Due to the continued high player population, the next World Conquest is tentatively scheduled to begin immediately after this one as Skirmish mode is unable to support the current volume of users.
With the current player population, having an extended skirmish period would result in 100s of players stuck in queue (many of them new players). This is a design and technical limitation of the current Skirmish Mode unfortunately.
The situation may change in the coming days, but consider this a HEADS UP and please be prepared for this schedule. We understand this isn't ideal for all players that are accustomed to having a Skirmish phase and will be looking to better support player population spikes in the future.
Thanks for the patience.