Skip to main content

How to join the Skull and Bones open beta

It seems as though the Skull and Bones ship is finally seaworthy and will hit its release on February 16. No one will blame you if you have grown a little weary about the quality of this game after so many years of development and delays. That’s where open betas come in. These tests let you play a slice of the game early to see if it will live up to your expectations before investing any cash. Thankfully, Ubisoft is giving any hopeful pirates a chance to test the waters a few days before launch, and everyone is welcome to give it a shot. If you want to commandeer a spot in the open beta, follow our map to the treasure.

How to join the Skull and Bones beta

Two ships fire cannons at each other other a small island in Skull & Bones.
Ubisoft

The open beta is, as expected, open to anyone who wants to play Skull and Bones. All you need is a console or PC on which the game will run, such as a PS5 or an Xbox Series X/S. The beta will begin at 6 p.m. PT on February 7  and end at 3 p.m. PT on February 11, but you can start preloading it as early as 1 a.m. PT on February 6.

Recommended Videos

If you are playing on a PC, all you need to do to participate is go into your launcher (either Ubisoft Connect or Epic Games) and find the title under the Free Games section.

For console players, search for Skull and Bones on the respective storefronts and choose the Skull and Bones open beta page to download and play.

The beta will feature full cross-progression and crossplay, an infamy cap of tier 6 rank 1, but will also let you carry any progress you make into the full release.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
How to increase max HP in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
A glowing statue in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

No matter which class you pick in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you will notice very quickly how short your life bar is. While the Warrior, Rogue, and Mage do have different defensive stats and access to various armors, no one is going to be able to tank a ton of hits early on. Plus, with the exception of the bonus you get for choosing one specific background, you only have three potions at a time to back you up. There are ways to mitigate damage and heal, but that doesn't help much if you take a giant hit that wipes you out in one shot. Leveling up doesn't boost your health, and there's nothing on the skill tree that will do it, either. We all need more HP, so here's the secret to increasing your life bar in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
How to get more max HP in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

There are two methods for increasing your HP. The first is related to optional points of interest on the map called Evanuris Altars. These won't ping on your map until you get close to them, but two early ones you can find in the Arlathan forest are marked below.

Read more
How to get Double XP tokens in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

Even with all the best tips and tricks, grinding your way through all the levels in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will take you a long time. Each level will take more and more XP to reach and can eventually feel like a chore, even if you swap over to Zombies mode. As has been the case for many entries now, Double XP tokens exist as a way to speed up the grind by doubling the amount of experience you earn for a set duration of time. Naturally, these are some of the most sought-after items in the game, but they're not so easy to come by. If you need a helpful XP boost while running games with your squad, here's every way you can get more Double XP tokens in Black Ops 6.
How to get Double XP tokens in Black Ops 6

There are a few ways to get Double XP tokens, but not all of them are free. We'll start with the ways you can earn them in-game before talking about the more costly options.
Prestige
Who deserves a Double XP token more than someone who has grinded all the way to level 55? Once you hit max level and opt to Prestige, you will get a one-hour Double XP token, which is the longest length they come in.
Follow Call of Duty's socials
The official Call of Duty X (formerly Twitter) account regularly posts opportunities to earn several Double XP tokens if you engage with the post. This is a quick and easy way to snag some free tokens.
Purchase the C.O.D.E. Endeavor Tracer Pack
Our first paid option is the extra DLC Endeavor Tracer Pack. Besides some cosmetics, you also get two Double XP tokens (one player and one weapon) that last an hour each.
Drinks and pizza
The two main brand promotions with Black Ops 6 this year are tied to Monster Energy and Little Caesars. Buying a marked can or purchasing a qualifying item will get you a small handful of rewards that include Double XP tokens.
Battle Pass
The Black Ops 6 battle pass isn't out at the time of this writing, but we do know that it will include Double XP tokens among its rewards. There will be both a free and paid version of the pass, but details about what can be unlocked in each version are not yet available. To be safe, we're assuming you will need to buy the pass to get these tokens.

Read more
How to play split screen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Soldiers near a train in Black Ops 6.

As fun as playing the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign is, especially for Trophy and Achievement hunters, we all know the multiplayer modes are where everyone spends most of their time. Thanks to cross-platform support, you can play with friends online on any platform. But what if you have a friend or family member sitting on the couch next to you who wants to play? Black Ops 6 does have split screen, believe it or not, but with many caveats you should know about.

Read more