Untangle a Web of Lies in ‘A Dark Deception’, Live Until July 6th!
The Sea of Thieves has seen a fragile sort of peace emerge over recent months, but something sinister is once again starting to make waves. The only instruction Larinna has to share is that someone urgently needs to speak with you. To find out what’s really going on, you’ll need to join this emerging cause and dive into Sea of Thieves’ latest Adventure, ‘A Dark Deception’.
The Story So Far
As recapped in our latest Adventures Ahead article, previous story-driven Adventures have sent players all across the Sea of Thieves, pitting them against skeletons, Sirens and fellow sailors alike. They’ve rallied to the defence of Golden Sands Outpost and its inhabitants, rescued a fallen hero, witnessed the return of one of the most notorious pirates the sea has ever known, and, most recently, set out in search of a cure for a skeletal curse.
These time-limited experiences have fundamentally changed the world of Sea of Thieves. Golden Sands has grown into the majestic Port Merrick. Some allies have been lost, with Pendragon facing a sombre fate in the Sea of the Damned, while Merrick, Flameheart and Briggsy have all made a successful return from the abyss. The seas have been left in a precarious state of balance: the Dark Brethren have vanished in search of an Ancient Temple, while the forces of the Pirate Lord and Captain Flameheart keep one another in check by engaging in ship-to-ship battles out at sea.
Secrets Abound
Now, however, a new disturbance is causing ripples across the waves. Larinna is dispatching pirates to a mysterious meeting on an island chain so remote it doesn’t even have a name. The only thing known for sure is that something vitally important is about to end up in the clutches of evil, and you and your crew are needed to help put together the pieces of this mission.
From now until July 6, experience a twisting Adventure that will test friendships and face you with uncomfortable choices as you try to unpick the truth of this latest threat. To manage it, you’ll need to rely on the help of your friends in the Order of Souls, no matter what it takes. But be very careful; not everything is as it seems...
Find Out More
For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieveswebsite. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Steam. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.
New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieveshere, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!
Adventures Ahead: ‘A Dark Deception’
It’s been a while since Sea of Thieves last presented pirates with a time-limited, narrative-focused escapade, and as crews have been busy lately tussling over Chests of Fortune, investigating the intrigue of The Hoarder’s Hunt and acquiring new and shiny trinkets for their Captained ships, it’s entirely possible that the notion of Adventures as a whole is new to you.
If that’s the case, allow us to raise a lantern on Adventures past, present and future, bringing you up to speed in anticipation of ‘A Dark Deception’, the next instalment launching on June 22nd! Be sure to fill your tankard before diving in – you’ll need something to wash down all that lore…
I Have a Favour to Ask!
Each Adventure to date has been largely focused on driving the Sea of Thieves story forward – sometimes this has meant events unfolding that pirates were powerless to prevent, while on other occasions it was the decisions of player crews around the world that determined the Adventure’s ultimate outcome.
Generally speaking, it’s Larinna who serves as the gateway to each new Adventure, beckoning pirates over with her usual blunt approach to life and slipping them a Mysterious Note to springboard players into the story. While many expeditions are a single ship’s business, there have also been Adventures encouraging cooperation with other crews, and a few that pitted pirates head-to-head as they sought to succeed.
Pirates who see an Adventure through to its conclusion will generally be rewarded with a suitable memento – Stitcher Jim’s jacket and a portrait of Merrick are two notable examples from past excursions. Additionally, Adventures offer a number of objectives known as Deeds; successfully completing all of these usually involves some extra legwork or sleuthing, and a unique in-game Title is your reward.
Shroud Negotiators
Adventures began in earnest with ‘Shrouded Islands’, when – as the name rather implies – an ominous fog began to cloak several prominent locations across the Sea of Thieves. The most significant of these blighted isles was Golden Sands Outpost, whose residents vanished almost overnight.
While beloved luminaries like Cecil and Sharon were eventually rescued from Captain Flameheart’s prison during the second Adventure ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, Golden Sands itself remained fogbound and abandoned. Pirates were left to mourn the loss of a perfectly good drinking den while wondering if the place would ever be the same.
Grizzled old salt Merrick, meanwhile, was lured out of shark-hunting retirement by a visit from the enigmatic Belle, a powerful ally with extensive knowledge of the Sea of the Damned. With pirates’ assistance, the pair were able to summon forth the Shrouded Ghost from its otherworldly stomping grounds and, from the belly of the beast, recover the Veil of the Ancients – a relic that can be used to reach the Sea of the Damned.
Baited Brethren
All that excitement relit a fight in Merrick’s Meg-filled belly, and he decided to strike out for the Shores of Plenty, taking command of an effort to rebuild Golden Sands and free it from its perpetual miasma. With your help, naturally. In response, the Servant of the Flame stepped out from the shadows, confirming that elite Reapers had attacked the Outpost on Flameheart’s orders, and entreating pirates to let Golden Sands wither and die.
This dilemma formed the basis for both the ‘Lost Sands’ Adventure and a community-driven choice that saw Golden Sands Outpost not just restored, but ultimately transformed into the prosperous Port Merrick. Unfortunately, the town’s namesake had attracted too much of the wrong kind of attention, and soon a blade flashed in the night…
Though they had been trapped in the Sea of the Damned since their last attempt to disrupt all things piratical, the Dark Brethren had not been idle. Having lured Amaranta to their cause, the group first claimed Merrick’s life and then his immortal soul in ‘The Forsaken Hunter’, spiriting his spirit away to their headquarters for interrogation. Though crews were successful in rescuing the defiant Merrick during ‘A Hunter’s Cry’, he remains under the protection of the Pirate Lord until the day the Dark Brethren are dealt with once and for all.
Relight My Fire
Still smarting from the Reapers’ defeat at Golden Sands, the Servant of the Flame turned to a prophecy that spoke of a nearing Time of Resurrection. This fated event was one that Belle was keen to nip in the bud by acquiring Ancient allies in ‘The Sirens’ Prize’. Thanks to pirate crews’ strenuous efforts, the remains of the Ancients’ Great Warrior were recovered from Siren strongholds, securing some much-needed kinship against a growing roster of foes.
Nonetheless, having sensed the opportunity to save his father from eternity as a meme and establish Captain Flameheart as the destructive force he was destined to be, the Servant pressed on with his scheme and went to great pains to regain the loyalty of Stitcher Jim – or more accurately, if the prophecy was to be believed, the Herald of the Flame…
Jim, however, found himself seriously stitched up when Pendragon intervened, eager to settle a score after the events of ‘Heart of Fire’. (That’s the Tall Tale, not the novel, do try and keep up at the back.) Sir Arthur led a successful charge against the Herald at Molten Sands Fortress, and it looked as though Team Ramsey had finally ended the threat of Flameheart once and for all.
For about five minutes, anyway. With Flameheart’s body finally restored and ready to accept his essence, ‘Return of the Damned’ saw the beleaguered Pendragon wager his soul directly against Flameheart’s own.
Regrettably for Blackwyche enthusiasts, with a second community-driven choice deciding the outcome of the struggle, the Reapers refused to lose two-nil and the way was opened for Flameheart to return to the living world in all his fuming, fiery glory. This tumultuous turn of events immediately caused conflict to arise between two new Factional forces, the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame, with Flameheart himself bestowing a skeletal ‘reward’ upon his faithful followers.
Out of Memory
With bloodthirsty battles underway all across the waves, it would have been easy to overlook the wellbeing of one individual. That’s why Tasha, suddenly cursed with an unwanted skeletal makeover (despite a total disinterest in PvP diving), had no choice but to confide in Madame Olivia and sympathetic pirate crews, thus beginning ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’.
Through a supernatural set of circumstances, pirates seeking Tasha’s cure not only instigated the return of Captain Briggsy at the end of subsequent Adventure ‘The Secret Wilds’, but also the re-emergence of the Dark Brethren and the formation of an uneasy alliance between them – as if the seas weren’t chaotic enough already. For now, the whereabouts of Briggsy and the Brethren remain unknown, and curious crews will have to wait a while longer to learn more about the Ancient Temple they’re seeking.
All of which which brings us to ‘A Dark Deception’, and a new top-secret mission bequeathed by Larinna. It seems as though an individual who wishes to keep their identity and movements a secret for now (but no prizes for guessing) is seeking assistance at an island chain so remote it doesn’t even have a name. All Larinna knows for sure is that something of significance is no longer where it should be…
And so, a quest to recover a powerful and dangerous treasure is about to unfold as you seek out the lair of the villains who’ve absconded with a prize belonging to the Pirate Lord. To do that you’ll need to acquire an enchanted compass, and such a thing will have to be crafted, somewhat reluctantly, by the Order of Souls.
Now, if all that sounds like a walk in the pirate park compared to the likes of Megalodon summoning and Ancient prophecies, be warned – there’s a reason this upcoming Adventure isn’t called ‘A Straightforward Sail’. Needless to say, all is not as meets the eye…
Storied Times Ahead
Well, there we have it: a potted history of all the ways the Sea of Thieves world has been transformed by Adventures so far. And as for the future? Well, Adventures themselves are soon due to undergo a metamorphosis of their own, as teased by Lead Designer Chris Davies in a recent episode of SoT News giving a little more context to the slowed-down schedule.
Here and now, though, you’ll be able to enjoy the twists and turns of ‘A Dark Deception’ for yourself when the Adventure launches on June 22nd. And if it stokes your appetite for even more story-centric shenanigans, remember that the first of three Tall Tales comprising Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, our recent Xbox Showcase reveal and upcoming collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, is mere weeks away…
Following a recent revisit to Sea of Thieves’ Captaincy system and changes made to streamline player progression (which we encourage you to read about in more detail), we thought it’d be well worth recapping the reasons why you might want to buy your own ship and set sail as a Captain in the first place. So here’s a handy reminder of the perks available to our Captains of Adventure!
A Home on the Seas
Say goodbye to rentals – your ship is now your own, purchased with hard-earned gold and gaining its own history and reputation as you sail upon it. There’s a certain amount of pride that comes with adventuring on something that’s been by your side through naval battles and Kraken attacks, rather than something you set foot on for the very first time that day.
Conversely, the sweet sorrow of sinking is so much more painful when it’s your own vessel descending into the murky depths, the battle scars that persist across your ship’s hull when it’s hauled back to the surface serving as a sharp reminder of your defeat. However…
Battle Scars, Begone
If the hull of your ship looks like a slice of Swiss cheese and you’d rather it was as smooth as the skin of a freshly picked banana, being a Captain can help with that too. Visit a shipwright at any Outpost and they’ll be able to make your ship look box-fresh and beautiful again!
A Ship By Any Other Name…
“A good name is rather to be chosen than riches,” as they say, and as Captain you get to bestow the name of your choice upon your ship. Provided it meets the criteria, the Pirate Lord himself will officially recognise your chosen name, engraving it on the Ship’s Crest and stern the first time you set foot on deck.
Even better, other pirates who spy your ship from across the sea will be presented with a Ship’s Banner letting them know your ship’s name, and the name of the Captain at its helm. Will you choose a name that strikes fear into the heart of all who see it? One that taunts other pirates into attack? Or will you take the opportunity to make a joke so daft that those who see it are rendered helpless with laughter? That’s the great thing about being a Captain – the choice is yours.
Deck-orate Your Own Ship
Speaking of choice, Captain status also brings far greater control over how your ship looks. Channel your inner designer as you customise your chair, bed, table and more to create the Captain’s cabin of your dreams. Then you can further decorate your ship with Trinkets, be they knick-knacks purchased from the shipwright or Trophies unlocked via your daring deeds.
So that you don’t have to spend your precious plunder procurement time fiddling around in the Ship Customisation Chest, you can save the inner and outer customisations so that your ship looks ship-shape, shiny and ready to go at the start of each and every session.
Say Ahoy to the Sovereigns
Being a Captain comes with a certain amount of prestige, and you may find that people who ignored you before are now very interested in hearing what you have to say – and sell. The Sovereigns have set up their fancy marquees at every Outpost, and they’re so keen to make friends with pirate Captains that they’ll deliver your treasure to the Trading Companies on your behalf. They’ve even installed Rowboat docks and harpoons to make unloading treasure easy for anyone sailing on a Captained ship.
No more separating your Castaway’s Chests from your Coral Skulls and Cannonball Crates – hand it all in to your local Sovereign, then kick back and enjoy the view as the gold and reputation come rolling in.
Oar-inspiring Perks
It’s not just the Sovereigns, though. Being a Captain unlocks other bonus services that were previously unavailable to you. Instead of having to scour an Outpost’s barrels for supplies and lug anything you find across the island, onto your ship and below deck for storage, a quick visit to the shipwright’s shop (and a palm full of gold to sweeten the deal, of course) can see your barrels stocked up with cannonballs, meat, fruit, wood, bait and even throwables like firebombs and blunderbombs.
The shipwrights also sell special Captain’s Voyages to keep on the bookcase on your ship ¬– these span a variety of Trading Companies and give you more control over what your Voyage will entail and how long it will take you to complete.
And that wraps up our whistle-stop tour of Captaincy benefits! We hope it was enlightening to all those fresh-faced pirates who’ve taken their maiden voyage since Captaincy arrived back in Season Seven, and reinvigorating to any Captains who’ve already dabbled but still have much more to explore. As recent changes have made the rewards more achievable than ever, now’s the perfect time to do it!
Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 2.8.3
Season Nine soldiers on and brings action aplenty over the weeks ahead! The Captain’s Week Event rolls out the recently promised Captaincy changes, and hot on its heels comes the latest time-limited trip through another story-driven Adventure. It’s also a particularly fine month for Pirate Emporium variety, and a fresh collection of fixes and balances rounds out June’s offerings!
Last month’s release notes are still available for recent content reference, or going further back to the start of Season Nine, the release notes from launch and the trailer above will get you up to speed on all its primary features. Right now though, the itemised breakdown of a brand new monthly update awaits. Ready... and away!
Pirate Emporium
Something for pirates of all persuasions this month! Brand new Ship’s Banners and a brooding Ship’s Crest, sweet pets for the treat lovers and Brawler Emotes for the bruisers, Big Bundles weighing down the shelves and the Beachcomber’s Bounty ship set back with weapons to match.
Season Nine Plunder Pass
Anyone wishing to take full advantage of Season Nine rewards can still buy the Plunder Pass. Any rewards unlocked will become available upon purchase, so players who have raised their Renown throughout Season Nine can instantly see their hard work rewarded before the Season ends.
This Season’s Plunder Pass offers early access to the complete Sting Tide Ship Collection and evolving Sting Tide Costume, and can be purchased at any time through the Pirate Log, Pirate Emporium or Steam Item Store.
Chocolatier’s Companion Pets
Two strange new beasts have arrived on the Sea of Thieves for pet-loving pirates to adopt. Choose between a Parakeet or Alsatian and try to avoid leaving them out in the sun for too long!
Beachcomber’s Bounty Weapons
A rugged survivalist managed to cobble together these four weapons in a cave, with nothing but the scraps of their smashed-up ship.
Beachcomber’s Bounty Ship Collection
Previously featured in the Season Seven Plunder Pass, all parts of the Beachcomber Bounty Ship Collection are now available to purchase from the Pirate Emporium.
Ship’s Banners
The Emporium now offers a selection of exclusive Ship’s Banners for Captains. Choose from the Royal Coronet, Reaver and Forgotten Temple designs to help your ship stand out when spied from afar!
Dark Warsmith Ship’s Crest
Any ship’s name that evokes dread in all who read it is worthy of a Ship’s Crest to match.
Brawler Emote Bundle
Even without a weapon at hand, a pirate should always be ready for some fisticuffs to defend their loot.
Lodestar Big Bundle
Wreath yourself in skies and stars with this expansive Lodestar bundle. Includes the full ship collection, costume, weapons and spyglass, plus cat and parrot pets.
Dark Warsmith Big Bundle
Join some of the Sea of Thieves’ most fearsome pirates with this heavy-duty Dark Warsmith bundle. Includes the full ship collection, costume and weapons.
Freebie Pail Percussion Emote
Even when you have an actual drum tucked away, sometimes you just like to use what’s at hand.
Solid Gold Bundle (Store Only)
Want to dazzle in any company? A pirate of true opulence should hoard this Solid Gold Bundle, which contains two Collector’s Pets: the Gold Curse Wildcat and Gold Curse Parakeet. Also includes 1000 Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium and a free bonus of 25,000 gold. Head to the Steam Item Store to find out more.
Gameplay Improvements
Reduced Cannonball Knockback
Players sailing a Galleon or Brigantine will find that the knockback from cannonball splash damage no longer propels them so far into the air, preventing them from being so easily sent overboard. However, they will still be knocked back and disorientated by the blast. This change makes the knockback experience consistent across all ship sizes.
Captains of Adventure Balancing
A large number of Pirate and Ship Milestones have been rebalanced to make gaining Classes easier, and any progress already made will automatically be converted, potentially boosting players to higher Classes.
The number of Classes required to buy the four tiers of Trinkets has been significantly reduced.
The cost for saving cosmetics to a Captained ship has been removed, and this function is now free.
The gold cost for purchasing ship decorations and Trinkets has been significantly reduced.
Any Captain’s Beds that unlock through Milestones will now unlock at Class 2 instead of Class 5.
Updates
Video Support
Players logging in to Sea of Thieves will find that the front end menu now has the ability to display video content. This will serve the latest trailers and content directly in-game, and once watched or skipped will return to the beloved Map Table animation.
Players will now also find video content within the What’s New section of the front end menu, which can be browsed and rewatched on demand.
Outpost Cosmetics
Aristocrat Hairstyles
The urge to style yourself exquisitely needn’t stop when you reach the top of your head, as these additional hairstyles become available from Outpost shops.
Events
Captain’s Week (June 15th – June 22nd)
To encourage pirates to test the waters of Captaincy and explore the permanent improvements introduced this month, the Captain’s Week Event comes with a whole package of perks!
Enjoy heavy discounts on ship purchases, boosted rewards when sailing on a Captained ship, new weapons to earn by using the Sovereigns’ services and a Pirate Emporium sale full of bargains for keen Captains.
Continue to unlock cosmetics throughout Season Nine with Twitch Drops! Stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels to find out when Twitch Drops will be active for Partnered streamers, allowing players to earn a selection of items from the Eastern Winds Sapphire set.
Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.
Fixed Issues
Gameplay
Seagulls above barrels no longer prevent Megalodons from appearing across the seas, bringing the frequency of Megalodon encounters back to intended levels.
Letters of Recommendation and Ritual Skull Voyages from Larinna have now been refreshed, and players can purchase twice the usual amount to cover those missed last month.
Battle for the Sea of Thieves
The Hourglass is no longer interactable after a ship has been sunk, or scuttled by the crew.
Crews losing a battle should now consistently be sent to the sinking wreck sequence and moved to a new location.
Captains of Adventure
Rowboats that become damaged while docked to a ship will now visually show the damage prior to being undocked.
The Pirate Milestone for Rowboats Docked will now increase when a Rowboat is docked to your ship by any player.
Pirate Emporium
The icon for the Night Wulf Eye of Reach is now centered.
The Crab Dab Emote and Monkey Dance Emote are no longer showing their sale prices.
The Cutler Beckett Costume Set has now been updated to show the correct description of the item.
Visual and Audio
When fishing, the names of fish that surface will now be shown consistently.
The Flag of the Bristling Barnacle can now be equipped on a Brigantine.
Pirates’ hands no longer intersect with the Order of Souls and Merchant Alliance Shovels.
When approaching the location of an active Bounty Quest, the music will now consistently switch to the appropriate theme.
Text and Localisation
The action of delivering, giving and selling items is now more clearly translated when playing in the Korean language.
‘The Legendary Storyteller’ – The Quest Book now correctly references Port Merrick.
‘Dark Brethren’ – A typo in the initial notification when starting the Tale from a checkpoint has been corrected.
Performance and Stability
Improved server performance when large numbers of floating items are left at sea.
Improved server stability to avoid instances of players being disconnected from their session.
Steam players encountering a file corruption issue will now be shown an error message on launch rather than becoming stuck in a loop.
Known Issues
Reduced Server Performance
Players may experience scenarios where they encounter ping spikes at random while playing, resulting in rubberbanding or client stutters. While improvements were most recently released in update 2.7.3, the team continue to work on further improvements for future updates.
Ranged and Melee Weapon Hit Detection
In areas of intense action, players may find themselves firing shots or landing strikes that do not cause damage to their targets. While small improvements continue to be delivered during our regular updates, we are continuing to investigate and identify further improvements to the player combat experience.
To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.
Download and Installation
Download Size:
Steam: 5.84 GB
Discover The Legend of Monkey Island
Sea of Thieves fans hoping for a glimpse at what's coming their way over the next few months were in for a treat at this year's Xbox Games Showcase event, held on June 11th. Last year, the same event saw the wraps come off Season Seven's packed Captaincy feature set, while back in 2021 our Showcase included the reveal of Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life. It's a high standard of announcement to measure up to, but we hope you'll be pleased with what we've unveiled for 2023...
After expressing our team's fondness for the Monkey Island franchise via the Easter eggs left for players to find in Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life, the integration is finally coming your way! We've worked closely with Lucasfilm Games to bring Monkey Island to Sea of Thieves, resulting in an experience that's expansive, exciting and entertaining.
Over the course of three brand new Tall Tales, you'll be invited to tour and explore beloved locations beginning with Mêlée Island, and interact with iconic characters including Guybrush Threepwood himself. Throughout The Legend of Monkey Island you'll solve puzzles, tussle with adversaries and tackle unexpected trials as you strive to put right situations that have gone bizarrely wrong and confront a looming peril born of powers from both worlds.
Players can expect to learn more about how these places are connected through an experience underscored by a rich seam of comedy, but right now we want to leave as much as possible to be discovered as you go. Whether this is your dream crossover as a long-term fan or fated to be your first foray onto the shores of Monkey Island, we hope you'll feel the love that's gone into this collaboration and find plenty to love in return.
The Legend of Monkey Island is coming free to all Sea of Thieves players, beginning with the first of three new Tall Tales on July 20th. Bring your wits, your finest hat and a talking skull, and we'll see you mighty pirates there.
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2023
Oh yes friends, it’s that time once again. May might have breezed past in the blink of an eye, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t do our best to absolutely cram it with all kinds of content for you to enjoy. And as always, we wanted to provide you with a full round-up of everything that you might have missed, so let’s just get right to it…
Content Update
The beginning of May was shrouded in Mystery. After an initial heads-up that something strange was afoot, the first of several letters from the shadowy ‘H’ was delivered to the Gold Hoarders. Filled with riddles, the note – and those that followed – led pirates down a twisting path to uncover a series of codes and in-game Voyages. Though three keys have been found at the time of writing, The Hoarder’s Hunt is not yet over…
Something that came with far less uncertainty attached was the May content update! We were so keen for you to know all the details, in fact, that we ensured the traditional set of release notes was ready to go alongside the usual curated collection of fixes and improvements, new player reporting tools and some efficient new Merchant Alliance gear at the Outposts.
The Pirate Emporium saw a fresh wave of cosmetics in May’s update too, bringing a range of new costumes, pets and Trinkets straight out of classic crossover Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life. This stock refresh also saw the return of Season Six’s Plunder Pass set, the Spring Blossom collection, now with additional weapons and a fishing rod to round out the look. A new Mystery also meant new merch, with a range of Hoarder’s Hunt designs popping up in the Rare store through the month.
News and Features
We went into the month of May thinking about June, strangely. Specifically, we’d turned our attention to the upcoming Captain’s Week Event and with it an overhaul to the existing Milestone progression system. To fill you in on all the coming changes and to make sure you had an opportunity to prepare, we made sure to run you through all the details early in the month.
With everyone suitably set for the future, it was time for a fashion show! May heralded the latest round of the prestigious Style of Thieves competition, where pirates show off their best looks in the hopes of snagging a pair of the exclusive Fashionista’s Finery Gloves. We revealed Season Nine’s themes early on to ensure everyone had time to put together the perfect outfit, along with outlining the corresponding entry deadlines. More on that later.
‘Dark Descent’ was May’s addition to the streamable Sea of Thieves soundtrack, while we also took a moment to celebrate the classic ‘We Shall Sail Together’ passing a mighty 10 million plays on Spotify! Over in community news, we weren’t about to leave you without some new Spotlights to explore: famed creator LDSylvr spoke about his experiences organising community events, then we checked in with avian enthusiast and relentless bird requester Owlet for a conversation that was mostly not about owls. Mostly.
Videos and Streams
With The Hoarder’s Hunt taking place over the month, we were far from short of videos to share with you. At the very start of May we dropped a short teaser, then followed it up with a more in-depth look at how the Mystery would actually work.
When the first letter from ‘H’ arrived, we added a launch trailer to the mix, before later kicking off Stage 2 with one of the strangest livestreams we’ve ever had the pleasure of hosting. Even then, we still weren’t done! As we moved into Stage 3, we hopped back in to catch you up on the Mystery so far and possibly sprinkle in a few clues for the most observant pirates.
And, just in case all of that wasn’t enough to keep you going, the last weekend of the month allowed Twitch viewers to bag the first batch of items from the Eastern Winds Ruby collection to fill out their Equipment Chests – and we even managed to find time to bring you two entire episodes of Sea of Thieves News. Honestly, you’d think we never let the Video team go home or something.
Social Channels
After the theme reveal earlier in the month, it was little surprise that one of the biggest social media events of May was the Style of Thieves contest. With four themes to get through – RPG Classes, Romantic, Spring Style and The Elements – we spent several days mid-month being inundated with some of the finest fashions the seas have ever seen. Ultimately though, winners had to be found, and as May drew to a close we picked out a handful of entries that stood out from the crowd.
With the weather warming, this month’s #SoTShot competition set our minds to summer holidays and sunshine with a delightfully whimsical Travel Poster theme. And at the same time, the Community Hub granted eight artistic members of the community their very own Hats of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame for some exceptional creations.
After so many competitions and giveaways, we took a five-minute breather with a trip to a coffee shop, before jumping right back into the thick of it with weekly #TriviaTuesday posts and an illustrated look at a selection of Season Nine stats so far. We briefly returned to the world of fashion for a discussion of favourite clothing sets, then moved on to acknowledging adventures in another kingdom and comparing good luck rituals. Do you have one? Will it help us to not fall off the dock every time we try to get on our ship? The mysteries never cease.
Well, seeing as we need to recover from another ignominious dunk in the sea, that’s all we have time for today! There were a lot of moving parts to manage throughout May, largely thanks to The Hoarder’s Hunt – which were your favourite bits? You can let us know and keep up with all Sea of Thieves news via our social channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch, or by joining the official Forums or Discord. In the meantime, we’ll be back next month with another round-up. Of the previous month, obviously. See you then!
When we took a deep breath and released Sea of Thieves’second trailer into the online currents back in 2016, backed by the atmospheric arrangement and vocals of ‘We Shall Sail Together’, any dream of numbers in the millions seemed too distant to even consider.
Seven years later, including five since launch, we’ve watched well over 30 million players set sail - but we’ve never lost track of the song that accompanied our early cinematic showing. The full-length version of ‘We Shall Sail Together’ with an additional verse was released shortly after its truncated trailer debut, and it’s since resurfaced in numerous other ways and places including, as Robin mentions in the celebratory video below, unlocking the in-game Pirate Legend Hideout. It’s also a staple of our ever-growing official downloadable soundtrack, where crucially it’s just passed the milestone of being streamed 10 million times on Spotify alone.
To mark this occasion, we descended on the in-house audio department and encouraged the Sea of Thieves soundtrack maestro himself, Rare’s Music Director Robin Beanland, to chat about how the track came to life and break down the component parts to show how it all fits together.
Writer Chris Allcock, who still works on Sea of Thieves and authored the official novels Athena's Fortune and Heart of Fire, provided ‘We Shall Sail Together’ lyrics for Anna Hon to sing back in those mist-wreathed pre-launch days. He retains strong memories of what the song was striving to embody:
“We knew that the first time the world was going to be hearing this song was during the Xbox presentation as a game trailer – and traditionally in trailers, if there’s a narrator or similar character talking, their purpose is to get across what the core of what the game is about.
“In our case, the lyrics needed to do something similar, so with the visuals taking care of conveying gameplay moments like fighting a Kraken and battling skeletons, we decided to really focus on the idea of the crew bond being a key part of the game and that if you do ‘sail together’ and work as a group, you’ll ultimately succeed.
“I think it also helped to deal with any misconceptions that playing as a pirate meant you’d eventually stab your crewmates in the back and take all the treasure, which obviously was not how the game was going to work – likewise, the phrase ‘sons and daughters’ was placed early on to let players know that everyone was going to be welcome on the waves.”
As we continue to welcome pirates of all stripes and stances into our sandbox, we’d like to once again thank all those bold souls who sail with us as we hit these heartwarming heights together. Hold your course, there’s still so much more to be seen and heard...
Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 2.8.2
While pirate investigators apply themselves to the latest maritime Mystery, May’s content update serves up a collection of gameplay, performance and audiovisual refinements to the overall Sea of Thieves experience. A new player reporting tool also makes its debut, and the Pirate Emporium has treats in store based on classic Tall Tales and previous Plunder Pass content alike...
If you’ve missed any of the Season Nine action so far, you can watch the trailer above and sift through the release notes from this Season’s launch along with last month’s additions. Then hop back here and commence scrolling to find out what the latest update has in store!
Pirate Emporium
Relive the timeless tales of Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life with new costumes and pets to complement those that went before! The serene Spring Blossom set also returns from a previous Plunder Pass with matching extras, while the humble tankard gets some overdue emote attention...
Season Nine Plunder Pass
Anyone wishing to take full advantage of Season Nine rewards can still buy the Plunder Pass. Any rewards unlocked will become available upon purchase, so players who have raised their Renown throughout Season Nine can instantly see their hard work rewarded before the Season ends.
This Season’s Plunder Pass offers early access to the complete Sting Tide Ship Collection and evolving Sting Tide Costume, and can be purchased at any time through the Pirate Log, Pirate Emporium or Steam Item Store.
Tia Dalma Costume
Dress as the enigmatic Tia Dalma and spread your otherworldly wisdom across the waves.
Includes the Bon Voyage Emote. Summon an apparition of a Galleon, then send it on its way across the horizon.
Redd Costume
Dress as the courageous Redd as you search for treasure in secret grottos, then carry it triumphantly to auction.
Includes the Redd’s Heckle Emote. A pirate can always spot the true treasure at an auction – and it won’t be laying eggs.
Cutler Beckett Costume Set
Dressing as Cutler Beckett is really just good business, with this costume set containing two variants – one with a matching hairstyle, one without.
Includes the Civilised Drink Emote. Sometimes a little perturbation is needed to achieve the perfect tankard of grog for a refined palate.
Castaway Cat
A mystical moggy that, thanks in part to being dressed as Tia Dalma, is as unpredictable as the sea.
Prominent Prisoner Monkey
You may now, henceforth, commence with the acquisition and dispersal of bananas. Savvy?
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life Trinkets
Painting Bundle 1 contains painted portraits of Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones and Tia Dalma to decorate a Captained ship.
Painting Bundle 2 contains the 'Eternal Freedom', 'The Cursed Ferryman' and 'What Lurks Below' paintings to decorate a Captained ship.
Painting Bundle 3 contains the 'A Broken Blade', 'The Grotto's Hoard' and 'The Bayou Beckons' paintings to decorate a Captained ship.
Spring Blossom Weapon Bundle
Spring is all about celebrating new life. You can use these weapons to make some space for it…
Spring Blossom Fishing Rod
With its line spun from sacred twine, any angler would be blessed to use this gnarled fishing rod.
Spring Blossom Ship Collection
Previously featured in the Season Six Plunder Pass, all parts of the Spring Blossom Ship Collection are now available to purchase from the Pirate Emporium.
Tankard Tricks Emote Bundle
Grog’s your favourite tipple, and you know plenty of ways to fully appreciate its fabulous flavours. Show them off to your crew when performing these emotes.
Freebie Ranting Rogue Emote
If the ship’s on fire, there’s a rat in the grog barrel or your favourite Trinket’s knocked out of place, be sure your crew know all about it.
Blooming Brigand Bundle (Store Only)
No matter what the time of year may be, you’ll always have a spring in your step when your trusty vessel and even the contents of your armory are bursting with vitality. The Blooming Brigand Bundle contains the Spring Blossom Weapon Bundle and Fishing Rod, the Spring Blossom Figurehead and Sails, 550 Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium and a free bonus of 25,000 gold. Head to the Steam Item Store to find out more.
Outpost Cosmetics
Merchant Alliance Cosmetics
Show off your allegiance to the Alliance with a new range of clothing items, weapons and equipment – all now available for gold from Outpost shops.
Gameplay Improvements
Supply Restocking After a Lost Battle
Crews defeated during the Battle for the Sea of Thieves are now free to purchase Captain’s Supplies or Merchant Supplies upon arrival at the Outpost, even if one in-game day has not yet passed – allowing them to stock up and get back in the fight.
Battles Within a Storm
Crews diving beneath the waves to battle rival ships will no longer find themselves battling in storm conditions.
Updates
Report a Player
Within the Settings menu, players now have access to a ‘Report a Player’ option, allowing them to directly report another player to the Sea of Thieves Support team for possible moderation and action.
This reporting tool allows players to be reported for inappropriate gamertags, ship names and pet names.
Once the report has been completed, players will be shown a list of players who they have been in the vicinity of in the last few hours to enable the report to be targeted at a specific player.
Events
Twitch Drops
Continue to unlock cosmetics throughout Season Nine with Twitch Drops! Stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels to find out when Twitch Drops will be active for Partnered streamers, allowing players to earn a selection of items from the Eastern Winds Ruby set.
Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.
Fixed Issues
Gameplay
Pirates swimming to a ship in choppy waters are no longer able to use a ship's cannons, harpoon or Map Table to board directly from the water.
Pirates striking an enemy threat with a harpoon will once again deal a small amount of damage.
On discovering a Shipwreck Graveyard during a Legend of the Veil Voyage, players who previously opened the Captain's Quarters will still be able to access that area even after server migration.
During a Ghost Fleet encounter, crews at a distance from the battle will no longer find that ships disappear while attempting to move to the crew’s position.
Players are now able to complete the Ocean Epicurean Trial when fulfilling the required criteria.
Players attempting to sell a Trident of Dark Tides while aiming it will no longer be prevented from aiming other weapons once sold.
Battle for the Sea of Thieves
Voting on the Hourglass of Fate will now clear the Captain’s Table of any placed Tall Tale Checkpoints.
Players will no longer see a ‘Quest Received’ notification when diving below the waves looking for an opponent.
Solo players forcefully disconnecting from a session while travelling beneath the waves will now find their battle cancelled and arrive on a random island back at sea.
The win streak UI now appears consistently even if the player force-closes the game and rejoins the session.
When diving beneath the waves, players will no longer see strange light blue underwater visual effects in the distance prior to fading to black.
Captains of Adventure
A Captain’s Logbook placed inside a Collector’s Chest no longer loses its cover customisation.
The Taker of Stolen Stock Commendation now progresses when commodities are sold to Sovereigns.
Improvements have been made to the Captain’s Logbook to avoid instances where the text and images inside the Logbook overlap or intersect with each other.
Pirate Emporium
Players will now travel in the intended direction when fired from a Brigantine cannon with the Sawbones Cannons equipped.
The Sawbones Jacket and Belt will now appear ghostly when equipping the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune.
The iconography for the Sawbones Collector’s Sail now matches the equipped sail.
The Sawbones Trinket is now centred correctly and lit from above when placed on a ship.
The Sawbones Collector’s Figurehead when equipped on the Sloop will no longer display liquid through the vial corks, and will swing more noticeably.
Environment
Players can no longer get stuck when traversing the dry dock area at Port Merrick.
Players will no longer be able to see the waterline when jumping at either end of the dry dock at Port Merrick.
The lanterns present at the back of the Order of Souls building at Port Merrick are now lit.
Players can no longer intersect with the environment within the Sea Fort basements.
Items can no longer become lost if placed on a table in the Merchant Alliance area at Port Merrick.
Characters at Port Merrick will now be seen when approaching from a distance and will no longer pop into view.
The cannon at the south-east of Port Merrick now launches pirates in the correct direction.
User Interface
An icon will now appear next to a pirate’s name indicating they are carrying treasure after picking up a Stronghold Key.
Visual and Audio
The beacon from the Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty will now continue to be visible after harpooning the chest off a ship.
The atmospheric effects that signify a Ghost Fleet encounter have been improved, ensuring the event is visible from across the waves.
Pirates striking a Ghost Ship, Skeleton Ship or Megalodon with cannon fire will no longer hear other game music quieten for an extended period.
Players will consistently see the visual effects for an active lantern during the Fort of the Damned, even when returning after death.
During the Ghost of Graymarrow fight, the correct visual effects will now be shown at his feet when teleporting.
Players with the Wandering Reaper Flag or Inevitable Reaper Flag equipped will now find that when representing as an Emissary, the Emissary Flag now attaches correctly.
Pirates’ bodies will no longer become invisible when equipping the Order of Souls Shirt and an open jacket.
When pirates are observed climbing ladders or sitting while holding the Skull of Destiny, the skull will retain its correct visual appearance.
When holding a pet underwater (you monster), air bubbles now appear from the animal’s mouth.
At Galleon’s Grave Outpost, the coastline audio is now heard at the correct volume.
Performance and Stability
Improved server stability to reduce instances where players are disconnected from their session.
‘The Sunken Pearl’ – Improved server stability when migrating during this Tall Tale.
Known Issues
Reduced Server Performance
Players may experience scenarios where they encounter ping spikes at random while playing, resulting in rubberbanding or client stutters. While improvements were most recently released in update 2.7.3, the team continue to work on further improvements for future updates.
Ranged and Melee Weapon Hit Detection
In areas of intense action, players may find themselves firing shots or landing strikes that do not cause damage to their targets. While small improvements continue to be delivered during our regular updates, we are continuing to investigate and identify further improvements to the player combat experience.
To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.
Download and Installation
Download Size:
Steam: 7.54 GB
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2023
Greetings! It has, in fact, been an entire month since we last dropped by to fill you in on all the latest happenings on the Sea of Thieves, which means it’s once again time to dive into our recent history for the latest round-up. Even without a full-blown new Season update, the month just gone by still had plenty going on that you might have missed, so sit back and enjoy this jaunt through the excitements of April. See you on the other side!
Content Update
If you were able to join us at various points throughout April, you’ll have noticed a couple of Season Nine Voyages usually reserved for Pirate Legends landing in your inventory. These free login bonuses treated all pirates to a Search for the Skull of Destiny Voyage and a Black Powder Stash Voyage to be enjoyed at leisure. Did you get the chance to dig up a disco skull of your own? Or, less profitably, maybe you ended up blowing your pirate sky high with a misplaced keg? It’s alright, we’ve all been there.
After Season Nine introduced substantial changes to the sandbox in March, April’s update gave us a chance to make some more focused tweaks and additions while improving a few systems to reduce friction for players. It was also a prime opportunity to release some dashing Order of Souls cosmetics for anyone seeking Madame Olivia’s approval. Sift through it all in the April release notes!
Alongside those new additions to the Outpost shops, the Pirate Emporium also restocked its shelves! With the Sawbones ship, weapon and clothing cosmetics, you’re now able to take up the mantle of these slightly sinister scientifically minded sailors and don your own distinctive beaked mask. Or, if you’re more of the ‘tackle your problems head-on with a weapon’ sort, the Quick Draw Weapon Pose Emote should suit your duelling needs. Whatever you’re setting out to do while Season Nine is live, remember to stick to the plan…
News and Features
After we closed out March with our first ever 48-hour Community Weekend, it seemed only fitting to start April with a fond look back on everything achieved throughout the event. From a lucrative Ancient Skelly surge to selfies at the fifth anniversary Picture Wall, the weekend was a delight to reflect on and celebrate.
We also seized an opportunity to add another entry to our From Concept to Cosmetic series, this time diving into the surprisingly complex world of Ship’s Crests. Introduced with Season Seven, these nameplates enable Captains to personalise how they present their vessel to the wider Sea of Thieves, so we spoke to the devs to find out how they perfected, built and shipped these Crests in a multitude of designs.
Elsewhere, Sea of Thieves’ streamable soundtrack got another addition in the form of ‘Merrick’s Farewell’ and the upcoming Voyage of Legends board game went up for preorder, while the Community Hub got two more updates highlighting some of your fantastic creations. We also welcomed two big names to the Spotlight pantheon: a recent addition to the Partner Programme, LadyHaradaNiwa, and a serious #SoTShot aficionado, zNiinjaaa. Head on over and have a read!
Videos and Streams
April was a busy month for our Video team, bringing you not one but two new instalments ofSea of Thieves News, catching you up on all the latest gossip and sharing some of the phenomenal creations our community members have sent our way. We even played around with a football in the Tavern! It… didn’t go well.
And for even more sneak peeks behind the scenes – with substantially less physical injury – we decided to throw in a new episode of the Official Podcast. Check it out for some cheeky previews of upcoming content and to learn why we can’t stop talking about eras all of a sudden.
Coming to the end of April, we turned our attention to a worthy cause and fielded Sea of Thieves staff members alongside other bold souls from across the UK game development scene for One Big Game. Lasting a full 24 hours, this cross-studio football tournament helped to raise an outstanding £30,000 for gaming charity SpecialEffect. Thank you so much to everyone who took part, tuned in and donated!
Social Channels
The month started off strong on Twitter, with pirates sharing their favourite stories from the Season Nine update, but rapidly descended into disappointment when our followers let us down twice in a row. Even when we left clear instructions, we found ourselves beset with selfies. Outrageous.
There were rewards to be had too: avid Twitch viewers were able to add four more items to their Eastern Winds Sapphire set by tuning into Sea of Thieves Partner streams, while those of you who joined us for One Big Game for 90 minutes or more were able to take home your very own Keepy-Uppy Emote. Just make sure you’re wearing boots when you use it – those coconuts are hard.
All of which brings us to the end of the month! And that sporting exertion has really worn us out. As always, there’ll be so much more to cover when we reconvene at the end of May, so we won’t outstay our welcome now no matter what our inner instinct says. Until then, keep up with all the latest Sea of Thieves updates as they happen via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch, or join the official Forums or Discord. Otherwise, we’ll see you next month for our May round-up. So long!
Sea of Thieves Season Nine is already in full swing, and that can mean only one thing: another Style of Thieves contest is glinting on the horizon. So it’s time to turn our spyglasses towards the next wave of themes, and deliver a refresh of our top tips for capturing your pirate’s best side with this latest chance to snag a pair of Fashionista’s Finery Gloves.
There will be just 24 hours to enter each theme via social media channels, so be sure to raid your chests and prepare your screenshots in time! Once a theme opens for entry, get sharing your screenshots, and make sure you include the name of the theme you’re entering in your post. See the How to Enter section below for the full rundown of rules.
Once a theme has closed, our crew will whittle down the entries to select the sailors they felt found the perfect fit. We’re excited to invite back special guest judges from our Art team, who will have the final decision on the 12 winning marauders, with three pirates per category taking home their own pair of gloves.
The Themes
Each theme will start at 9am UTC on the dates detailed below with entries accepted via social media for a full 24 hours.
RPG Classes Draw inspiration from RPG archetypes and show us your pirate as a mage, paladin, druid, warrior or whichever class takes your fancy! Entry date: May 15th
Romantic Show off the clothes you’d choose to woo a select scoundrel, or maybe even what your pirate would wear down the aisle in this passionate topic. Entry date: May 16th
Spring Style Florals, sunny colours and dressing for the warmer weather – embrace the change of season with a wardrobe refresh. Entry date: May 17th
The Elements Water, earth, fire, air – put together an outfit that reflects one of the elements, making sure you tell us which one in your caption! Entry date: May 18th
We’ve got eyes everywhere, so you’re free to submit on a variety of social channels, but each comes with its own quirks as follows:
To enter on Twitter, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves.
For Instagram, you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves.
Add your entry as a reply to that day’s theme post on Facebook.
Post your entry with #StyleOfThieves in the #pirate-fashion channel of our official Discord server.
Be sure to include the name of the theme you’re entering in your post, along with any extra info called for by the theme.
Picture Perfection
We’ve put together some handy hints and rules to help you capture your pirate’s best side:
No Costumes on the catwalk – we want to see your creativity and individuality in how you mix and match items, so no all-in-one Costumes or complete cosmetic sets.
Unless a theme calls for it, all shots should be solo snaps, not crews. Only the pirate in the picture will be eligible for the prize.
Find a simple or plain background to pose against to let your outfit pop. Backgrounds and locations will not be considered when judging the outfit.
Lighting is key, so find a well-lit spot to fully show off your picks – any coloured or tactical lighting won’t be considered part of the outfit.
Toggle off your HUD for that clean finish!
Screenshots should be true to the game – no editing or filters.
Keep your submissions to a 16:9 or 1:1 ratio, making sure your entire outfit is in shot, to help us when framing the winners.
While emotes are allowed, any features added to the outfit via the emote won’t be taken into consideration during judging.
One shortlist will be compiled per theme, using entries across all platforms, meaning it’s not necessary to post your submission to all channels. If you make sure you use the correct tags, we will see it!
And there you have it, everything you need to know to enter the next round of Style of Thieves. So get primped and prep your poses, and we’ll see you on stage from May 15th! Good luck.
