Sea of Thieves

Calling all Guardians! Yesterday's update brought the latest content update to Sea of Thieves, and with it, some radiant new additions to the Pirate Emporium – Lightbearer items, inspired by the world and characters of Destiny!

Whether your pirate is as silent as a Hunter, mighty as a Titan or wise as a Warlock, they’ll find a ship set to suit their style, complete with Collector’s cosmetics and a Ship’s Crest. An array of matching weapons and a costume set to round out the range ensures you’ll be ready to take on whatever otherworldly foes may stand in your way.

You can check out the trailer below to see the full Lightbearer assortment, and then visit the Pirate Emporium to gear up and get ready for battle – the seas are counting on you!

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Wild Seas
Heed the call in Season 15, which brings a wealth of new incentives to The Hunter’s Call while introducing new wildlife both harmless and hostile. For an overview of the fierce features due to roll out over the course of this Season, head to our dedicated Season 15 page!

Hunting Spear

• Players can now wield trusty hunting spears which can be aimed and thrown, dealing damage to roaming wildlife and other players alike. Spears can also be retrieved when embedded in a solid surface and thrown again.
  
• Hunting spears can even be loaded into a ship’s cannons for extra power and fired at players or other ships. When fired into a ship, the spear will lodge in the hull, causing a small damage hole. Removing it will increase the hole size, so be prepared to repair!
  
• Hunting parties looking to stock up their ship should visit The Hunter’s Call representatives, who will sell hunting spears up to a limit of five. Hunting spears can also be discovered washed up on shores, within shipwrecks and among the rewards earned when defeating Skeleton Ships.

Ambient Wildlife

• While sailing the open seas, crews may now find they are joined by seagulls who fly alongside the ship as it sails. These birds will disperse if they sense danger!
  
• While out exploring islands, players may now stumble upon small lizards basking in the daytime sun.
  
• Crews creeping into a dark cave may disturb a flock of bats, who will promptly flee from their hiding spot.
  
• Players exploring the shallows near islands may now come face to face with a smack of jellyfish. While these floating jellies may seem threatening, fear not, they’re harmless!

Wild Seas Commendations and Rewards

• With the introduction of the hunting spear, new Commendations have been added within the Reputation tab to challenge aspiring hunters. Explore the new challenges under Wild Seas to unlock exotic wildlife-themed weapons.

Fishing Voyage Improvements

• The Fishing Maps provided on Captain’s Fishing Voyages now provide crews with only a partial piece of the island near the fishing location, making it more of a challenge to locate the fishing spots.
  
• Crews on a Fishing Voyage will no longer find they are attacked by emergent threats on the island with the fishing spots.

Ancient Megalodon Balancing

• The Feared Redmaw and Barnacled Dread now take reduced damage from a blowpipe’s Poison Dart.

Gameplay Improvements
Performance Improvements

• The Sloop, Brigantine and Galleon have been rebuilt behind the scenes, breaking up each ship into smaller parts, allowing them to be loaded in sections by the server. This work will provide server performance improvements when ships are created at the start of a session, in addition to ships arriving on a server after diving or naturally through server migration.
  
• Performance optimisations have been made to Storage Crates and Resource Barrels, addressing spikes in framerate when repeatedly interacting with their inventories over longer sessions.
  
• Performance improvements have been made to the way treasure items floating in water are managed across the server.
  
• Further performance improvements have been made to how Trinkets are loaded when approaching Captained ships. Trinkets are now gradually loaded in over time and will only fully load when much closer to the ship, further reducing the performance impact when approaching ships at sea.
  
• A new management system is now in operation on the server, controlling the activation of certain events and encounters to ensure that the server has the necessary resources to safely operate the activity. Encounters with an emergent Megalodon are now controlled by this system, with further events to follow in future updates.
  
• In addition to the above areas, this update includes a range of smaller optimisations to game performance that provide improvements across the broader experience.
  
• Players navigating to Frame Rate Lock within the Video settings will now find supporting information clearly advising them to lock their frame rate for a more consistent experience.

Lifting Outpost Trap Restrictions

• Traps can now be placed in and around the Outpost taverns, allowing crews to lie in wait for unsuspecting players.
  
• Players triggering a nearby trap when arriving in the tavern at the start of their game session will remain unharmed and not suffer damage while ‘waking up’.

Grapple Gun Animations

• Players grappling to a location will now have a unique animation, showing their pirate flailing as they’re pulled through the air.

Pirate Emporium
Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Lightbearer Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
• Lightbearer Weapon Bundle
  
• Lightbearer Costume Set
  
• Mighty Lightbearer Flag, Hull, Collector’s Figurehead and Collector’s Sails
  
• Silent Lightbearer Flag, Hull, Collector’s Figurehead and Collector’s Sails
  
• Wise Lightbearer Flag, Hull, Collector’s Figurehead and Collector’s Sails
  
• Gold Curse Toucan
  
• Dire Dark Warsmith Weapons: Double Barrel Pistol, Throwing Knives, Grapple Gun and Blowpipe
  
• Pet Pig Outfits: Sovereign, Bilge Rat, Sea Dog, Pirate Legend and Ghost
  
• Over Here! Emote (free!)

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

• The Outposts now stock equipment, instruments and a range of weapons from the Azure Scout set, available for purchase at their respective shops.

Updates
Pirate Emporium Browsing

• When browsing bundles within the Pirate Emporium, players can now navigate directly to the ‘Browse All’ menu from a shortcut at the bottom of the screen.

Accessibility
Emetophobia Support

• Players who suffer from emetophobia (fear of vomit/vomiting) can now turn off all vomit-related audio effects from the Audio settings, including sounds made by players and pets.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• Players grappling to a ship’s ladder should no longer find themselves temporarily appearing in a different location.
  
• Items dropped in various areas of Siren Shrines and Treasuries will no longer float up to unreachable locations.
  
• Items dropped into shallow pools on islands will now float properly instead of hovering high above the surface.
  
• Reaper’s Chests hidden within shipwrecks will once again show their tell-tale beacon from across the seas, and no longer require a crew to approach before they become visible.
  
• All blowpipes have been reviewed and their aiming improved to ensure shots now align with the tip of the blowpipe when fired.
  
• Players can no longer grapple treasure through the open storeroom windows of Sea Forts.
  
• Tall Tale items from locations within the Sea of the Damned can no longer be brought back to the Sea of Thieves.
  
• Melee attacks from a throwing knife below the deck of the ship should no longer appear to hit an invisible surface in various locations.
  
• The Dance Off Danger Commendation will now progress when players use a Bone Caller to target Obsidian Skeletons.

The Hunter’s Call Trading Company

• Captains can now place up to five Banner of the Hunter and Merrick Shipmate Trinkets on their ship once unlocked.
  
• The Orb of Secrets can now be sold to The Hunter’s Call for the same price as other Trading Companies.
  
• Hunter’s Call treasure sold to The Reaper’s Bones no longer increases progress towards Call of the Hunter Commendations.

Fishing Voyages

• Treasured Fish can now be grappled out of other players’ hands.
  
• Players with a Treasured Fish on their line should no longer see the fish reappear in the water when crouching or swapping items before retrieving it.
  
• The fishing spots at Isle of Last Words have been moved further away from the shore to ensure crews can fish successfully.
  
• Treasured Fish now move naturally when swimming towards the fishing float.
  
• Frenzied fishing spots now fade away once all fish are caught and a Voyage is completed.
  
• Fishing spot visual effects no longer appear inside the ship’s hull if the ship stops on the fishing spot.

Ancient Megalodons

• Commendation progress for defeating Ancient Megalodons is now awarded to all crews participating in the encounter by dealing damage, not just the crew that lands the final hit.
  
• While attacks by Ancient Megalodons can occasionally overturn a ship, the frequency of this occurrence has now been reduced.
  
• Ancient Megalodons should now be able to navigate smoothly around the Fort of the Dammed.
  
• Defeating an Ancient Megalodon will now be recorded in the Captain’s Logbook.
  
• Firing a Grapple Gun at the Barnacled Dread will no longer cause the tether to attach to a distant location.
  
• Crews can now progress the Who Needs a Bigger Boat? Commendation when attacking an Ancient Megalodon with a Cannon Rowboat.
  
• Captains defeating an Ancient Megalodon will now progress The Feared Pirate Milestones and Ship Milestones.
  
• Crews defeating an Ancient Megalodon should now consistently find the Hunter of the Feared Redmaw and Hunter of the Barnacled Dread Commendations progress correctly.

Pet Pigs

• Players stroking a pig while jumping will now appear to stroke the pig correctly after landing and the pig will remain in the correct position.
  
• The nameplate for a pet pig will now be shown above the pig.
  
• A pet pig’s shadow will now be shown when holding it.

Performance and Stability

• Crews performing multiple server migrations during a single session should no longer experience rubberbanding and server desync.
  
• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

User Interface

• Players who were previously unable to save changes to their game settings should now find that these are saved consistently when leaving a session, and no longer need to be changed at the start of a new session.
  
• Players attempting to open their game settings and the Quest Table at the same time should no longer become stuck.
  
• Using the back button while navigating the Pet Chest with a virtual keyboard on consoles will no longer cause the menu to become stuck, preventing further input.
  
• Browsing many pages of the spotlighted sections in the Pirate Emporium will no longer cause the menu to become unresponsive.
  
• In multiple areas of the experience where a player’s gamertag is shown within a menu, a shortcut button can now be used to summon the player profile on supported platforms.
  
• Switching pirates within the pirate selection screen on the front end should no longer cause the lighting to flicker.

Visual and Audio

• Players using the ship’s wheel on a Brigantine will no longer have their game chat muffled when speaking.
  
• Multiple crews gathering to join the Legend of Glitterbeard will now find the visual effects light consistently with the music.
  
• Players using a disguise while wearing a Curse with visual effects will no longer find those effects give away their disguise by appearing briefly when other players approach.
  
• Players wearing a Stately Shirt should now find that all hairstyles appear correctly.
  
• Players with tattoos wearing a Stately Shirt should now find the tattoos appear correctly.
  
• Previewing a disguise within the Vanity Chest now correctly shows the pirate inside the disguise.
  
• The Dreamers’ Dust Costume has regained its visual effects.
  
• The Hidden in Plain Sight and Be Alluring to Get Ahead Trophies are now correctly sized and positioned when previewed in the shipwright’s shop or a player’s Trinket collection.
  
• Switching from crouching to standing while holding a fishing rod will no longer cause the rod to momentarily appear in the middle of the screen.
  
• The Baleful Bloom Costume now fits correctly on pirates of all body sizes.
  
• The belt of the Dark Adventurers Jacket no longer merges through the pirate when performing emotes.
  
• Players performing the Swashbuckling Story Emote should now correctly see the sword.
  
• Further improvements have been made to a range of existing hairstyles, ensuring they remain visible when wearing certain costumes.
  
• The Party Boat Jacket and Gloves now appear correctly on pirates of all body sizes.
  
• Players wearing Carla’s Costume should now find the medallion appears correctly on pirates of all body sizes.
  
• During the Ritual of the Flame sequence, the liquid in the chalice will now drain correctly.
  
• During the Ritual of the Flame sequence, glowing eyes will no longer be visible on the skeleton during the transition.
  
• The Pirate Lord now displays the correct visual effects when banging his staff during tutorial sequences.
  
• The lower jaw of the Obsidian Ashen Winds Skull now shows the correct material when being fired.
  
• Players using a disguise while wearing the Burning Eyepatch of the Ashen Dragon should no longer see visual effects floating above the disguise when moving.
  
• Glint effects on nearby treasure now appear consistently when moving in and out of range.
  
• After a Skeleton Fort Key is inserted into the Vault door, it will no longer appear to float in the air.
  
• Players wearing the Intrepid Explorer Jacket now appear correctly when performing a range of emotes.
  
• Crews equipping the Fog-Piercing Frog Lantern will now find the visual effects appear correctly after diving.
  
• Performing the Scrappy Weapon Pose or Menacing Weapon Pose Emote with a blowpipe should now trigger the correct emote.
  
• The flowers on Forest’s Blessing Costumes are no longer affected by nearby storms.
  
• The Ghost Ship’s Crest now appears correctly in the Ship Customisation Chest preview.

Environment

• All Skeleton Vaults have received a polish pass, ensuring their contents are completely hidden from the outside and the cracks in the flooring blend with the environment.
  
• Mercy’s End Fortress now has an Armoury for players to change their loadout.
  
• Players making their way onto a Skeleton Sloop will now find they can safely navigate the ship without hitting invisible surfaces.
  
• Walking into skeletons found deep within The Reaper’s Lair should no longer cause the player’s camera to stutter.
  
• When descending to the Shrine of Flooded Embrace, players should no longer find they can pass through certain doors before they are unlocked.

Text and Localisation

• After players dive to and complete a Raid Voyage for The Hunter’s Call, the Captain’s Logbook will now correctly record the arrival location instead of always displaying Discovery Ridge.

Known Issues
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: 2.9 GB

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Roll up, roll up, another Community Weekend has appeared on the horizon! Season 15’s will be a special anniversary affair, acting as the final fanfare of activities and celebrations for Sea of Thieves’ seventh circling of the sun.

Did you know the first of these Community Events was 10 whole Seasons ago, with Season Five’s Community Day? We’ve come a long way since then, with more reward boosts, Pop-Up Plunder maps, special Voyages and Community Goals than you can shake a stick at! But one thing’s remained, and that’s our aim of using these Events to show our appreciation for all the ways that you, our wonderful community, breathe life into the Sea of Thieves.

So as our twelfth Community celebration approaches, we’re all incredibly excited about the features, freebies and fun on offer during this period. And as is now customary, we’re writing an article about it so we can provide all the hot info on what to expect. Let’s get into it…

Cake By the Ocean
…but just before we do, it would be remiss of us not to mention that this Community Weekend begins immediately after our Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event – which, if you missed the memo, is a bumper celebration of memorable moments that began on Friday, March 14th. Act fast and you can still dive in to claim your Voyages of Luck and cosmetic rewards from completed Community Goals.

One more note on these anniversary celebrations: you might’ve seen some surprising sweet treats slink their way onto the Sea of Thieves servers of late. These particular patisserie-pioneered items will be sticking around until Monday, March 24th. You’ve still got time to seek them and see what secret they unveil…

Community Weekend Commencement
Hot on the heels of the Anniversary Celebration Event, Community Weekend kicks off from Saturday, March 22nd (11am UTC), running for a full 48 hours and finishing on Monday, March 24th (11am UTC).

Your login bonuses this time around are the Golden Sailor Hull and the blue-and-yellow Season 15 Community Weekend Flag, which pair very nicely together – and yes, we did plan that on purpose, you’re welcome. The flag will also be present on our themed Picture Walls present at the Outposts. However, this time out, there will also be another Picture Wall on the map – not at an Outpost, but another hand-in hotspot – and it won’t quite look the same as the others, given who’s architected it…

We'll also be sweetening the pot for players with this particular Community Weekend, given the occasion: any rewards unlocked during the Anniversary Celebration Event will also be available to pirates diving into Sea of Thieves during Community Weekend, who will have them added to their inventories when they log in. In short, that means there are stonks of sweet items up for grabs! Which would make you a fool not to swing by for some seafaring shenanigans.

Stream of Consciousness
To raise the Community Emissary Grade during Community Weekend, pirates are once again tasked with watching Twitch to multiply the in-game generosity, with total watch time powering Grade progress. All you need to do to help raise the Grade – and thus increase in-game rewards – is watch any of your favourite content creators in the Sea of Thieves category on Twitch between Saturday, March 22nd and Monday, March 24th (11am UTC).

We’ll also be hosting a special Saturday stream on the Sea of Thieves Twitch channel, and every minute watched there will also contribute to the Community Emissary Grade! So make sure you tune in, if you can – we’ll be taking the Compass of Chaos for a spin, and who knows where it might take us.

Every time the Community Emissary Grade levels up, so does the boost to gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation for everyone – with the top Grade offering two-and-a-half times the rewards for your work. These multipliers affect High Seas sailors only, so make sure you plan accordingly!

Drops Shipped
Although merely watching Sea of Thieves creators do what they do best is a reward in itself, we also have a range of Twitch Drops for folks tuning in, with the Seasoned Sailor Heavy Sword, Seasoned Sailor Eye of Reach, Eastern Winds Ruby Pegleg and Eastern Winds Ruby Trousers all on offer to those who spend a chunk of time watching Sea of Thieves creators over the weekend.

Not only that, but if a special cumulative Community Goal is met during Community Weekend – an ambitious total number of World Events dived to and completed – then from Monday, March 24th to Monday, March 31st (10am UTC), players will be able to score not one, but two precious Obsidian items as further Twitch Drops!

If unlocked, the Obsidian Captain’s Chair will be the brand new Drop on offer that week, and given the extra-special nature of our anniversary activities we’d bring back the Obsidian Ship’s Crest as a bonus Drop running alongside it. Just as long as you smash that all-important shared Community Goal, of course…

Pop-Up Plunder Prevails
Our quizzical, time-limited, social media-based loot roulette shenanigans are back for Season 15 Community Weekend! We’ve picked some significant islands in tribute to our seven years of history, but stay tuned to our social channels for clues on where exactly we’ve buried these tantalising treasures on the High Seas. Each dig spot will be live for one hour only, so you’ll be racing against time – and other crews – to make sure you’re first to the loot location. Good luck, pirates!

Hat to Go!
As is customary on Community Weekend, we’ll be bestowing both love and rewards upon some unsung heroes of our player base. These fine folks will be honoured with the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame – a rare, funny hat worn by the cream of our pirate crop.

Whether you’ve performed an astonishing feat on the seas and would like us to tip the Hat in your direction, or you’d like to shout out a crewmate or friend who embodies the Be More Pirate mantra for less specific but no less worthy reasons, we’ll take nominations all the way up to, and during, the weekend. So, if there’s something or someone you’d like to draw our attention to, tell us about it on Sea of Thieves social channels such as Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram with the #BeMorePirate tag.

As we confirmed last time out, we’re taking submissions on Bluesky too – so if you’re over there and would like to suggest a Hat recipient, please do so with the #BeMorePirate hashtag and aim it at the https://bsky.app/profile/seaofthieves.com account.

Seas the Moment
There’s no better time to jump into (or back into) Sea of Thieves than a good-vibes, big-gains event like Community Weekend, so make sure you seize the day – or the weekend – and hit the waves for a whole lot of fun. We’ll see you then!

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Mark seven years on the seas with Community Goals charting Sea of Thieves' history, free Voyages of Luck, cosmetics to earn including the High-Spirited Spin Emote and Golden Sailor Cannon Flare, and more! Navigate to the Events Page in the Pirate Log tab to learn more.

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As it always does, February raced past in a whirlwind, but that didn’t keep us from loading it with goodies and making the most of the time available. With events and updates and hardly a moment to breathe in between, it was a packed few weeks – so rather than leave you in suspense, let’s skip right to the rundown…

Content Update
First up in February’s activities: strange disturbances at the Sea Forts. Ghostly ships were spotted circling the area, and any sailors who got close found themselves fending off Phantom fighters with spectral blades at the ready. These Dark Fortress Raids offered no easy battle, but pirates who emerged victorious could sail away from the time-limited Voyage with two tasty Vaults’ worth of loot.

Right after that, The Hunter’s Call decided it was time to make their move and declared the start of Season 15! Alongside a major expansion to everyone’s favourite fishing Company – including new Distinctions, rewards, piscine prey and, for the first time, Hunter’s Call Voyages – two Ancient Megalodons emerged from the depths to terrorise those on the waves with their unexpected abilities. Want all the info? Hit the release notes! And the additional notes for a quick hotfix (but don’t worry, we were back up and running in no time).

A fresh Season of course also meant an influx of fine fashions for players to get their hands on, whether they could be earned by raising your Renown or trading your hard-earned Ancient Coins in the Pirate Emporium. Most exciting of all perhaps was the latest expansion to the Pet Chest: pigs! Who could say no to their little faces?

News and Features
We started February with a few things that needed tying up before Season 14 ended, in particular the latest Style of Thieves contest! To give everyone time to get their outfits together, we revealed the themes as early in the month as possible – even before we’d had a chance to get our February forecast of activities out.

That wasn’t the only focus on community efforts in our News pages either, as we made sure there was time to fit in a new Creator Spotlight. This time we were chatting with FluffyEdge, Stream Team sailor and cat enthusiast, to find out all about her adventures with Captain Tigerpants.

In the run-up to Season 15’s launch, we wanted to set expectations for how this Season’s features would be arriving in phases to keep things spicy – cue a Forum post from Production Director Drew with the lowdown. From there it was onto our classic Season launch article and, a little while later, another check-in from Drew discussing the hotfix. What else could anyone possibly want to know about Season 15?

Videos and Streams
The approach to a Season launch is always packed with videos teasing what’s to come, whether it’s a simple title screen reveal or a Sea of Thieves News episode focusing on some imminent features. This time around, there was also a fresh Developer Update going deeper into the Season’s staggered release and highlighting the performance improvements about to arrive, as well as some eye-opening Megalodon found footage…

Once Season 15 was securely pulling into port, we expanded the roster with the time-honoured offerings of a content update video and launch trailer to show off all the new things joining the queue for you to sink your teeth into (or vice versa). The Pirate Emporium team also got in on things with an oh-so-refined spotlight on their suave Rococo merchandise.

It wasn’t all about Season 15 this month though – some of our other teams had things to share! First up, our talented musicians had a fresh version of ‘Ballad of the Mer’ to add to the usual streaming platforms, giving a dramatic orchestral twist to the familiar tune. Later in the month, the Community team and our lovely streaming supporters once again assembled for a GameBlast stream, helping to spread awareness and raise money for the important work of SpecialEffect, culminating in over £25,000 donated!

Social Channels
Our social channels in February were awash with competitions and challenges. Alongside eight new entries in the Community Hub and a #SoTShot round focusing on some of the most spectacular loot hauls ever seen, we could also be found handing out magnificent mittens to the latest Style of Thieves victors – plus a few extra once we realised we had some repeat winners!

There was also a romantic February occasion to be marked by, naturally, Valentine’s Day-themed Compass of Chaos challenges, but in the end we spent most of the month trying to find a missing pirate. It took days to track them down. If only we’d had Captain Flameheart’s powers of observation.

The final part of the month was, pretty unsurprisingly, taken up with celebrating some of the new additions to Sea of Thieves – or at least, all the important bits. Including a lot of pigs. It was mostly pigs, in fact. Oh, and baby Merrick.

Well, there you go: as promised last month, despite being naturally disadvantaged in terms of length, February more than pulled its weight when it came to Sea of Thieves goodness. We’ll be back with the next round-up when March is over to see how you’re getting on with Season 15’s latest features, but until then you can hunt us down on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, the official Forums and Discord. And don’t stop sending us your pet pig pictures! Obviously.

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Previously in 2025:
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

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March marks another year of adventure on the Sea of Thieves, and you’re invited to celebrate this latest milestone with a bounty of Events, rewards and festivities. From the Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event that segues into Community Weekend through to Emporium sales and a suitable shanty, there’s more than enough to keep you busy!

Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event – Friday, March 14th – Saturday, March 22nd

During this month’s Event, all pirates are invited to tackle a series of Community Goals inspired by memorable moments in Sea of Thieves’ past. By working together to hit cumulative targets, you can unlock a range of rewards commemorating some of those unforgettable encounters and discoveries. The celebrations kick off here: rally your crew and get ready to make your mark!

‘Happy Birthday’ Release – Friday, March 14th

Celebrate a special month with a tune fit for the occasion, as a unique rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ joins the Sea of Thieves soundtrack on your favourite streaming services. This newly recorded shanty is a delightful way to mark seven years on the seas, whether you want to sing along or just relax on the deck and enjoy being serenaded.

Sea of Thieves Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds – Friday, March 14th

A new way for players on Xbox to bring the spirit of the high seas to their screens! These animated backgrounds aim to capture the essence of Sea of Thieves, from its breathtaking scenery to moments of seafaring peril. To dive into the selection of dynamic backgrounds on Xbox Series X|S consoles, go to the Personalisation options within your Xbox settings.

Pirate Emporium Anniversary Sale – Monday, March 17th – Monday, March 24th

No celebration is complete without loot to be claimed at a bargain price! Ready as always to get involved in a celebration, the Pirate Emporium shopkeepers will be hosting their traditional Anniversary Sale. Dark Warsmith, Dire Dark Warsmith, Lodestar, Islehopper Outlaw and Stone Islehopper Outlaw sets are all lined up for dramatic discounts…

Xbox Gear Shop Update – Monday, March 17th

An exclusive Sea of Thieves Seventh Anniversary sweatshirt design is en route to the Xbox Gear Shop! This cosy offering with bespoke iconography makes it easy for any pirate to declare their participation in seven epic years on the seas. You can also pick up a deck of handsome Sea of Thieves playing cards for a celebratory game or two!

Sea of Thieves: 2025 Editions – Thursday, March 20th

Just like in 2024, another anniversary brings an opportunity to refresh the Sea of Thieves editions available to buy on all formats. Stick with the base edition or explore what’s included in the 2025 Deluxe and Premium Editions – and maybe others? – arriving on Sea of Thieves’ anniversary date of March 20th!

Microsoft Solitaire Sea of Thieves Theme – Thursday, March 20th

An unmistakable sea breeze blows through the Microsoft Casual Games collection this month! Players will soon be able to bring the spirit of the pirate’s life to their Solitaire table with a Sea of Thieves-themed backdrop and custom card backs adorned with iconic imagery from the game.

Season 15 Community Weekend – Saturday, March 22nd – Monday, March 24th

There’s no slowing down after the Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event as we roll straight into Season 15’s Community Weekend. Expect all the classic Community Weekend delights including souvenir freebies, Pop-Up Plunder, a Community Emissary Grade ready for boosting and Picture Walls for premium posturing. Of course we want to see your own creations and hear your own stories too as you join in the festivities alongside the whole Sea of Thieves community!

Twitch Drops – Saturday, March 22nd – Monday, March 24th

If you set sail during Community Weekend, don’t forget to claim some well-earned rewards along the way. This time, the Seasoned Sailor Heavy Sword and Eye of Reach are up for grabs, alongside the Eastern Winds Ruby Pegleg and Trousers.

Twitch Drops are available by linking your accounts and watching Sea of Thieves Partners on Twitch. If you’re not sure who to tune in to, check our Partner Directory to see who’s online when these Drops go live!

March Monthly Update – Thursday, March 27th

The adventure continues in March’s free content update, bringing the next wave of Season 15 features to the seas. Hunters will soon have a new tool at their disposal with the introduction of the hunting spear for taking down big prey, even as the world around them fills with lively newcomers including lizards skittering across the sands and jellyfish drifting through the waves.

All that along with some dazzling new offerings in the Pirate Emporium and fresh Outpost stock too! Look out for a full breakdown of new additions in the release notes when this update drops on March 27th.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks – Thursday, March 27th

Pirates with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can claim an extra treat this month via the Perks programme! Themed around – what else – Sea of Thieves’ latest anniversary, the time-limited Seventh Serving Emote will be available to redeem from March 27th. Head this way to find out more about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks.

Microsoft Rewards Sea of Thieves Sweepstakes – Monday, March 31st

Ever wonder what a Megalodon crossed with an Xbox controller would look like? Want to be in with a chance of winning just that – an extremely limited-edition new Sea of Thieves controller? Stay sharp for information on how to enter the Sweepstakes and potentially get your hands on ‘The Devourer’ later this month!

As you can see, you won’t get a chance to be bored during Sea of Thieves’ latest anniversary extravaganza. Enjoy all the goodies, opportunities and overall holiday vibes, and raise a tankard in our direction if you see us on the seas!

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Wild Seas
This hotfix addresses a number of issues identified following the launch of Season 15, while cracking down on players using methods to accelerate their progress through The Hunter’s Call much more quickly than intended. For more information on the steps being taken by the team, read the latest Season 15 State of Play Forum post.

The Hunter’s Call Trading Company

• Following review, the team has identified that the reputation required for each rank was set higher than intended, slowing progress through The Hunter’s Call at higher ranks. The requirements for each rank have been corrected and players will now progress at the intended pace.
  
• Due to this change, players who have made progress since Season 15’s launch may find they move up to the next Hunter’s Call rank upon starting their next session. We will continue to monitor player progress and may make further adjustments if required.
  
• Crews cashing in their hunting hauls to The Hunter’s Call representatives at Outposts and Seaposts will now find they provide the same payout as the Sovereigns, ensuring that Captains can use these conveniently located services.

Updates
Quest Table Voyage Cooldowns – Temporarily Disabled

• The previously announced Voyage cooldowns have been temporarily disabled to protect game stability. These restrictions will make their return in a future update.
  
• Crews who start and cancel the same Voyage repeatedly in a short space of time will now find that the Voyage is placed on cooldown and cannot be voted on for a short duration.
  
• The following Voyages have had this initial cooldown applied: Medley of Gold Hoarders, Executive’s Lost Shipment, Ashen Executive’s Lost Shipment, Ashen Captain’s Treasure Vault, Bounty for a Skeleton Lord, Legendary Search for Cursed Treasure.
  
• The recently introduced Pirate’s Fishing Map and Hunter’s Fishing Map for The Hunter’s Call have also had a cooldown applied to prevent crews from forcing the island location and gaining reputation at an accelerated rate.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• Players lobbing throwables above or below deck across all ship types should no longer find they explode on contact with invisible surfaces.
  
• Addressing the above issue has meant that a previous fix to throwables interacting with the rear hull of the Galleon (3.3.0) has been reverted to prevent further impact. This issue will be addressed in a future update.

Fishing Voyages

• Crews should no longer find themselves able to catch more Treasured Fish than intended on a single Voyage.

The Hunter’s Call Trading Company

• Players will now find Crates of Rare Fish Scales when taking on Raid Voyages for The Hunter’s Call.
  
• Players will now find that any Treasured Fish sold will be tracked correctly towards The Gold Seeker Pirate Milestone.
  
• Players will now find that Voyages completed for The Hunter’s Call will be tracked correctly towards The Voyager Pirate Milestone.

Visual and Audio

• Players equipping The Hunter’s Call Emissary Costume will now find that any masks are hidden to prevent visual distortion of their pirate’s face.
  
• Pirates of all body sizes should now find that the following scars display correctly when equipped: Flameheart’s Revenge Scar, Fates of Fortune Scar and Shadow Tide Scar.

Performance and Stability

• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session. (Released previously as part of an interim hotfix.)

Known Issues
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.

Full Release Notes
These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our latest content update.

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 1 GB

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The Sea of Thieves has always been a wild, untamed sanctuary for pirates, but in Season 15 the stakes across these scattered islands and open waters are being raised once again! The latest free Seasonal update sees The Hunter’s Call Trading Company vastly expanding their offerings while two uniquely powerful Megalodons join the fray, with further hunt-related excitement set to follow in the months ahead. Here’s what you can expect from Season 15 of Sea of Thieves…

The Hunter’s Call Grows
Season 15 is all about exploring the wilder side of life on the Sea of Thieves, and who better to lead the charge than The Hunter’s Call? This Trading Company, first introduced with our original Anniversary Update in 2019, sets itself apart from the others with a focus on fishing and, as the name would imply, hunting. Until now, pirates have been able to climb to rank 50 by delivering fish and meat to The Hunter’s Call representatives at Seaposts or, more recently, to the Sovereigns on their behalf.

From Season 15, however, The Hunter’s Call undergoes a major expansion. First and foremost, it’s being brought in line with other Trading Companies in terms of ranking prospects, with the reputation cap being raised to 100 and five levels of Distinction added. This means you can continue to progress with the Company well beyond what was previously possible, unlocking themed cosmetics as you go.

You can also choose to raise a Hunter’s Call Emissary Flag for the first time, enabling increased rewards for treasure handed in – but at the cost of making yourself a target for any Reapers lying in wait nearby! At the same time, new Fishing and Raid Voyages provide opportunities to set out in search of Company-specific loot, including exotic Treasured Fish hauled up from the depths and ready to make you rich…

Megalodon Mutations
Growing alongside The Hunter’s Call are the new dangers introduced to the seas, most notably two terrifying Ancient Megalodons that have crossed over from the Sea of the Damned, ready to unleash carnage with abilities that make them substantially more dangerous than any everyday shark.

The Feared Redmaw has risen from the boiling depths, wreathed in flame and wielding a devastating explosive attack to torch any ship that drifts a little too close. Keep your water barrel full to deal with fires breaking out or you’ll quickly find yourself in the hot seat! Meanwhile, the armour-plated Barnacled Dread torments sailors with Eel-ectric invasions, spawning these formidable Ocean Crawlers onto the decks of attacking ships. Repel boarders while using your cannons to chip away at the Megalodon’s coral armour until you can strike the beast directly!

These fearsome monsters offer tantalising loot if you manage to best them, but finding them isn’t always easy. In this, Hunter’s Call Emissaries have the advantage: ships flying a Grade 5 Emissary Flag will be able to track Ancient Megalodon locations using their Map Table and sail headlong into battle…

Hunter’s Gear
With a new Season, as always, comes 100 new levels of Renown to be earned and all the associated rewards! You can work towards earning new themed cosmetics such as Hungering One Hunter’s clothing, as well as a hoard of gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins – while purchasing a Plunder Pass also lets you unlock the enigmatic Dynasty of the Deep collection and an extra 750 Ancient Coins.

The Pirate Emporium shopkeepers also debut the fabulous Rococo set this month, inviting you to indulge in the finest historical fashion. This collection includes a ship set with optional Collector’s items, weapons, costume and makeup to add some ostentatious flair to all aspects of the pirate life. Inclined towards the edible arts? You may also enjoy the Culinary Cadet Emote Bundle, with four cooking-themed emotes to get you in the gastronomic spirit!

All This and More
To keep the new content flowing steadily, not all of Season 15’s features will be landing at launch! The monthly updates in March and April will deliver further features on the hunting theme, as teased in our Season 15 launch trailer.

Over the next few months, you can expect to take up a new throwable hunting spear that will prove highly effective at taking down wild beasts, and experience a sudden bloom in the range of ambient wildlife you’ll see on your travels. Following that, some decidedly less passive wild boars will be taking up residence across the islands with their own stashes of loot to protect…

To help keep the feisty local fauna under control, The Hunter’s Call will offer pirates new Hunting Voyages, sending them off to seek a savage Grand Boar or trail in the wake of a rampaging Megalodon as it causes chaos across the waves. To get to grips with all the changes coming soon to the seas, be sure to dive into each month’s release notes when the accompanying updates go live!

Find Out More
For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season 15 update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players 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. Join the ongoing adventure at http://www.seaofthieves.com/ where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

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Wild Seas
Heed the call in Season 15, which brings a wealth of new incentives to The Hunter’s Call while introducing new wildlife both harmless and hostile. For an overview of the fierce features due to roll out over the course of this Season, head to our dedicated Season 15 page!

Ancient Megalodon Encounters

• Ancient Megalodons have torn through from the Sea of the Damned and begun terrorising pirate crews with their terrifying powers. Hunters should keep a keen eye on the waves for these deadly new foes.
  
• The Feared Redmaw is a ferocious beast with fiery attacks. Crews must quell its supercharged assault by damaging it to release its pressure and avoid a cataclysmic explosion.
  
• The menacing Barnacled Dread must have its coral armour removed before the beast can be defeated. Look out for its shocking bite and ability to summon Eel-ectric Ocean Crawlers onto your ship!

On-Demand Hunter’s Call Voyages

• The Quest Table now offers a range of Voyages on demand for The Hunter’s Call, allowing crews to sail or dive to their location.
  
• New Fishing Voyages provide hunters with the locations of Treasured Fish where they gather near islands, tasking them to retrieve these new fish for the Company.
  
• The Treasured Fish caught from these Voyages are unique and highly valuable, so they cannot be cooked, eaten or stored in a player’s inventory. They can be handed in for gold and reputation, but beware – they can also be stolen by other pirates!
  
• Hunter’s Call Raid Voyages allow players to experience any of the eight existing Raids on demand, while awarding new Hunter’s Call treasure.

Emissaries for The Hunter’s Call

• Crews can now represent The Hunter’s Call as an Emissary, boosting their rewards as they go hunting across the seas. On reaching Emissary Grade 5, crews should keep an eye on the ship’s map as recent sightings of Ancient Megalodons will now be shown.
  
• Players sailing as an Emissary will now appear on The Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger and be eligible to earn new rewards.

Hunter’s Call Trading Company Expansion

• Players can now climb to rank 100 with The Hunter’s Call, with new rewards from the Killer Whale set to unlock as they progress. Reaching the lofty rank of 100 will unlock the Hunter’s Call Costume along with a Distinction Ring, allowing players to continue representing the Company towards their next Distinction.

Wild Seas Commendations and Rewards

• With ferocious new encounters to face and Hunter’s Call treasure on offer, a range of new Commendations have been added within the Reputation tab to challenge would-be hunters. Explore the challenges under Wild Seas to unlock rewards from the new Eternal Hunt set.
  
• With the introduction of Hunter’s Call Emissary play, The Reaper’s Bones are now offering the Disgraced Hunter’s Hat for crews willing to claim the Flags of fallen Hunter’s Call Emissaries.
  
• Four new Pirate Milestones have also been added with Wild Seas, unlocking access to new Trinkets: the ‘Fearsome Flame’, ‘Coral Calamity’ and ‘Tides of Tranquillity’ Trophies along with the ‘Gone Fishin'’ Painting.

Season 15
Another Season means 100 new levels to climb by raising your Renown, with racks full of rewards to snag along the way – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more!

Season 15 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• As The Hunter’s Call expands this Season, players can now earn Renown when defeating new threats and cashing in the new treasures on offer.
  
• Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 15 will reward players with the Hungering One Hunter’s clothing set and unique Season 15 rewards, alongside time-limited Call of the Seas collectibles. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
• Pick up the latest Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Dynasty of the Deep set, including a ship set with Collector’s items and a selection of themed clothing, all available to earn by raising your Renown. Purchase a Pass in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage or Steam Item Store.

Season 15 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘Circle of Death’ Painting, ‘Rock Hopper’ Ornament and Guild of Piratical Predators Title to Guilds who perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  
• The initial rewards for the new Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger include the Assailant of the Abyss Title, Hunter’s Call Inaugural Explorer Sails and Hunter’s Call Inaugural Forager Sails.
  
• In line with the regular rhythm of Emissary Ledgers, these rewards will be earnable from the start of the next month, March 1st.

Chest of Fortune

• For the duration of Season 15, the Chest of Fortune has been returned to the Vault of the Fort of Fortune.
  
• Crews who retrieve Chests of Fortune can now earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation, unlocking access to Regal Fortune clothing items.

Reaper’s Chests

• Crews chasing down the telltale beacon of the Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty can earn the next grade of the Reaper’s Riches Commendation, and start unlocking access to the Regal Fortune Hook, Pegleg, Tattoo and Eyepatch.

Gameplay Improvements
Performance Improvements

• Sea of Thieves servers now support multithreading and have received the first phase of performance improvements. Parts of the physics and network systems are now directed to a different core and can run in parallel to the main game.
  
• Performance improvements have been made to how treasure is populated within shipwrecks, ensuring that it’s only placed when crews engage with it and more readily cleaned up to improve server performance if items are left behind.
  
• Broad performance improvements have been made for players across both PC and console when playing at higher framerates, improving loading behind the scenes based on the client framerate. These improvements have been tuned to target framerates between 60fps and 120fps, but may also provide some improvements for higher framerates where supported.
  
• Performance optimisations have taken place on all islands across the Sea of Thieves, with each island receiving a pass. There will be no visible changes to the islands as part of these optimisations.
  
• Performance optimisations have been made when selling treasure to Trading Company representatives while representing as an Emissary.
  
• The appearance of the Burning Blade is now much rarer on the seas, with the other World Events now increased in rotation.
  
• In addition to the above areas, this update includes a range of smaller optimisations to game performance providing improvements across the broader experience.

Blowpipe Improvements

• Switching between dart types is now much more responsive and allows for quicker switching before firing.

Trap Inventory

• Traps have now been separated from throwables in the player’s inventory. Players can now carry a maximum of two traps and five other throwables. These revised trap limits are now shown by a separate Trap category in the player’s inventory.
  
• Traps will now be included when cycling through throwables by using the available hotkey.
  
• When using a cannon, traps have been removed from the cannonball radial menu.

Addressing Unsinkable Ship Locations

• Changes have been made to a range of islands where ships have been reported to become unsinkable when partially beached in shallow areas, with players taking advantage of this during Faction battles.
  
• The following islands have been improved to address these shallow spots: Dagger Tooth Outpost, Kraken’s Fall, Shark Tooth Key and Port Merrick.

Hidden Skeleton Fort Vaults

• The Vaults beneath all Skeleton Forts including the Fort of the Damned have been hidden, with players no longer able to see through the cracks from the floors above to spy the Vault treasures waiting to be claimed.

Menu Navigation on Controller

• Navigating through the game’s various menus has been improved when using a controller, providing a more fluid experience when navigating in diagonal movements and held directions now scrolling across larger areas.
  
• These menu navigation improvements can be customised further in the game’s input settings as ‘Controller Menu Deadzone’ and ‘Controller Menu Repeat Speed’.

Pirate Emporium
Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Pig Pets: Oatmeal, Pomegranate, Truffle, Cinnamon and Mulberry
  
• Rococo Ship Collection
  
• Rococo Ship’s Crest
  
• Rococo Costume Bundle
  
• Rococo Weapon Bundle
  
• Culinary Cadet Emote Bundle
  
• Sting Tide Pistol (free!)

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

• Fans of the Lucky Hand set can now find the instruments available at Outpost equipment shops.

Season Eight Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Eight have arrived in Outpost shops and can now be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Players can now purchase the Cursed Bone clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items first available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also pick up Flameheart’s Hat and Cutlass.
  
• The time-limited Cursed Bone Flag, Sails, Makeup, Tattoo and Scar, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Eight.

Updates
Detection Improvements for Ban Evasion

• Further detection improvements continue to roll out behind the scenes targeting players who evade game bans to regain access to Sea of Thieves. These improvements will continue to be deployed in phases over the coming months to systematically crack down on banned players and prevent them from returning to the seas.

Quest Table Voyage Cooldowns

• Following the introduction of the Quest Table and the refreshed Voyages delivered in Season 11, players have discovered techniques to increase their progression and gold acquisition in unintended, accelerated ways. The Sea of Thieves team now has the ability to apply cooldowns to specific Voyages should crews start and cancel the same Voyage repeatedly in a short space of time.
  
• While no Voyage restrictions have yet been placed as part of this update, the team will continue to monitor player behaviour and target specific Voyages as part of future updates.

Temporary Voyage Locking

• The Sea of Thieves live team now has the ability to temporarily lock a Voyage and prevent it from being started on the Quest Table. This allows the team to react quickly and protect players in the live environment should a high-impact issue occur, without the need to take the game down for maintenance.

Accessibility
Custom Text Overlay

• A new accessibility feature has been introduced to improve the readability of Riddle Maps. Within the Language settings of the game menu, players can enable a Custom Text Overlay and further customise the appearance, adjusting screen position, font size, background and text colours.
  
• After preferences have been saved, the overlay will be applied when viewing any Riddle Map, with a scroll bar available for longer text.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• When players dive to a Faction battle, the enemy ship will now consistently appear visible upon surfacing to begin the encounter.
  
• Players using a Grapple Gun to pull another player while in the water can no longer cause their target to rotate.
  
• The audio effects for scooping and throwing water when bailing should now play consistently when performed in quick succession.
  
• The audio effects for a ship filling and creaking when taking on water are now prioritised over other effects, ensuring that these cues are always clear to players.
  
• Damage marks shown on the outside of a ship’s hull will now appear correctly based on the damage dealt.
  
• Throwables such as blunderbombs targeting the rear hull of the Galleon will now consistently impact the hull’s surface and not pass through certain areas to land inside the ship.
  
• Blowpipe darts embedded in moving ships are now more easily targeted and can be consistently destroyed through player actions.
  
• The prior fix to the Armoury (3.2.3) that addressed players being unable to switch weapons after receiving knockback damage has been reverted to prevent further impact. This issue will be addressed in a future update.
  
• Any open radial menus now close when crouching, preventing a range of visual issues caused by attempting to wield items while crouched.
  
• ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ – Emissary Grade progression is no longer awarded when collecting items found within the Tall Tale.

Performance and Stability

• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

Traps

• Traps should now consistently rest on the ground when placed in a range of locations.
  
• Traps will now be destroyed when thrown at the outside of a ship’s hull.
  
• Traps loaded with a Bone Caller will now trigger consistently when sprung.
  
• Throwing a trap inside a tavern will no longer prevent players from interacting with it or switching to other equipment.
  
• Players setting the trap will now correctly receive the Red Alert Raider Commendation when meeting the necessary criteria, while those triggering the trap will no longer increase Commendation progress.

User Interface

• Resolved an issue that caused the Quest Table to display an extended loading spinner when browsing for Voyages.
  
• When using low graphics settings, browsing the Pirate Emporium from the Quick Menu during gameplay should no longer cause textures to fail to load within the Emporium and across the wider game upon exiting.
  
• Players earning Distinctions for a Trading Company will now see the correct rank when viewing the Pirate’s Log from the front end menu.

Environment

• Skeletons that emerge at Crow’s Nest Fortress and Barnacle Cay Temple should now appear in the correct locations and not become stuck.
  
• Rain will no longer appear to fall inside buildings at Lookout Point.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players can no longer become stuck among palm trees during this Tall Tale.

Visual and Audio

• The Tankard of the Damned now visibly runs out of grog when emptied.
  
• Shadow Skeletons set on fire while in shadow form no longer display distorted visual effects.
  
• Firing a ship’s cannon equipped with various Cannon Flares at Ghost Ships will no longer cause visual issues to appear within the sails.
  
• Dying during the final wave of a Siren Treasury encounter will no longer cause the music to overlap.
  
• The Cardinal Lodestar Flag is now correctly displayed on the Brigantine.
  
• The Cardinal Lodestar and Lodestar Spyglass now sit correctly in players’ hands across all body sizes.
  
• Players wearing the Captaincy of Courage Jacket or Dress now appear correctly when observed by others.
  
• The Horn of Fair Winds and Trident of Dark Tides now appear correctly when viewed at different distances.
  
• The Kate Capsize hairstyle now fits neatly around tall jackets across all pirate body sizes.
  
• Fruit held in a player’s hand now casts the correct shadow.
  
• The Fates of Fortune Pocket Watch now consistently displays the correct time.
  
• The Tiny Tree Emote’s visual effect now disappears when the emote is cancelled.
  
• The light effect of the Ancestral Collector’s Figurehead is no longer visible from inside the ship, and the item now appears correctly when lowering the graphic settings.
  
• The visual effects of the Radiant Comet Collector’s Figurehead now remain visible when viewed at a short distance.
  
• Green smoke from the Checkmate Cannon Flare is no longer visible to players launched from the cannon.
  
• ‘Lords of the Sea’ – The Black Pearl now consistently appears with a golden glow at the end of the Tall Tale.
  
• ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ – Stan's voiceover should continue to be heard after being locked inside the wardrobe.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Murray’s skeleton now appears correctly once his head is attached.

Text and Localisation

• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Improvements made to the Quest Book to address overlapping text in French and Italian languages.
  
• Improvements made to consistency in terminology across Simplified Chinese, Thai and Brazilian Portuguese languages.

Known Issues
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: 5.74 GB

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Until February 20th (10am UTC), visit your Quest Table to undertake A Raid on a Dark Fortress, a ghost-busting Limited Voyage that leads to a more impressive loot haul than a standard Sea Fort.

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As the New Year celebrations finish winding down and we settle into the rhythm of determining what 2025 will bring to you all, it’s once again time for a round-up! January brought in a nice collection of goings-on, including a game update, an explosive Event and the conclusion to a sneaky competition. So let’s give it all a look…

Content Update
It was a banging start to 2025 in the content department, as a new live Event sent pirates off in search of Gunpowder Barrels for The Reaper’s Bones. Unique Limited Voyages led players to Skeleton Forts to uncover their perilous prizes, while the Servant of the Flame dished out increased rewards for barrels safely delivered. Getting them to The Reaper’s Hideout without incident, however, was no easy feat…

Once the debris from all that excitement had been cleared away, it was time to enter the final leg of Season 14 with the arrival of the January update. The major highlight was the long-awaited arrival of the Mimic Dart, which grants crafty blowpipe users the ability to masquerade as other pirates and skeletons. At the same time, improvements to the Grapple Gun made missing a shot just a touch more forgiving. And as always, you can read through the release notes for a full breakdown of all the tweaks and changes!

News and Features
As is becoming tradition, we kicked off the news machine for January with a new This Month article to outline everything you could expect from the month ahead – as always, a fine place to find out what’s on the schedule so that you can plan your Voyages accordingly.

Over in the world of Spotlights, we had one focusing on the artistic soul of Penguill, and another delving into the adventures of Stream Team stalwart Arrvocado! Give them a read if you want to know what some familiar faces in the community have been up to lately, or maybe just want some insight into one of those people who uses a computer mouse with their left hand. We like to cater to all readers here.

And speaking of what everyone’s been up to, January marked the conclusion to the Golden Scallywag Awards! After weeks of pirates sharing their sneakiest skulduggery, difficult decisions had to be made about which moments of mischief were most deserving of a prize – and the glory of a Scallywags win.

Elsewhere, a new tune emerged to add a touch of Siren spice to your Spotify playlists, while our friends at Yootooz had some time-limited merchandise for the animal lovers among you. Did you finally manage to get your hands on your very own Shrouded Ghost?

Videos and Streams
Down the corridor in the Tavern, Daryl started his 2025 shenanigans with the first Sea of Thieves News episode of the year. The Tavern was then taken over by Production Director and deliverer of technical news Drew for the latest Developer Update! Sadly no questionable wardrobe choices for this one, but plenty of info on the improvements being made to game performance.

Shortly after that it was time for the January update to get underway, and that meant the Video team had two more trailers to release before the month was out. First up was the update trailer, showcasing the aforementioned changes to the sandbox, before the Pirate Emporium unveiled what was in store for patrons this month. Truly a star-studded collection.

Slightly further afield, Steamforged Games had a handy video to share with all you boardgame fans out there: a playthrough of the official Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends game! If you’ve been toying with the idea of adding a new pirate experience to your gaming shelf, this offers up some useful insight. Just brace yourself for some banana slander in the first couple of minutes.

Social Channels
Naturally, the start of a new year meant that we began January with some lofty ideas about what we wanted to achieve over the next 12 months – some substantially loftier than others, it must be said – and risked trying out a new look while we did it. At the same time, an influx of fresh faces had us sharing as many tips for new pirates as we could think of, filled with advice for every situation. Every. Situation.

The conclusion of the Golden Scallywag Awards got us in the spirit of giving, so it only made sense to join in with the frosty Twitch Drops Fest and hold two rounds of #SoTShot to hand out some more of those Golden Hour Sails. Initially we tested everyone’s ability to work together with a spot of Crew Bonding, before dispensing with the niceties and demanding you show us some cool Explosions. The Community Hub also saw a fresh round of fan creations, while on a more serious but no less exciting note, GameBlast25 opened its doors for sign-ups and saw Sea of Thieves streamers once again coming together to help raise money for SpecialEffect!

The community spirit stayed strong throughout the month, with discussions of crew mottos and GIF summaries, as well as a little healthy anchor management shaming. There were a few sad moments mid-month when we feared we’d have to say goodbye to some loyal pirates, but two days later everything seemed to resolve itself – just in time for some new Season 14-inspired Compass of Chaos shenanigans. Panic over, most of the rest of the month was spent testing the limits of the new Mimic Dart and enjoying everyone’s ingenuity. It’s been a lot of fun.

And so we arrive in February! Even though it’s the shortest month of the year, there’ll be plenty to report back the next time we convene for a round-up, so we’ll simply leave you with the usual rundown of all the places you can reach out to us to share your thoughts: Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. Until then, we have February mischief to be getting on with…

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Previously:
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: December 2024

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February is shaping up to be a month full of adventure, treasure and a whole new Season’s delights for pirates of the Sea of Thieves, so let’s take a dive into this month’s calendar!

Dark Fortress Raids – Friday, February 14th – Thursday, February 20th

Before Season 15 arrives, a new Event is on the horizon offering a time-limited Voyage – A Raid on a Dark Fortress.

Running from February 14th to 20th, this Event will have you facing Ghost Fleets and Phantoms in and around Sea Forts. These spectral threats won’t make things easy for your crew, but for those willing to take on the challenge, there’s plenty to gain: fight your way through waves of ghostly adversaries and you can claim two Vaults filled with valuable loot!

‘Stirring Seas’ Release – Friday, February 14th

The Sea of Thieves soundtrack continues to grow, and this month a familiar tune gets a grand new take to celebrate the newest Season. ‘Ballad of the Mer’ has now been reimagined in a sweeping orchestral style and released in its own right as ‘Stirring Seas’.

You’ll hear this new arrangement in-game when Season 15 sets sail on February 20th, but if patience isn’t your strong suit, you won’t have to wait that long. ‘Stirring Seas’ will be available on streaming services from February 14th, so head on over to listen!

Season 15 Launch – Thursday, February 20th

A new Season approaches, bringing fresh dangers, thrilling discoveries and plenty of pirate plunder! Season 15 arrives on February 20th, and with it comes a bounty of new features to keep the seas alive.

The Hunter’s Call have expanded from their lonely Seaposts, now setting up shop at Outposts across the Sea of Thieves – making it easier than ever to sell your finest catches! But beware, for the seas have grown even more treacherous… Two new Megalodon variants, the Feared Redmaw and Barnacled Dread, now roam the waves. These beasts aren’t just bigger, they’re meaner, with devastating new abilities that’ll test even the most seasoned sailors.

But that’s not all! Expect new Voyages, hunting spears, untamed wildlife and plenty more surprises to arrive throughout the Season.

Twitch Drops – Thursday, February 20th – Monday, February 24th

If you’re tuning in to watch a streamer showcasing the newly added features, remember you can get rewarded for it too: this time the Eastern Winds Ruby Shirt and Gloves are up for grabs, along with the Seaweed Sailor Speaking Trumpet and a Gilded Voyage of The Ancient Isles, all by linking your accounts and watching any participating Sea of Thieves Partner on Twitch. Not sure who to watch? Check our Partner Directory.

GameBlast25 – Friday, February 21st – Sunday, February 23rd

We’re proud to once again be supporting GameBlast, a special stream event raising funds for SpecialEffect – an incredible charity that helps people with physical disabilities to enjoy video games. The Sea of Thieves Community Stream Team are fundraising all month, and you can tune in to Twitch on Saturday, February 22nd to catch our very own stream. Whatever you do, don’t forget to donate!

As Season 15 sets sail, there's plenty to keep you on your toes in February. Whether you're battling the newest foes, unlocking Twitch Drops or streaming to support a great cause, adventure awaits. So gather your crew, hoist your sails and make this month one to remember on the Sea of Thieves!

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It’s just about time for Season 14 to don its chest disguise and waddle off towards the sunset in suitably comical fashion. But before it sets about clambering into its wooden outfit and going on its way, we’re here to demand some costuming from all of you. That’s right, #StyleOfThieves is back for another turn on the catwalk!

From February 10th–13th, we want you to forget about keeping out of sight and have your chic corsairs step firmly into the spotlight to compete in daily dress-up themes, and this time we’re looking for spikes, bright colours and even some team-spirited coordination…

We’re not agitating the ship’s buoyancy this time around, with the contest functioning in a broadly unchanged manner. Posts relating to the themes will appear on Sea of Thieves social channels around 10am UTC on the dates specified, declaring the entry window for that day’s outfit objective open. Your job is to respond to these styling summons by slapping screenshots of your scoundrel in appropriate attire on any social channel you fancy, stating the name of your chosen theme to help our scrolling. Have a look further down this article and read the How to Enter section for a rundown of the full rules, as well as some handy pointers.

Once a theme has been alive for 24 hours, our team will declare time and set out in search of the most interesting, inspiring and eye-catching examples of garbing greatness that they feel best fit that theme. The shortlist of our team’s favourite fits will then be chiselled into a yet-to-ripen banana in pigpen cipher, with some helpful clues etched into a nearby orange. These bruised fruits will then be handed to a member of our Art team, at which point we cross our fingers and hope they don’t simply devour them, skin and all. Should they notice the code, they will have the unenviable task of selecting the winners of this Season’s Style of Thieves prizes!

Following the surprise crowning of a quartet of winners at the end of last Season’s contest, Season 14 will follow suit and feature four winning entries per category, resulting in 16 winners total. However, as one category calls for up to four participants to be pictured, there are actually a potential 28 pairs of Fashionista’s Finery Gloves up for grabs this Season! Winning pirates will be announced via Sea of Thieves social channels on February 19th. And as always, a necessary reminder that even if you don’t win Style of Thieves, as with all our social media contests, we hope everyone has fun simply taking part and exploring the fun of fashion.

And now, without any more tweaked preamble, here are Season 14’s #StyleOfThieves themes:

The Themes

Each theme will start at 10am UTC on the dates detailed below, with entries accepted via a variety of social media channels for a full 24 hours.

Punk
Root through your rags to find a rebellious combination that really puts your pirate’s disregard for the rules front and centre! Or their appreciation of a strong jacket, at least.
Entry date: February 10th

Sneaky
Celebrate the focus of Season 14 with a suitable suit for stealthy situations! Just remember to undermine its purpose by taking your screenshot in broad daylight.
Entry date: February 11th

Sports Team
Gather a group of three or four participants and coordinate your clothes for the court! Actual sporting skill not required.
Entry date: February 12th

Flamboyant
While many have spent the Season blending in, this is your excuse to stand out! Feathers, gold, frills – no matter how you grab attention, just make sure you do it with an air of confidence. Or, lacking that, a grog or two.
Entry date: February 13th

Image credit: AbadonSoT on X/Twitter

How to Enter

Now into the part of the article that’s the same every time, including the sentence you’re reading now. We’re all over social media channels, in a friendly ‘enter however you feel comfortable’ kind of way, so you’re free to submit on a variety of channels. That said, each comes with its own quirks you need to adhere to as follows:

• To enter on X/Twitter, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves in your post.
  
• For Instagram, you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves. Same goes for Bluesky and Threads.
  
• 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.

And regardless of where you’re sharing your entry, 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.

Rules of the Runway

We’ve put together some handy hints and rules to make sure you capture your pirate’s best side and don’t accidentally enter an ineligible picture:

• 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.
  
• Complete cosmetic sets are not permitted. Our artists designed those items to go together and, again, we want to see stylish creativity. Ideally, an outfit should contain no more than four items from the same named set, but as long as creativity from multiple styles is evident then your entry will be accepted.
  
• Unless a theme calls for it, all shots should be solo pirates and not crews. Only the pirate(s) 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 helps, so find a well-lit spot to fully peacock your picks. Coloured or tactical lighting won’t be considered part of the outfit, and could hurt your chances of consideration.
  
• Toggle off your HUD for a clean snap and avoid a name getting in the way! If you haven’t set it, the Toggle HUD command can be assigned to a button from the HUD category of the Keyboard and Mouse or Controller area of your Settings menu.
  
• Screenshots should be a reflection of the game – no external editing or filters should be applied.
  
• Please try to keep your submissions to a 16:9 or 1:1 ratio, making sure your entire outfit is in shot, including your shoes/toes! This will help us when framing winners, and ensures a degree of parity when comparing submissions.
  
• While you may use any emotes for your shot, any features added to the outfit via the emote (e.g. oars, weapons, sparklers) won’t be taken into consideration as part of an outfit 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!
  
• The unique prize means you can’t win more than once in Style of Thieves, but you’re more than welcome to continue entering for the fun of it!

Image credit: Great_Grantsby on X/Twitter

And with this, we’re at the end. A thank you to anyone who’s read every word, and a stern glare for those who only read the themes. But then, they probably didn’t get down here, did they? So this is slightly pointless… Right, this article is roughly one more paragraph away from some undesirable introspection, so we’ll cut it off before that happens. Looking forward to seeing what your pirate brings to our sea of fashion from February 10th–13th!

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Pirates of Mischief
Mimic Dart

• The Mimic Dart has been added as a new dart type for the blowpipe. This dart lets players temporarily transform their appearance into that of other players or skeletons, allowing them to blend in and cause even more mischief!
  
• Mimicking a target will transform a player for two minutes, and during that time they are free to interact with the world while both dealing and taking damage. The mimic effect can be removed by firing another Mimic Dart at a solid surface.
  
• When observing a player who is mimicking, no change will be visible to the mimicking player’s name as shown in their gamertag, although it will change colour to match the affiliation of their target until engaged in combat.
  
• Pirates can also mimic the mimic, chaining the same appearance onto multiple pirates for ultimate hijinks. Simply shoot a player already under the mimic effect to copy their look.
  
• While mimicking a target, players wishing to emote will be shown a simple set of emotes that can be performed as that character. Once the mimic effect is ended, players will regain access to their full set of owned emotes.
  
• The Pirates of Mischief section in the reputation tab now holds a range of Commendations challenging players to use mimicry to baffle other players, with the Lucky Hand Blowpipe as a reward.

Grapple Gun Improvements

• Players missing a shot with the Grapple Gun will now find the arrowhead returns during the recoil. It will still need to be reloaded, but no longer consumes ammo for missed shots.

Updates
Performance Improvements

• Performance improvements have been made to the setup and loading of Trinkets on Captained ships. This work should improve client performance on Trinket-laden ships, and reduce the performance impact when approaching those ships at sea.
  
• Network improvements have been made in scenarios where large amounts of data are being sent from the server to a client. In these scenarios, the movement of the player and their ship will now be prioritised to ensure a smoother experience. This work should reduce the performance impact seen when a fully dressed ship comes into range, and when a player fully equipped with cosmetics returns from the Ferry of the Damned.
  
• Ammo Pouches left behind in the world will now only last for 10 minutes before being removed.

Pirate Emporium
Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Cardinal Lodestar Ship Collection
  
• Cardinal Lodestar Costume Set
  
• Cardinal Lodestar Weapon Bundle
  
• Cardinal Lodestar Ship’s Crest
  
• Cardinal Lodestar Spyglass
  
• Cardinal Lodestar Cat and Parrot
  
• Collector’s Lunar Festival Snake Sails and Figurehead
  
• Well, Obviously Emote (free!)

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost stores now stock equipment from the Lucky Hand set, with the Compass, Spyglass, Pocket Watch, Speaking Trumpet, Tankard, Bucket and Lantern available for purchase.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• Players will now remain able to switch weapons after being knocked back while interacting with the Armoury.
  
• Traps loaded with a blunderbomb will now deal consistent damage to players who spring the trap based on their proximity when triggered. Running through a blunderbomb-loaded trap will no longer deal enough damage to outright kill a player at full health.
  
• In addition to water, Black Powder Darts can now be extinguished using boiling water and vomit.
  
• The damage dealt by an Ashen Lord’s explosion now dynamically scales based on the crew size in the encounter.
  
• The aim on the Dreamers’ Dust Pistol has been improved, ensuring shots now align with the tip of the barrel.
  
• The Merchant Alliance Tutorial Voyage now concludes correctly when handing in the Chicken Coop.
  
• Skeleton Lords now take the correct damage when shot in the upper body.
  
• Players with Pocket Pet Emotes will now find they once again perform a range of animations when used.
  
• ‘The Fate of the Morningstar’ – Dinger’s key now appears near the correct position on the island instead of in the open sea.

Pirates of Mischief

• The Dance Off Danger Commendation will now progress when triggering groups of enemies (either pirates or skeletons) to dance with a Jigball-loaded trap. Improvements have also been made to ensure this Commendation now triggers more consistently when meeting the required criteria.
  
• The Pied Pirate Piper Commendation criteria have now been changed so that it can be achieved during solo play.
  
• The Comfortable Sneaker Commendation can now be progressed while on a Skeleton Ship.
  
• The Hidden in Plain Sight Commendation will now progress when using disguises on the Burning Blade.

Blowpipe

• When the Dart Radial input keybind is shared with another action, the Dart Radial input will take priority and not leave players unable to use either action. Players will still need to rebind the other action to be able to use it.
  
• Players rapidly switching the blowpipe’s various dart types should no longer find they become unable to do so.
  
• Players using Toggle Radial Menus will now consistently be able to close the Blowpipe Dart Radial.
  
• The Dart Ammo Radial now closes consistently when the blowpipe is stowed or swapped.
  
• Players will no longer fire two shots faster than intended when attempting to fire a blowpipe soon after sprinting or crouching.
  
• Firing a dart and then quickly stowing the weapon will now consistently fire the dart as intended.

Crouching and Stealth

• Players exiting crouch while holding Aim Down Sights will no longer appear in an idle stance to others, and will consistently appear aiming their equipped weapon.
  
• Switching weapons just before interacting with a hanging point no longer causes players to lose access to their weapons.
  
• Players crouching before grabbing onto a ladder will now return to a crouch when letting go.
  
• Players will no longer hear water splash effects when using crouch to cancel the action to throw from a bucket.

Environment

• Players are no longer able to hide treasure in an underwater crevasse near The Reaper’s Hideout.
  
• Improvements have been made at the Lagoon of Whispers and Picaroon Palms to prevent players from becoming stuck in the environment.
  
• Players are now prevented from reaching outside the environment at Blind Man’s Lagoon.
  
• The prompt to climb ladders at Shipwreck Bay now appears in a reachable location.
  
• ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ – Players can no longer become stuck behind rocks near the town entrance.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – The Grapple Gun will no longer allow players to access restricted areas of the map.
  
• ‘Heart of Fire’ – The Grapple Gun will no longer allow players to access restricted areas.

Visual and Audio

• Players bailing water in quick succession should now consistently hear the audio effects for scooping and throwing.
  
• Players will no longer experience pitched audio effects across the game during the Ashen Lord’s smoke screen.
  
• Players afflicted by a Jigball prior to entering the Tunnels of the Damned will now animate correctly when moving.
  
• The Shadow Skeleton Captain’s hat now appears at the correct size when shifting into shadow form.
  
• The rats found below deck on the Burning Blade now scurry along the floor.
  
• Ponytail Hair now appears correctly when equipped.
  
• The Emissary Note will now only glow once the Emissary status is active.
  
• The flame effects on the Obsidian Captain's Chandelier are now aligned correctly.
  
• Pirates of all sizes using the King’s Chest disguise will no longer see their legs poking through.
  
• The Magpie’s Glory Pocket Watch face has been made darker and now consistently shows the correct time.
  
• The Stormfish Chaser Blunderbuss now sits correctly in the middle of the screen when aiming down sights.
  
• The Merchant Alliance Shirt now displays correctly across a range of pirate body sizes.
  
• Petting dogs and foxes will no longer cause the animal to slide out of position.
  
• The Dreamers’ Dust Cannons, Dreamers’ Dust Wheel, Sea of Sands Capstan, Spring Blossom Cannons and Shadow Tide Cannons no longer appear at low visual quality when viewed at close range.
  
• Players pairing certain long hairstyles with tall jackets will no longer find part of the hairstyle disappears.
  
• The Lure Dart now sits correctly within all blowpipe cosmetics.

Text and Localisation

• Localisation quality improvements have been made for Spanish (MX), Simplified Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese (BR) and Thai languages.
  
• Players using Game Narration will now find that buttons on the DualSense® Wireless Controller are narrated correctly.
  
• The prompt to disarm a trap now shows the correct text when the player has a full throwable inventory.
  
• The Polish translation for the Hung Out to Dry Commendation now correctly defines the unlock criteria.
  
• The German and Russian translations for the Regal Fortune Cutlass now correctly define its unlock criteria.
  
• Placeholder text no longer appears in the notifications when progressing the Skull of Siren Song Voyage.

Performance and Stability

• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

Known Issues
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: 2.4 GB

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Head to your Quest Table to undertake your Limited Voyage for a stash of explosives and enjoy increased rewards on Gunpowder Barrels from The Reaper's Bones! Just keep them away from any intercepting crews...

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A new year is upon us, but before we can completely pack away the holiday decorations we have one last thing we need to do: round up the delights of December! The final month of the year is always jam-packed, so join us as we bid a final farewell to all its expeditions, events and excitements while filling you in on anything you might have missed…

Content Update
Cast your mind back all the way to the beginning of December (no small feat, we know) and you’ll remember our Pirate Legends were getting a little love with the return of Legends Week. Although it wasn’t just for Legends – anyone hoping to rank up with Athena’s Fortune or just get their hands on a little extra gold could set out on a hunt for special Legendary Message in a Bottle Voyages, then venture across the isles in search of high-value treasure.

Winding down for the year was no excuse to miss out on our usual monthly update, so we had the latest additions to the game ready to go before the holidays began in earnest. That meant some tweaks to the current Season’s features including the Grapple Gun, blowpipe and Merfruit, as well as an overhaul of the rewards available in Safer Seas! For a full breakdown of all the changes, have a read of December’s release notes.

Once the update was ready to go, it was time to get on with the celebrations. Events bundled up alongside this year’s Festival of Giving included rewards for supporting your favourite Twitch streamers, some merry gift givers taking to the seas and an exclusive Ship’s Crest for a few lucky Stream Team viewers. Even the Pirate Emporium team got in on things, with a fresh Extravaganza offering perks for dedicated patrons. All that in addition to the login rewards and daily Gilded and Lucky Voyages available throughout the Festival, and a subsequent Gold & Glory celebration! Enough to get anyone in the holiday spirit.

News and Features
There were a lot of moving parts to track in December, so to make sure everyone had an idea of what they could look forward to, we delivered a fresh This Month In SoT article at the beginning of the month with all the details.

Of course, not everything went quite to plan and the Mimic Darts had to be pulled from the December update. To explain what the future for this feature looks like, Production Director Drew dropped in with a State of Play article that laid out the situation – give it a read!

One of the major changes that did arrive with December’s update was how rewards are earned in Safer Seas. Having observed our single-crew mode in action for some time, we wanted to make a few adjustments to ensure the early game experience remains sufficiently rewarding for new players. So gold and reputation rewards have now been raised to 100%, while the Trading Company cap drops to 25 to maintain a balance between Safer Seas and High Seas. Why not enjoy a quiet sail yourself to get a feel for the changes?

Videos and Streams
Before we got to the special end-of-year videos, including a stirring overview of this year’s Festival of Giving, first we had to take care of the essentials – such as a new instalment of Sea of Thieves News! Once that had teed us up for the rest of the month’s delights, it was on to December’s update trailer and Pirate Emporium showcase, but not before Drew had a chance to deliver his latest Developer Update. Warning: you might need to watch it twice to get past the jumper situation.

We also took a look back over the last 12 months of the Sea of Thieves soundtrack. As an extra end-of-year treat, there was a new festive addition to help everyone get into the seasonal spirit, while a unique romance was explored through the medium of song and a holiday-themed playlist ensured all our jingliest songs were available in one place for your enjoyment – if the traditional crackling fireplace wasn’t enough to tide you over. In thanks for the loan of your ears, legendary composing corsairs Chloe and Robin also offered a sneak peek into the punishing work schedule responsible for all your favourite pirate tunes…

Social Channels
Pirates across the seas have had a little while now to get used to the new disguises in their toolkit, but we thought that everyone could still use a quick refresher course on the art of subtlety. Alas, we did such a good job, some pirates struggled to find us again, but no matter as we quickly reemerged with a caption challenge and an inspection of everyone’s Armoury.

As always, there was acclaim to be earned: a new Community Hub update saw four lucky craftspirates earning a fancy hat, while budding photographers braved the storm to get their best snaps of Pirates in the Rain for the latest round of #SoTShot. On that note, we’ve slightly changed the way we accept entries for our regular screenshot contest, so if you’re posting your snaps on Bluesky, you’re now in with a chance to win!

Later in the month we got a bit bogged down in names: naming pets, naming ships, naming songs and even renaming some items that can be a bit of a mouthful. We also mused on what the worst words to hear are when you’re away from your ship, as well as favourite instruments – with some linguistic liberties taken for the definition of ‘instrument’. All of which left us with just one more thing left to do: wish everyone a lovely holiday break and wonder at some amazing firework displays.

And that was December! We’re all looking forward to the year ahead and the reams of exciting updates we can’t wait to share – be sure to keep an eye on all our usual socials to hear about any new developments. You can always find us over on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. If we don’t see you there, we’ll be back in a few weeks with your next round-up! Until then, may the new year bring you new treasures, new adventures and not too many new trips to the Ferry.

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Previously in 2024:
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: November 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2024

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As we hoist the anchor on January (and a brand new year), Sea of Thieves is alive with fresh adventures and thrilling Events! From high-stakes Voyages to haunting melodies, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this month.

Reaper Gunpowder Runs – Friday, January 17th – Monday, January 20th

Prepare for explosive action with the Reaper Gunpowder Runs, an exciting Event designed to ignite chaos and competition across the Sea of Thieves! In this time-limited Event, pirates will gain access to an exclusive Voyage that focuses on gathering Gunpowder Barrels of all kinds.

During the Event, any Gunpowder Barrels delivered to The Reaper's Bones will fetch a hefty boost in gold and reputation, but that’s not all! Every Gunpowder Barrel you pick up on this Voyage will help nudge your Reaper’s Bones Emissary Grade higher, making each explosive find a tool for chaos and profit.

‘Sirens’ Lament’ Release – Friday, January 17th

If you’re still recovering from the festive tunes, let Spotify take over for a while. The latest track to join our expanding Sea of Thieves soundtrack, ‘Sirens’ Lament’, will be available to stream from January 17th. This hauntingly beautiful track joins a playlist brimming with Sea of Thieves favourites, perfect for setting the mood on your next Voyage or reminiscing about past adventures!

January Monthly Update – Thursday, January 23rd

Season 14 sails onward with a bounty of fresh content in our latest update! You’ll be able to check out the full release notes for details of all the new additions and adjustments as soon as this update drops.

Early birds who set sail in the week following the update will be handsomely rewarded with gold and Doubloons, and all pirates will receive another free Voyage of Luck. If the winds favour you, this special Voyage could even unveil a Golden Map, guaranteed to lead to valuable treasures.

The Outpost shops will also be brimming with new Lucky Hand equipment, including a spyglass, tankard and lantern for those seeking a bit of charm on their adventures.

And don’t miss the chance to snag the free Well, Obviously Emote from the Pirate Emporium – perfect for pirates with a dry sense of humour.

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As we set sail into the new year, we can’t wait to see you back on the seas this January! With fresh challenges, time-limited events, and plenty of excitement on the horizon, there’s no better time to chart your course for adventure. So gather your crew, hoist your sails, and make 2025 a year of unforgettable Voyages and thrilling tales on the Sea of Thieves!

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Time to seek your fortune and buy that figurehead you've always wanted, or perhaps spin the Hourglass in pursuit of curses; boosted reputation, gold, Renown and Allegiance are all active until January 6th! Just make sure to hand the loot in yourself... Good luck out there, pirates!

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The Festival of Giving is all about coming together to celebrate the season, and this year we’re encouraging pirates to collectively earn as much gold as possible! Throughout this Event, any gold you earn will contribute to a shared Community Goal, and your first contribution will be recognised with a reward of bonus Doubloons. If the Community Goal is reached before the Event ends, all pirates who helped out will also unlock the Starburst Drum to commemorate their contribution!

To help you on your way to earning plenty of gold and hitting that Goal, the Trading Companies have agreed to take it in turns to offer boosted rewards. Check your Quest Table to see where you can earn the most money each day!

There’s plenty more to enjoy throughout the holidays, including an Emporium Extravaganza, more cosmetic giveaways and an entire week of Gold & Glory. For the latest info on what’s on and how to get involved, swing by our Events Hub: https://www.seaofthieves.com/event-hub

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Pirates of Mischief
Grapple Gun Improvements

• The maximum range of the Grapple Gun has been increased to match the ship’s harpoon, providing players with greater scope for traversal and various sneaky plays.
  
• The speed of a fired arrowhead is now much quicker, reducing the need for players to lead their shots and also reducing the time after a failed shot before it can be fired again.
  
• Acceleration is now increased when grappling to a solid surface, with players moving faster the further they travel.

Blowpipe Improvements

• Players can now quickly cycle through available dart types via a new keybind, Dart Radial Input. This same key can also be held to summon the full Dart Radial. By default, this is bound to ‘H’ on keyboard and Right on D-pad when using a controller – players already using these keys for other actions will need to rebind their controls to prevent issues from occurring.
  
• Players now have a choice on how the blowpipe acts when running out of a specific dart type. By default it will switch to the next type, but by using Auto Switch Dart Type in the Input Settings, players can prevent this automatic switch.

Merfruit Improvements

• Enchanted Merfruit will no longer be selected when using the food keybind to switch and cycle through food within a player’s inventory to prevent accidental eating. Uncooked Merfruit will continue to be selected when cycling through food.
  
• Enchanted Merfruit can now be placed inside Fruit Crates for safekeeping.

Mimic Dart – Delayed

• As shared in our recent State of Play, while this new ammo type for the blowpipe was announced in previous updates, it has not yet reached the quality bar where the team would be happy to release it. This feature will continue to be worked on for release in a future update.
  
• While this feature is disabled, a range of Pirates of Mischief Commendations are visible but unable to be progressed and the Lucky Hand Blowpipe, Real Dead Ringer Trinkets and Part of the Hive Title remain locked.

Gameplay Improvements
Safer Seas Rewards and Reputation

• Players choosing to sail on Safer Seas will now find it a more rewarding experience during their early stages of progression with the Trading Companies. Gold and reputation will now be earned at 100% (up from 30%), equivalent to their value on High Seas.
  
• To balance this, progression with each Trading Company is now capped at rank 25 (down from 40). To continue earning reputation and progress past rank 25 with a Trading Company, players will need to venture onto High Seas.
  
• While players who choose to remain on Safer Seas will be unable to climb all the way to Pirate Legend, they are still free to take on the Voyages to which they already have access and will continue to earn the same gold rewards as on High Seas.

Updates
Detection Improvements for Ban Evasion

• Starting with December’s update, detection improvements will begin rolling out behind the scenes targeting players who evade game bans to regain access to Sea of Thieves. These improvements will be deployed in phases over the coming months to systematically crack down on banned players and prevent them from returning to the seas.

Pirate Emporium
Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Emporium Items – Now in Stock!

• Dreamers’ Dust Ship Collection
  
• Dreamers’ Dust Weapon Bundle
  
• Dreamers’ Dust Ship’s Crest
  
• Dreamers’ Dust Lantern
  
• Dreamers’ Dust Costume Set
  
• New Glacial Curse Pets: Fox, Owl, Parakeet and Alsatian
  
• Motley Mariner Cannon Flare
  
• Menacing Weapon Pose Emote
  
• Ice Sculpture Emote (free!)

Returning Emporium Items

• Bonechiller Weapon Bundle, now with additional weapons (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Bonechiller Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Bonechiller Costume Set (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Festival of Giving Weapons (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Festival of Giving Pet Outfits (time-limited, will return next year)

Pirate Emporium Homepage Improvements

• The Pirate Emporium homepage now features a carousel to better highlight new items arriving in the store.
  
• Beneath the carousel are three dedicated tiles for themed content, showcasing items from Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island. With these dedicated spaces now accessible from the homepage, they have been removed from the top navigation to ease browsing.

Pirate Emporium Plunder Pass Improvements

• Selecting the Plunder Pass within the Emporium now allows players to see all items that can be earned by progressing through the 100 levels of Renown for the active Season before making their purchase.

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost weaponsmiths now stock the Bone Crusher and Sea Dog Heavy Swords and Rapiers.
  
• The Outpost clothing shops now offer Stately Shirts in four fetching colours for all pirates to purchase.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• Pigs will no longer flee from players holding Merfruit.
  
• The aim on the Seasoned Sailor Pistol has been improved, ensuring shots now align with the tip of the barrel.

Performance and Stability

• Performance improvements have been made to the game client, providing a small overall improvement to framerates.
  
• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

Pirates of Mischief

• Players completing the necessary criteria to progress the Pirates of Mischief Commendations will now find they are able to purchase disguises once the Commendations are fully unlocked. Some players with prior progress may remain temporarily blocked as the team works behind the scenes to sync their progress.
  
• Pirates extinguishing Black Powder Darts attached to them should now consistently progress the Wash Out Commendation.
  
• Attacking enemy Bone Caller Skeletons with Poison Darts should now progress the Poisonous Pirate Commendation.

Disguises

• Using a disguise while under the effect of sickness will now pause the symptoms and prevent a bout of vomiting from breaking a player’s disguise.
  
• The Chest of the Damned disguise visual effects now appear correctly when on a moving ship.
  
• Players in disguises will no longer make loud footsteps while moving around the deck of a ship.

Blowpipe and Darts

• Picking up an ammo pouch will now consistently restock all blowpipe darts.
  
• Kill markers now appear when defeating enemies with blowpipe darts.
  
• Controller vibration has been improved while using the blowpipe, addressing incorrect feedback when aiming and reloading.
  
• Darts are now damaged by explosives, and those embedded in a target can also be damaged consistently by gunshots.
  
• Shooting a Gunpowder Barrel with a Poison Dart should no longer trigger the fuse visual effects.
  
• Black Powder Darts embedded in players should now be consistently extinguished when doused with water.
  
• The glint of a Lure Dart now appears in the same colour for all players in the session.

Crouching and Stealth

• Players hanging from the side of a ship while it dives to a Voyage or Hourglass of Fate battle will no longer find themselves stuck in a drowning state.
  
• Exiting a hanging point while crouching will no longer cause a player to equip their weapon.
  
• Players will now find it easier to hide when out of sight of common enemies and Skeleton Captains.
  
• When multiple players interact with the same hanging point simultaneously, they will now retain the ability to crouch afterwards.
  
• Cancelling the action to bail water by using crouch no longer causes the resulting splash audio effect to be heard incorrectly.
  
• Players will no longer exit crouch when picking up a Trident of Dark Tides.
  
• Exiting crouch with a stashed item will no longer result in the item appearing to intersect with the player.
  
• Players can no longer crouch while holding the fishing rod fully drawn back before casting.
  
• Players switching quickly to a lantern after crouching will no longer see the light emitted below them as if they were still crouching.
  
• Players crouching while holding items are no longer able to interact with areas of the ship such as the capstan, maintaining consistency with held items.
  
• Players crouching with an open chest will now correctly display the contents to nearby players and items can be added and retrieved.

Traps

• When disarming a loaded trap with limited inventory space, players will retrieve the trap first before any loaded items.
  
• When attempting to deploy a trap in a restricted location, players will now have the trap returned to their inventory.
  
• Players who temporarily disconnect from a session with deployed traps will now find the traps stay active for a short grace period for the player to rejoin the session before they are removed.
  
• Traps are now triggered instantly by gunshots or melee attacks, but when this sets off a chain reaction of deployed traps there will be a short delay between triggers.
  
• Players standing stationary near a trap now take the same damage as players moving when it is triggered.
  
• Traps loaded with a Jigball or Wearyball should now consistently affect the pirate triggering the trap.
  
• While below deck on a ship, players can no longer set traps through the ceiling on the floor above.
  
• Traps buried in the same spot by multiple players will no longer disappear.

Environment

• Grapple Guns no longer allow players to move beneath surfaces or reach outside the map at various Skeleton Camps.
  
• Kraken’s Fall no longer has part of the environment sticking out from the geometry.
  
• Players are now prevented from moving through the ceiling or interacting with objects on the floors above while navigating Sea Forts.
  
• The coconuts inside crates at Port Merrick now appear correctly.
  
• Players can now pick up the Mysterious Journal from all potential locations on Crescent Isle.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players can no longer reach past the boundaries of the map by using the Grapple Gun.

User Interface

• Large Guilds with 30 ships pledged should now load consistently when selected.
  
• Captains should now find that when meeting the criteria for a Ship Milestone, that Milestone and associated reward are now unlocked.
  
• Players choosing to block communication through Xbox Family Settings should no longer find the UI becomes unresponsive after attempting to send messages using text chat.
  
• When equipping the Radiant Comet Capstan, the prompt to use the capstan is now placed in the correct location.
  
• ‘Maiden Voyage’ – The correct prompt is now shown when handing the Old Sailor’s Chest to the Pirate Lord.

Visual and Audio

• Items used in various emotes such as flowers and buckets should now consistently appear at their intended size.
  
• Equipping the Shadow Tide Wheel no longer hides the ship’s compass when sailing on a Brigantine or Sloop.
  
• The sight on the Lodestar Blowpipe is now correctly aligned.
  
• Obsidian Bone Crusher and Inner Sanctum Hulls equipped to a Brigantine now display correctly.
  
• Characters’ faces no longer appear to be missing parts when wearing a mask combined with the Forest’s Blessing Costume or Barrel Bombardier Costume.
  
• Ponytail hairstyles now display correctly from all angles.
  
• When equipping the Wheel of Noble Captaincy, it will now be displayed with the correct shadows.
  
• The Iron Turtle and Lucky Hand Grapple Guns no longer intersect with the player camera when fired.
  
• The speaking trumpet’s shadow now appears properly across all graphic settings.

Text and Localisation

• Localisation quality improvements have been made to a range of items within the Pirate Emporium across multiple languages.

Known Issues
Blowpipe Keybinding

• Players who already have actions bound to ‘H’ on keyboard or Right on D-pad when using a controller may find they are unable to perform these actions following this update. This can be resolved by rebinding the actions from the Game Settings.

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: 3.47 GB

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