Skull and Bones will begin Season 2 soon and the Ubisoft Singapore team has a peek into the season, some significant updates to the game as well as a number of endgame changes.
As for Season 2’s content, the time of LaPeste is coming to an end, and the Hubac Twins are coming to threaten smuggling operations in the Indian Ocean. With the change of a season, the twins will impact the world, including pricing, how easy it is to start owning manufactories, services, and even the availability of certain upgrades or resources. So you have to pay attention because certain things will be different, and even new services will become available.
Coming are adjustments to the cost of running manufactories, and the ability to fast travel when you are carrying Pieces Of Eight to make your life a little easier. Travel will be possible unless you are participating in a Helm wager. In other ways the team wants to make your life easier, this new season will introduce the first mechanics that will help you start to automate some of the repeatable actions in the endgame loop.
One of these mechanics coming in the new season is Fleet Management. You’ll get to start automating Pieces of Eight collection from your manufactories once they reach level 4. There are some potential trade-offs, and this is the first time the team is introducing this mechanic, so they're looking for feedback on how it plays out.
The hope is that by simplifying some of this stuff, your ships will be more relevant and you'll get the opportunity to build even more. Season 2 will also introduce ship upgrade systems, and Helm Leases, which are ways to claim ownership of manufactories and benefit from their production.
Season 2 will also introduce the Buyout event, geared towards soloers. Popping up at random outposts at various intervals, you can head there to take the challenge. If you complete the deal within the allotted time, you'll be rewarded with ownership of the manufactory. Ownership comes with responsibility though.
The new PVE event, Manufactory Defense will send out four progressively harder waves of enemies. If you manage to defeat them all without your manufactory HP hitting 0, you win rewards. If you fail, your manufactory will be damaged and it won't generate Pieces Of Eight while it's undergoing repairs.
The Skull and Bones team will continue to build upon these changes, and they are some big ones in the update, so they continue to ask for feedback in Season 2.