Skull Island: Rise of Kong — Everything We Know

Ubisoft’s King Kong: The Game is but a distant memory for most, more so with the sheer lack of attention the franchise has received in the ninety-something years it’s been on the block. Fortunately for those who grew tired of waiting for the fabled king of Skull Island to make a striking return, though, a new game only went and surfaced on developer IguanaBee’s social and streaming channels earlier this week. It’s about time, too.

Aptly titled Skull Island: Rise of Kong, the upcoming action-adventure game will look to come full circle with everything Peter Jackson had left behind in the 2005 feature-length movie. This time, however, we won’t be playing from the camera crew’s perspective — but none other than Kong himself. If that’s the sort of gig you’ve been itching to attend for the past however many years, then be sure to read on for the full scoop. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What Is Skull Island: Rise of Kong?

Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a third-person action-adventure game in which you take on the role of Kong, the one and only future king of Skull Island. From his infancy to his prime, players will be invited to live out the key events that brought the famed beast to the throne. In other words, the milestones that failed to make the cut in Peter Jackson’s 2005 hit movie—an episode in which Kong had already made the ascension.

”Your reign is at hand!” the Steam description reads. “Based on the rich history of Skull Island developed by creator Joe DeVito and based on Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong, this exhilarating third-person action-adventure game lets you become Kong on a journey of vengeance as you fight to claim your rightful place as King of Skull Island.” Exhilarating stuff.

Story

From what we’ve caught of the game so far, Rise of Kong will be an origin story of sorts—a coming-of-age tale that’ll depict the beast’s rise to power on Skull Island. True to the source, Rise of Kong will follow the enormous ape during his infancy — in the midst of a traumatic experience that sees his parents slain by the claws of a viscous Deathrunner named Gaw. As the up-and-coming heir of Skull Island, players will set out to seek revenge against Gaw, and in turn claim the power as the next predatory alpha.

“Take on an action-packed quest to avenge the death of Kong’s parents at the hands of the ultimate alpha predator: the saurian terror Gaw,” the blurb reads in part. “Traverse the mysterious island and uncover its secrets across a variety of treacherous environments, discovering the power coursing through its exotic flora and fauna. Conquer waves of primal beasts, defeat unique bosses, and rise above all who stand in Kong’s way to being King!”

Gameplay

Judging from the looks of the in-game screenshots IguanaBee has provided to date, Skull Island: Rise of Kong will mostly focus on hack-and-slash combat, with “devastating combos” being Kong’s bread and butter moves. So, expect larger-than-lives terrains and countless epic clashes with some of Skull Island’s most feared creatures, beasts, and of course, the once-renowned Gaw, former alpha of the Deathrunners.

“Deal devastating combos to dominate Gaw’s ferocious minions, and unleash your rage to heighten the impact of your attacks,” the elevator pitch adds. “Send even the most gargantuan of enemies fleeing with your earth-shattering roar and brutal finishing attacks.”

Development

SKULL ISLAND: RISE OF KONG 🦍

Sorpresa! Hemos estado trabajando junto a GameMill Entertainment en este increíble y divertido título que ya puedes ver aquí! https://t.co/jmyV6rDc0t#videogame #gamer #IndieGameDev #kong #skullisland #riseofkong pic.twitter.com/v1n5gfjldk

— IguanaBee (@IguanaBee) July 20, 2023

GameMill Entertainment and IguanaBee had initially planned to develop a new King Kong game a year or so back, at which point it was unclear what type of game it was going to become. Fast-forward a year or so, and IguanaBee finally lifted the veil on its latest venture — lo and behold, a third-person action-adventure with all the bells and whistles to be an adrenaline-fuelled origin story.

“I could not be more excited to be working with GameMill Entertainment's talented team that will provide both King Kong fans and gamers the chance to experience King Kong's primordial world in a gamified way,” Joe DeVito of DeVito Artworks commented. “We continue to expand our King Kong licensing program in various categories including VR arcade games, collectibles, comic books and board games.”

As it stands, Skull Island: Rise of Kong is set to launch on all major platforms later this fall. If what rumours have been saying turn out to carry some amount of truth, then we’ll be able to get our hands on the latest entry in the King Kong saga sometime around October 2023. But don’t quote us on that, though.

Trailer

If you’re still with us, then you’ll no doubt be wanting to get a sneak peek at some of the game’s pre-launch footage. Should that be the case, then be sure to check out the debut trailer that IguanaBee teased earlier this week. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Skull Island: Rise of Kong will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam at some stage this fall. It’ll also be available in one of two editions: Standard Edition, which will retail for $39.99, and Colossal Edition, at $49.99. Here’s what you can expect to find bundled in with the digital deluxe copy:

Colossal Edition

• Skull Island: Rise of Kong 
• Digital Soundtrack
• Digital Artbook
• 8 Exclusive Film Grains
• Kong Style Pack
• New Boss-Rush Mode

If you’re interested in staying up to date with IguanaBee’s latest venture, then be sure to check in with the team over on their official social feed here. If anything changes ahead of its planned release date, then we’ll be sure to let you know all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Skull Island: Rise of Kong when it releases on consoles and PC? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.