

Reordered some audio settings to reflect the logical order and dependencies of voice chat settings.

Added the display of names of group and team members in the HUD to indicate users currently transmitting voice audio during Death Tides matches.

[/list]

• Added Team Text Chat channel.
  
• Team Text Chat is only available in Death Tides.
  
• When entering a Death Tides match, the default channel is automatically set to Team.
  
• Players may still communicate with all players in the match (including opponents) by switching the text channel to World.
  
• Added new quick action chat messages for Death Tides.
  
• The set of available quick action messages will change contextually when players are in Death Tides and in the Indian Ocean respectively.

• Improved clarity for restrictions on Ship Skins in the Ship Vanity and Store menus.
  
• Improved clarity of button actions in the Create Captain menu.

• Added warning notification and countdown timer for players idling during World Events.
  
• Added notifications for silver and material cost consumption when reforging equipment at the Blacksmith.
  
• Added an error message when players attempt to acquire a new manufactory with a Helm Lease while owning the maximum number of manufactories.
  
• Added an error notification when players attempt to acquire a new manufactory with an incompatible Helm Lease.
  
• Improved animation visuals of the objective tracker.
  
• Updated the tooltip description for the Hostile Takeover opportunities to include a mention for generating other materials apart from Pieces of Eight.
  
• Shifted Ubisoft Connect notifications from the top right of the screen to the top left of the screen to prevent overlaps with the Minimap.
  
• Added an interaction hint when attempting to access the World Tier interaction point in dens before completing the World Ascension contract.

• Reduced the thickness of loot beams.

SPOILER WARNING - Please keep in mind that some of the descriptions below may contain spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!

• Fixed an issue where hostility was being re-added upon healing the player itself (e.g. stamina, brace, Barque’s perk).
  
• Hostility will still continue to be added when healing another ship which is in combat with an enemy.
  
• Fixed an issue where the After-shock was only affecting one target, was not dealing area-of-effect damage on indirect hits and was hitting large ships even if landing far from the target.
  
• Fixed an issue where Buffs and Status effect icons disappear while aiming weapons.

• A Tight Ship: Fixed an issue where the recommended Ship Rank level was missing in the Journal
  
• A Tight Ship: Fixed an issue where the Overseas Smuggler could not be interacted with after submitting the Standard Order in the contract
  
• A Trail of Ashes: Fixed an issue where objective icons were displayed incorrectly on the burning buildings
  
• Allure of Power: Fixed an issue where the Pirate Traitor ships sailed out of the contract area and further out of bounds
  
• Defective Rogues: Fixed an issue where DMC ships spawn unintentionally.
  
• Foils of Peace: Fixed an issue where the reinforcement ship spawned was incorrect.
  
• Forging Ahead: Fixed an issue where an icon was missing in the contract’s description in the Journal.
  
• Kingpin Shop: Fixed an issue where the contract could be progressed by spending seasonal currency.
  
• Mysterious Rogue Store: Fixed an issue where the Spend Ethereal Ashes text was not localized.
  
• Nightfall Missives: Fixed an issue where the Rempah Warrior had an unnecessary contract icon.
  
• Overture to Havoc: Fixed an issue where the recommended Ship Rank was missing.
  
• Serpents in Stone: Fixed an issue where the contract icon was not displayed on the transient contract ship 'The Doodbrenger'.
  
• Ship Upgrading: Fixed an issue where the recommended Ship Rank was incorrectly set at 4 instead of 6.
  
• Smuggle Pelts: Fixed an issue where the description incorrectly stated Crocodile Skin instead of Shark Skin.
  
• Smuggle Rare Cloth: Fixed an issue where the objective target was incorrectly located in the Forgotten Candi outpost instead of the Oubliette outpost.
  
• Stolen Crescendo: Fixed an issue where the contract objective markers were not present on the transient contract ship.
  
• Swarm of Secrets: Fixed an issue where the objective icon was missing on the Ship Equipment screen for The Termites III weapon.
  
• The Expanding Reach: Fixed an issue where the contract "The Expanding Reach" was incorrectly named as "The Helm".
  
• Tow of Empire: Fixed an issue where the Deliver step was missing on the objective tracker.
  
• Unsacred Offerings: Fixed an issue where Cursed Fara Odys were being re-added to the player’s inventory upon quitting to main menu and rejoining the game.
  
• WANTED: The Hubac Twins: Fixed an issue where the number of required targets was incorrectly displayed.

• Fixed an issue where the notification was not displayed after players summoned Elite ships during “The Honorless” Time Limited event.
  
• Fixed an issue where the notification shown upon joining Ah Pak’s Honorless event was incorrectly displaying the Mizerja event.

• Fixed an issue where the visual effects of the Shadowbeast's weakpoints were not clearly indicated.
  
• Fixed an issue where the guard tower at La Colonie was weaker against Auxiliary Mortarstaking more damage than intended in World Tier 2.
  
• Fixed an issue where Soul Buoys has affixes in the Looming Shadow event in World Tier II.
  
• Fixed an issue where the La Peste fleet was spawning unintentionally on World Tier I instead of World Tier II.
  
• Fixed an issue where the “Event Joined” notification was not displayed upon joining dynamic world events.

• Fixed an issue where the Ungwana Advanced Rum Processing Helm upgrade cost for levels 1 and 2 were lower than intended.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Gold Skull Rum Production upgrade did not specify that the upgrade also unlocked the production of Gold Skull Rum at the Distillery.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Compagnie faction specific Helm Upgrade 'Manufactory Expansion' unlocks the level limit of Manufactories that belong to other factions outside of the Compagnie territories.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Helm Upgrade 'Process Breakthrough (Refined)' did not apply to the manufactory production of Fine Hemp.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Legendary Heist opportunity remained in the Journal tab and objective tracker when joining and quitting the opportunity before it starts.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Swap Production screen displayed Smuggler Marks instead of Pieces of Eight in the top-right currency list.
  
• Fixed an issue where the “Next wave” text was still being displayed in the final wave for Spectral Defenses.
  
• Fixed an issue where the camera could clip through the wall while exiting the Smuggler’s Hideout.

• Fixed an issue where the description of the furniture Charge Stores was inaccurate. The description has been amended to "Increases weapon damage of Electric weapons by 5%".

• Fixed an issue where a desynchronization of inventory items could occur after opening chests, leading to visually missing inventory items and inventory management issues.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Hubac Twins was not dropping Masterwork Kits in World Tier II.
  
• Fixed an issue where "Empty Trunks" item was not removed from inventory after completing the contract objective.
  
• Fixed an issue where players did not obtain a drop from the World Event Elite the player was sunk simultaneously as the Elite was defeated.
  
• Fixed an issue where the DMC Pay Chest and Ascended Materials Crate were incorrectly displaying the Read option.

• Fixed an issue where the Water Tank, War Drums, Rigging Station, and Gunner's Quadrant were not craftable at the Carpenter despite owning the blueprint.
  
• Fixed an issue where La Piqure I & II were not craftable at the Blacksmith despite owning the blueprint.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Ascended Chest was mislabeled as Legacy Cache in the Black Market vendor.
  
• Fixed an issue where extra unequipped copies of a non-ascended item were not displayed in the Item Ascension screen.
  
• Fixed an issue where Sea Monster materials required for ship upgrades were not available from the Huntmaster in Lanitra.
  
• Fixed an issue where icons and weapon names were misaligned in the Blacksmith crafting screen.

• Fixed an issue where players could not set sail at outposts in extremely rare cases.
  
• Fixed an issue where players were stranded on an outpost with a Dhow. Affected players will be teleported back to Sainte-Anne and Open Seas sailing now requires a Bedar in your fleet.
  
• Fixed an issue where embarking at the Khmoy Estate would briefly cause the player’s ship to fall through the water.

• Fixed an issue where the Smuggler Pass challenge description did not specify the Bloodied Strongbox required (only Bloodied Strongbox I progresses the challenge).
  
• Fixed an issue where the Rags to Riches achievement did not unlock despite completing the objectives.
  
• Fixed an issue where the description for the challenge “Hand of Judgement” did not specify opening the Bloodied Strongbox I.

• Fixed an issue where the emissive effect of Emissive sail colors was not displayed when equipping a hull color without an Emissive effect.
  
• Fixed an issue where multiple vanity rewards from the Smuggler Pass were not tagged with the 'Emissive' label.
  
• Fixed an issue where the skin texture of the character would change when changing vanity in the Vanity Atelier.
  
• Fixed an issue where vanity items would disappear briefly after confirming the customization in the opening character customization sequence.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Suave Seadog set did not include the Silken Headband hat.

• Fixed and issue where the emissive effect for The Eye of Hades was missing in the preview.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Black Torch Epic Skin collection’s ownership status was not updated after purchasing it in the Store.
  
• Fixed an issue where The Glorious Dead ship skin’s description was displaying placeholder text.
  
• Fixed an issue where multiple vanity items were missing the ‘Emissive’ and ‘Reactive’ labels in the store.
  
• Fixed an issue where “Born from the Ashes” was incorrectly displaying an ‘Emissive’ label in the store.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck while repeatedly pressing the back button while purchasing currency in the Store.
  
• Fixed an issue where multiple figureheads were not labelled with 'Emissive' or 'Reactive' tags.
  
• Fixed an issue where the “Go to Store” button in the Upgrade Cosmetics menu navigated the player to random bundles in the store after upgrading any figurehead.

• Fixed an issue where the description of the Silver Sentinel on the Smuggler Pass was incorrect.
  
• Fixed an issue where the required ship rank indicated for the Emergency Locker on the Smuggler Pass was incorrect.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Ultimate Edition Token could not be immediately redeemed for the premium Smuggler Pass.
  
• Fixed an issue where outdated backgrounds were displayed when previewing offers.

• Fixed an issue where multiple objectives were not available in various localizations for the contract "A Seaworthy Charge".
  
• Fixed an issue where multiple objectives were not available in various localizations for the contract "Unwelcome Aboard".
  
• Fixed an issue where placeholder text was displayed when attempting to view World Tier 2 Events in World Tier 1 while playing in another language than English.
  
• Fixed an issue where the description of the main contract "Into the Lion's Den" was incomplete in multiple localizations.
  
• Fixed an issue where the formatting tags were present in the description of Quartermaster in Smuggler Pass when playing in Simplified Chinese language.
  
• Fixed an issue where the term "Drop Rate" displayed in the Trade Route tooltip was not localized.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Azure Solstice event description was incorrectly localized in German.
  
• Fixed an issue where the descriptions of various furniture missing a space before the word "Statuseffekt" in the German localization.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Fund All tooltip text was overflowing in multiple localizations.
  
• Fixed an issue where text for multiple affixes was truncated when viewed on the Map tab by region in various localizations in World Tier II.
  
• Fixed an issue with overlapping text in the Supply Deal tooltip in Russian and Arabic localizations.
  
• Fixed an issue with overlapping text in the affixes menu in the Arabic localization.
  
• Fixed an issue with overlapping text in the social menu in the Japanese localization.

• Fixed an issue where placeholder text was present in the description of perks for Silver Sentinel.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Codex entry for Heavenly did not indicate that the blueprint can be purchased from the Hunt Master in Lanitra.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Blueprint clues for "Farscourge I and II" weapons were incorrect in the Codex and at the Blacksmith.
  
• Fixed an issue where the clues for Heavenly Lance incorrectly mentions that it was obtainable in the Smuggler Pass instead of the Hunt Master in Lanitra.
  
• Fixed an issue where highlighted text was not present in the description of equipment in multiple localizations.
  
• Fixed an issue with inconsistent naming conventions in the knowledge tab for Status Effects.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Empty Armor Skin was missing from Tutorial pages in the Knowledge tab.

• Fixed an issue where Affixes and Status Effects were not visible under the health bar of Sea Monsters.
  
• Fixed an issue where Status Effects were not visible beside Forts and Towers.
  
• Fixed an issue where the silver value displayed during the opening of the Kingpin Prestige chest was not displaying the entire value.
  
• Fixed an issue where the fast travel to Smuggler’s Hideout option was missing in some rare cases.
  
• Fixed an issue where the weapon selection in the Item Ascension menu was inconsistently selected with the right mouse button instead of the left mouse button.
  
• Fixed an issue where the crafting preview for the Blightkeeper weapon displayed an image of the Infernal Maw instead.
  
• Fixed an issue where the loading screen was unintentionally briefly visible after the opening scene of the game.
  
• Fixed an issue where the hostility threat identifier of ships was not visible off-screen.
  
• Fixed an issue where the affixes details could not be viewed in the map in some cases in World Tier II.
  
• Fixed an issue with double hyphenation in the affixes menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where the in-game news slots were not displayed after players executes the benchmarking calibration on Steam and Steam Deck.
  
• Fixed an issue where placeholder text was present in the Premium Edition popup.
  
• Fixed an issue where players were not able to interact with the map after opening the Journal and using the mouse to click and highlight any activity and returning to the map thereafter.
  
• Fixed an issue where the tracked contract tooltip is shown instead of the selected contract when opening the Journal for the first time.
  
• Fixed an issue where the tracked required material for weapon ascension was automatically untracked each time the player reforges the modification.
  
• Removed loading icon for Smuggler Pass tab and Store.
  
• Fixed an issue where the original player ID was displayed instead of the player pseudonym on the toaster notifications and group HUD after player joined a group from the Main Menu while Streamer Mode settings was activated.
  
• Fixed an issue where various outdated icons were present for side contracts Hammer & Plunder, Strike the Iron, and Forging Ahead.
  
• Fixed an issue where the “Recommended Infamy” objective text repeatedly animated upon tracking contracts or disembarking on dens and outposts.
  
• Fixed an issue where markers placed on NPCs in dens and outposts were not visible to group members in some cases.
  
• Fixed an issue where the matchmaking indicator in the objective tracker was missing when there are no other activities tracked.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Journal could not be opened when hovering over contract markers in the map.
  
• Fixed an issue where the position of player’s marker in the den or outpost was not updating when a grouped member was also moving in the den or outpost.
  
• Fixed an issue where certain equipment’s descriptions were missing highlighted text.
  
• Fixed an issue with partially displayed visuals on the Journal button in the map.
  
• Fixed an issue with overlapping text in the description of The Glorious Dead ship skin.
  
• Fixed an issue with inconsistent text capitalization in the Item Ascension menu at the Blacksmith.
  
• Fixed an issue where certain Helm Upgrade nodes were visually misaligned.
  
• Fixed an issue where the description for the Ascension Module "Victor's Rally" was missing a spacing between the value and next sentence.
  
• Fixed an issue where the tooltip of the previously displayed equipment persisted even when it's not available after the location filter was used while using the Ascension service at the Blacksmith.
  
• Fixed an issue where the descriptions of various Teuling’s Favours had overlapped with the UI when viewed in detail through the Smuggler’s Pass tab.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Base Ship Rank value to equip the Emergency Locker was incorrect in the Smuggler Pass details page.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Silver Sentinel description showcased incorrect values in the Smugglers pass.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Ambush Events showed placeholder text in the UI.
  
• Fixed an issue where the preview image of the "Blightkeeper Springloader" featured the "Infernal Maw's" preview.
  
• Fixed an issue where the cursor option selection would be stuck after leaving a group through the social screen.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Rising Heat booster was incorrectly shown on the Laboratory and Distillery screens.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Seasonal Calendar displayed “Season 5” instead of “Year 2 Season 1”.
  
• Fixed an issue where the newness indicator for the chat window was displayed when system messages were received.

• Fixed an issue where the screen flickered while in combat with Rode Maangodin.
  
• Fixed an issue where a flicker visual effect of smoke appeared after triggering an attack on another ship.
  
• Fixed an issue where the camera would clip through the world while exiting the Smuggler's Hideout.
  
• Fixed an issue with degraded water and land textures near the short of the Lanitra outpost.
  
• Fixed an issue where an incorrect visual effect could be seen upon firing from a Fire Bombard with the Combustion modification.
  
• Fixed an issue where equipping a Ballista on small ships will cause the camera preview of other weapon slots to be incorrectly positioned.
  
• Fixed an issue with lip-sync during the Sainte Anne introductory cinematic.
  
• Fixed an issue with overexposure and flickering lighting during the Sainte Anne introductory cinematic.
  
• Fixed an issue with lighting in the Smuggler Pass preview for the Twin-winch Ballista.

• Fixed an issue where sound effects were not played upon being ambushed while being in a contract for the first time in the game.
  
• [PlayStation 5] Fixed an issue where the background music was not updated on PlayStation platforms.

• Improved client and server stability.

Greetings, Captains!

We’re back with another DevBlog, as we know some of you have been eagerly waiting for more information on Death Tides: our new dedicated PvP game mode. Death Tides will be launching on the 27th May with the Y2S1.1 mid-season update. Until then, dive with us as we dig out all the information you need to be ready for it!

The war between the DMC and Compagnie Royale is spilling over from Europe, with each side determined to establish supremacy in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the local factions are pushing back against the megacorporations’ efforts, while locked in conflict with each other.

As a result, the megacorporations and factions are engaging in fierce skirmishes on the edges of the Indian Ocean. These battles reflect the ever-present race to either dominate or defend.

Eager for victory, participating factions offer lucrative and promising rewards to pirate captains who will aid them in battle.

Note - All images are from a work-in-progress build and may not represent the final version at launch of the Y2S1.1 Update.

For new players, you will be able to access Death Tides from the main menu once you complete the opening sequence.

For our existing Captains, to unlock Death Tides in the Journal, you’ll need to have completed the contract “Into the Lion’s Den” and then embark on the contract “Death Tides” where you’ll look for the new Death Tides Vendor in either Sainte-Anne or Telok Penjarah.

Once unlocked, you can access Death Tides from the main menu, visit the Vendor at Sainte-Anne or Telok Penjarah, or simply access it from your Journal.

Death Tides launches with two game modes: Fleetfire and Tidebreaker. In both, you’ll face off against other players in intense, skill-based naval battles. To rise above the rest, you’ll need to prove your worth and crush your enemies.

Fleetfire pits two teams against each other, with team sizes varying based on the map. The objective is straightforward: sink enemy ships to score points. Here’s a quick run-down of how the mode works:

• Team Formation: Players will join one of two teams, with the size of each team depending on the map.
  
• Scoring Points: Each time you sink an enemy ship; your team earns a point. The goal is to be the first team to reach the set number of points.
  
• Winning the Match: Victory is achieved by reaching the target number of points before the opposing team. Should neither team reach the required number of points before the timer runs out, the team with the highest number of points will win.
  
• Tiebreaker: If teams are tied in points as the timer runs out, the match will go to Sudden Death. The team that gets the first kill will win the match.

At its heart, Fleetfire is all about being aggressive and making quick decisions, so get to work and sink those enemy ships!

Tidebreaker is a team-based activity where two teams of players compete to control a single point which changes positions throughout the match. Here’s what you can expect:

• The Match Begins: Once the match begins, you’ll need to wait for the first control point to open. This is where the real battle starts.
  
• Capturing the Control Point: Only one control point will be active at any given time. Work with your teammates to take and maintain the control point until it’s been completely captured. At least one team member must stay inside the control zone to contest the zone. The team with more members contesting the zone will contribute towards the control point’s progress. The more teammates in the zone, the faster the capture progresses. The more enemies in the zone, the slower the capture progresses. After capturing the control point, it will deactivate and, following a short period of time, a new control point will appear at a different location.
  
• Beware! If there are less teammates contesting the control point, the opposing team will continue to make progress in capturing the control point – even if there are teammates contesting the control point!
  
• Victory Points: Each time your team captures the control point, your team will earn 1 victory point.
  
• Winning the Match: The first team to earn 3 victory points wins the match.
  
• Tiebreaker: Should the timer end and teams have the same number of victory points, the match will head into Sudden Death. The first team to capture the next control point will win the match.

Tidebreaker is all about teamwork, you and your team need to dominate the zone, outnumber the enemy, and capture those control points fast.

Remember, Captains, success in both Tidebreaker and Fleetfire hinges on effective teamwork. You’ll need to coordinate with your teammates to capture control points and sink enemy ships to lead your side to victory.

Just want to get into a round of intense naval combat as quickly as possible? Choose the Quickplay option from the Death Tides Main Menu, which selects the mode to get you firing your weapons in no time!

When Death Tides launches, four distinct maps will be available, each offering unique challenges and gameplay opportunities. Both Fleetfire and Tidebreaker will be playable on all four maps. Let’s take a quick look at each of the maps:

• Brimstone (6v6): Its name is easily recognisable due the prominent volcano in sight, no matter your position. This location is populated with small islands offering plenty of cover while you wait to ambush enemy ships or work towards taking a control point.
  
• Sanctuary (6v6): If you look carefully, you’ll find a DMC settlement tucked away beside the island. Each team will spawn on opposite sides of a set of islands of different sizes, with power-ups spread out in between. The layout of the map provides some time to strategize while the smaller islands afford cover.
  
• Sunken Ruins (6v6): As you sail around, you’ll spots various shipwrecks. Look closely, and you may also see the ruins of lost settlements. Each team will start from opposite sides of an archipelago. Look for the shortest routes across the map when travelling to control points located around the islands will be paramount should you wish to succeed in Tidebreaker.
  
• Mukiti Falls (3v3): Some might say it’s a little special. A smaller and more up-close-and-personal map by comparison, here, you’ll face off in 3v3 matches. Watch that you don’t get distracted by the spectacular waterfalls and unique rock formations. Expect to take on your opponents at close range in the narrow river pass.

Power-ups are scattered across the map, which grant temporary boosts to reload speed, hull health regeneration, sailing speed, and even repair kits. Incorporating the acquisition of these power-ups into your strategy can lend you an edge over your opponents.

Power-ups spawn periodically and can be located on your map or minimap – reach them before your opponents and seize these advantages for yourself!

In Death Tides, you’ll have the option of either selecting one of many preset ships or using your own. If your ship is sunk during a match, you’ll also have the opportunity to switch to a different one.

If you’re new to Skull and Bones or would like to try something fresh, don’t fret. You’ll be able to choose from six ship presets, each designed to give you a taste of how to build your own fleet. Here’s what you need to know:

• Equipped for Success: Each preset ship comes outfitted with some of the best weapons and furniture available for its role. They are all upgraded to the highest ship upgrade level possible, ensuring you can stand your ground in a fight against more experienced captains, and their fully customized ship builds.
  
• Specialised Roles: These ships are tailored to specific roles, giving you a taste of what’s possible when it comes to ship builds in Skull and Bones. Whether you want to deal maximum damage or support your teammates, there’s a preset for you:
  
• Damage: If you’re looking to do as much damage as possible, consider the Disrupter (Sloop), Pyrocast (Sambuk), Lancelot (Bedar), or Marksman (Garuda).
  
• Support:For those who prefer to assist their team, the Paladin (Barque) is an excellent choice.
  
• Tank: If you’re someone who prefers to act as a vanguard in battle, you’ll be looking for the Stormwall (Battle Junk).

Each of the preset builds will also have an Ultimate assigned. We’ll cover Ultimates further in the DevBlog.

Preset ships offer a quick way to jump into Death Tides, but veteran captains will find great potential in crafting the perfect loadout, in combination with modifications which come with ascended weapons.

Seasoned Captains can bring their own fleet into Death Tides. Assign up to 5 ships to your Death Tides Fleet on the docking screen and choose from them during matches.

Here’s how it works:

• Fleet Assignment: You can assign up to 5 different ships to your Death Tides fleet through the docking screen. You’ll be able to select from these ships to use in either Tidebreaker or Fleetfire.
  
• Ship Upgrades: To ensure a more level playing field, all ships will be automatically upgraded to Level 7 for the duration of the match. This also applies to Weapons and Armor:
  
• Hull Health: Upgraded ship levels will increase Hull Health, add perks, and improve the overall performance of the ship.
  
• Weapons: All weapons will be upgraded to their highest tier of the same type, increasing the damage output of the ship. For example, if you have a Long Gun I equipped, it will be upgraded to Long Gun V for the match.
  
• Armor: Similarly, all armor will be upgraded to their highest tier of the same type, increasing the armor rating and damage resistance of the ship. For instance, if you have Steel Coat I equipped, it will be upgraded to Steel Coat V.

Whether you choose a preset or custom ship, it will respawn with full health. Any status effects applied before your ship was sunk will also be cleared.

In Death Tides, you’ll have access to additional abilities that you can unleash against your opponents. When used at the right time, these powerful abilities have the potential to turn the tide of battle. Ultimates require different levels of Ultimate Charge to be used. Ultimate Charge builds passively but can be further accelerated by damaging or sinking opponents, taking damage, and healing teammates.

The launch of Death Tides offers 11 varied Ultimates to choose from, which are progressively unlocked by playing any of the Death Tides game modes. 3 of them are unlocked immediately, which you can assign to your ship through the Manage Ship menu. These Ultimates are:

• La Plus Grande Fleur – Fires a volley of poison mortars onto an area.
  
• Hunter – Grants a huge bonus in sailing speed and weapon fire rate.
  
• La Peste Signal Launcher – Summons La Peste to fight for your team.

Ultimates fall under three categories, each providing your team and you with certain advantages throughout the match:

• Power Weapons are temporary weapons automatically equipped on your ship when activated. Once equipped, you have the option to choose when you want to fire these weapons. When you run out of ammunition, they will be automatically unequipped, and your ship will revert to your original weapon loadout.
  
• Combat Skills apply temporary benefits:
  
• Bastion: Confers temporary invulnerability
  
• Combat Fury: Increases damage dealt, adds Hull Health and Stamina
  
• Summon a Legendary entity that will support your team in fighting your enemy:
  
• Each team is limited to one legendary summon at any given time and their health will deplete over time.

With a fleet of up to 6 teammates, communication becomes even more important in securing certain victory.

There are new sets of quick action messages available in Death Tides which will help facilitate communication when attempting to secure capture points or rally your teammates. The default chat channel will also be set to Team upon entering Death Tides, though you can still send a GLHF or GG to your opponents by switching to the World chat.

Additionally, Team Voice chat is available in Death Tides and can be enabled through the settings menu. Be sure to set your input and output devices correctly and test with a fellow captain before the match – lest all your commands sink into the void!

The rewards you earn will be based on a combination of your individual and team performance. You can earn up to 1000 Infamy for each match.

After completing each match, you will also earn PvP XP which will unlock rewards on the Death Tides reward track.

Most rewards you earn from playing Death Tides can be used both in the Indian Ocean and Death Tides. All rewards unlockable in Death Tides are available in the main game, and there will be no rewards other than Ultimates that are exclusive to Death Tides.

Rewards include unlockable Ultimates (only usable in PVP), ships, weapons, armor, furniture, and resources which can aid in your progression in the Indian Ocean.

There are 100 levels of rewards with the initial launch of Death Tides, and also a recurring Chest that can be repeatedly obtained after the initial 100 levels. We intend to extend the rewards track with bigger and better rewards in the future.

Additionally, completing matches will also grant you Smuggler Points on the Seasonal Smuggler Pass. Whether you are defeating Legendary Kingpins in the Indian Ocean, or bloodthirsty captains in Death Tides, you’re sure to make progress towards recruiting that cute tiger as part of your crew!

With the launch of Death Tides, we want to reaffirm our commitment and focus on balancing. Our aim remains to ensure a long-term, fair and fun experience in both PvP and PvE for all of our players.

Throughout Year 1 and with the launch of Year 2 Season 1, we have made many changes to balancing and gameplay based on feedback from the Skull and Bones community. Going forward we intend to deploy more regular balancing updates in order to address issues reported by our players. This means taking a more proactive stance, but also implementing normalization changes, whereby all ships are the highest upgrade level, and equipped weapons, and armor are brought to the highest tier of their type. This is designed to ensure all ships brought into Death Tides are on a more equal footing to compete.

Some of the latest balance changes we’ve made coming with this update that improve your Death Tides experience:

• The diminishing returns system for the Shell-Shocked status effect, introduced in Y2S1.0.0, has been improved to make it even harder to repeatedly apply the effect to the same target within a short time. Additionally, this updated system now also applies to the Torn Sails status effect.
  
• The duration of the Shell-Shocked status effect on player ships has been reduced from 5 seconds to 3.3 seconds.
  
• The difficulty to build up initial Shell-Shocked status effect on player ships has been increased by 20%
  
• Stamina drain from La Piqûre I-III long guns has been halved to reduce the impact it has on brace effectiveness of players in PvP.
  
• Stamina drained by trimming sails has been heavily reduced while outside combat, allowing for more stamina to be available for bracing hits when players do engage in combat.

These are only the latest balancing changes being made in preparation for the release of Death Tides next week. These changes come in addition to the many other changes we’ve made since we’ve started working on our dedicated PvP game mode – including various changes to presets, Ultimates, powerups, match pacing, spawn points, contribution scoring, progression, rewards, and matchmaking to ensure a more balanced and fair experience for all.

These changes were guided by data analysed from all of our testing, feedback gathered from the Community, and the general evolution of the game direction. Each time such changes are made, they are re-validated by internal balance test experts and also re-validated through data analyses of larger-scale tests.

Beyond the release of Death Tides, we also want to reassure players of our commitment to regular balance changes. Starting from patch Y2S1.1 next week, we are preparing for a series of increased balance reactivity for a couple of weeks. We are mindful that when implementing balancing changes for PvP it will also have an impact on PVE elements, and this will be part of our decision process when considering future changes.

In the medium term, we aim to continue making regular balance changes, where we collate and release adjustments based on analysed data and collected player sentiment. This regular cadence will help us to accurately quantify the impact of our changes through external and internal testing – and at the same time, provide predictability and time for players to adjust to new builds and adapt to the meta.

Our vision of the metagame and build variety of Skull and Bones is centred around building depth to core mechanics and expanding the possibility of playstyles that players can experience – and balance is a key element in making or breaking preferred builds. Do look forward to an increased frequency of balance changes in the near future!

Death Tides is our answer to the long-awaited request for a dedicated PvP mode in Skull and Bones. While we are not planning major changes to these activities in the short term, we hope the arrival of Death Tides will re-kindle your interest in participating in PvP activities in the Indian Ocean as well. Don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts and suggestions on how you’d like open world PvP activities to evolve in the future!

In other words - don’t stop sinking that other captain to claim that coveted manufactory!

Even though we are making Death Tides available to everyone starting next week, it is still considered to be in its BETA stage - which is why the ‘Beta’ tag is still visible on the Death Tides button in the main menu.

This means we are dedicated to continuing iterating and improving the game mode for the long term, with the help of our community and the feedback we receive. We’re also exploring other modes that could be introduced, additional new maps, and other quality of life improvements.

Make sure to share your feedback on Death Tides as it will be invaluable in helping us to continue building the mode in future!