Skull and Bones has started Year 3 with Shattered Seas, a new season that pushes Ubisoft's pirate live-service game further into endgame progression and tougher naval combat.
The update is live now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft+. According to Ubisoft's announcement, Shattered Seas adds the Seasonal Mastery Tree, two new World Tiers, the large Galleon ship, Mythic Ascension, Reforge and a new Faction War event.
The headline change is a broader power chase for captains who have already reached the later stages of Skull and Bones. Seasonal Mastery introduces a tree with more than 500 nodes, letting players spend points on build choices tied to their ship loadouts and preferred combat style. Ubisoft says Mastery Levels are earned through Infamy, with Seasonal Mastery and perks resetting each season.
Those perks unlock at levels 10, 30 and 60. Examples given by Ubisoft include Reactive Bulwark, which triggers an explosion after bracing for three seconds, and Deadly Medicine, which stores healing as extra damage for a later attack.
The Galleon joins the fleet
Shattered Seas also adds the Galleon, the third large ship in Skull and Bones. Ubisoft describes it as a close-range, high-DPS option with more broadside gun ports than any other ship currently in the game.
Its signature perk, Iron Thunder, increases damage within 350 meters. Damage dealt can also build toward a surge that rallies nearby allies. An upgraded version called Red Wake pushes that close-range damage further and adds a speed burst, giving the Galleon a more aggressive chase role than slower heavy ships might suggest.
The season's structure lines up with Ubisoft's wider Skull and Bones Year 3 roadmap, which previously outlined Sails of Power as a year focused on large ships, power progression and new high-level challenges.
New World Tiers raise the ceiling
The new World Tiers are where that extra power is meant to matter. World Tier 3, Rogue Storms, gives enemies a chance to gain up to three Seasonal Affixes. World Tier 4, Brutal Tempest, can roll up to five strengthened Affixes and is home to the Kraken, described by Ubisoft as the ultimate challenge on the Indian Ocean.
Players need to reach Kingpin infamy and finish the World Ascension quest before changing World Tier. All World Events remain available across all four tiers, with difficulty and rewards scaling upward.
Shattered Seas also introduces Mythic Ascension and Mythic Reforge, systems that raise the upgrade ceiling for gear and add Mythic Mods. Ubisoft listed Wildfire, which deals Burning damage when Ablaze is applied, and Voltaic Charge, which adds Electric damage when Stormstruck triggers, as examples.
The season's new Faction War event is Safeguard, a PvE survival activity where players defend manufactories from enemy waves, secure War Assets and maintain control in Contested Territories. Returning limited-time events include The Honorless from May 12 to June 9 and Moonshine Larceny starting June 30.
More content is due later in Year 3. Ubisoft's roadmap tease includes two more large ships, the Junk and Fluyt, alongside Faction War events, mod transfers, equipment sets, Abyssal Depths, elite bosses, Trials and quality-of-life improvements.
For a game that has had to keep proving there is enough wind in its sails, Shattered Seas is a meaningful Year 3 reset. It gives existing captains a new progression ladder to climb today while setting up the rest of the year around bigger ships and harder endgame encounters.