Sea of Thieves

Season 18 has begun in Sea of Thieves, and the Dark Brethren have been working hard in The Devil’s Roar, detonating their recently acquired Black Powder Barrels to uncover lost Sanctuaries of the Banished. Now pirates across the seas are racing to get their hands on the long-forgotten riches kept within. Only one thing stands in their way: the Sanctuaries’ Ancient guardians have awoken, and they aren’t about to hand over their keys willingly…


Sanctuaries of the Banished

Across The Devil’s Roar, a liberal application of explosives has uncovered Ancient structures long buried beneath the rock. Previously used by those rogue Ancients expelled by their own kind, these Sanctuaries are now home to lucrative bounty including the powerful Trident of the Banished, mysterious Banished Ancient Rune Tablets and a host of unique treasures sure to interest the Trading Companies.

Whisking away some of this wealth for yourself won’t be so easy, however. Though the excavations have revealed the Sanctuary entrances, their locked stone doors will prove a tougher nut to crack. Brute force won’t get you and your crew inside; you’ll need to go hunting for a special Sanctuary of the Banished Key before you can uncover the mysteries of these hidden chambers for yourself.

The Eternal Guard

The sources of those all-important keys are another new addition to the seas: the Eternal Guard! The sarcophagi containing these undying warriors, spirits bound to Ancient armour, have started appearing on islands across the waves. Pirates planning to pit their might against this fabled fighting force need only approach a sarcophagus and light the candles, and they’ll soon find themselves engaged in a face-off unlike any other.

All that time spent below ground has not dulled the skills of the Eternal Guard. They wield hunting spears and blowpipes with ease, disappear in a poisonous fog to sneak silently around the battlefield, and in the face of defeat can unleash a devastating death blow that may just drag their unwitting attacker to the Sea of the Damned with them. Prevailing over these powers will be no mean feat, but should you manage it, you’ll earn yourself the key needed to crack open a Sanctuary of the Banished.


An Evolving World

Long-buried Sanctuaries aren’t the only change coming to the Roar this Season. The Smugglers’ League is expanding into the region, with two new representatives to track down and meet. You’ll find them both in their own Hideouts tucked away on islands marked on your Map Table. They even have a new Smugglers’ Route Run Voyage for daring pirates to undertake in return for rich rewards…

And there’ll be no shortage of rewards this Season. In recognition of the added dangers presented by trading in The Devil’s Roar, all Company representatives within the region are offering boosted gold and reputation for treasures handed in to them this Season. That includes all Outpost residents, as well as Zharick and Aifrick at the Seaposts, the new Smugglers and any cargo delivery recipients you help out. If you’re looking to make a fortune, The Devil’s Roar is the place to be!

More to Come

As in previous Seasons, there’ll be plenty more content to explore in the coming months! In Act 2, you’ll have a chance to delve into the Vault of Molten Sands Fortress in a new time-limited Voyage to retrieve a fabled treasure. To take part, venture out as Emissaries for your chosen Company and prove your loyalty before clashing with other crews to claim the mysterious Orb of the Banished.

Later, in Act 3, Captain Flameheart’s forces will be hard at work raising Ashen Garrisons within The Devil’s Roar. Breaching these heavily reinforced locations will prove to be a harder-won battle than most, with a sea wall and secure doors to fight your way through. In return for putting in the effort, however, a wealth of hidden treasure will be yours for the taking – should you succeed…


New Challenges and Rewards

Alongside all the new content landing throughout Season 18, there are plenty more Commendations – and corresponding rewards – arriving to test players’ prowess. Engaging with the new features in each Act will also net you time-limited rewards, including the exclusive Ashen Garrison Sails for completing all Act 3 Deeds. Each also offers a hefty bump in Seasonal Renown, so you can enjoy even more rewards for your efforts.

As always, climbing those levels of Renown throughout the Season unlocks a steady supply of new cosmetics, this time including items from the Widow’s Weave, Creepy Crawlers and Spider’s Venom collections – it’s a good time to be a budding pirate arachnologist! Plunder Pass holders will also have the opportunity to unlock the enigmatic Nightshade Sentry collection as they go, along with an extra 750 Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium.

There’ll be much more to discover as Season 18 evolves, including all the finer details of Acts 2 and 3. For a broader look at everything we can tell you right now, stop by the dedicated Season 18 page or soak up the latest release notes; for everything else, keep an eye on our social channels for all the most up-to-date developments. We’re also about to kick off a wide range of activities for this year’s Festival of Giving, so there’s no shortage of things to keep you occupied at sea as 2025 draws to a close. Set sail and enjoy!

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Secrets of the Banished

Get ready to take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 18 page.


The Eternal Guard

• 
  Pirates can now encounter a resourceful new enemy – the Eternal Guard. Crews out scouring islands across the Sea of Thieves may stumble across ancient sarcophagi, and perform a summoning ritual to bring forth these ferocious combatants.
  
  
• 
  The Eternal Guard use ancient magic to cloak and stalk their targets around the battlefield. They are invulnerable while cloaked, so crews should keep an eye on their surroundings and seek the telltale signs of a Guard readying an attack.
  
  
• 
  When ready to strike, the Guard will cross the veil to take mortal form and unleash attacks with blowpipe, spear and poison bomb before returning to the shadows.
  
  
• 
  During this encounter, pirates should also be prepared to face off against Banished Ancient Skeletons who can be summoned by the Eternal Guard during a challenging encounter.
  
  
• 
  Upon defeat, the Guard will release a powerful shockwave – so stay back! Pirates who take down one of these uncanny enemies will be rewarded with a key to unlock a nearby Sanctuary of the Banished.
  
  
• 
  While they are most frequently discovered in The Devil’s Roar, the sarcophagi of the Eternal Guard can now also be discovered on large islands in other regions.
  

Sanctuaries of the Banished

• 
  The Smugglers’ League have excavated three Sanctuaries in The Devil’s Roar. These Ancient structures can be found hidden beneath Cinder Islet, Flame’s End and Brimstone Rock, and each site is shown on the ship’s map.
  
  
• 
  Crews using a recovered Sanctuary of the Banished Key to make their way inside will discover Ancient Treasure littering the Sanctuary and the new Trident of the Banished weapon. Locked compartments can be opened with Ashen Keys to fully plunder the Sanctuary.
  

Trident of the Banished

• 
  The Trident of the Banished is a corrupted weapon, enhancing the power of the Trident and inflicting poisonous effects.
  
  
• 
  A small bubble can be charged quickly and releases a fast-moving shot to deal both direct damage and lasting poison effects.
  
  
• 
  A medium-sized bubble deals greater damage than its Trident of Dark Tides counterpart with a larger blast radius, also poisoning enemies in the area.
  
  
• 
  The largest bubble deals high damage and poison; however, it moves very slowly when fired, allowing pirates to follow-up with a well-aimed shot to detonate it.
  

The Devil’s Roar

• 
  Crews venturing into The Devil’s Roar will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts by the local Trading Companies and Smugglers. Cashing in loot within The Devil’s Roar during Season 18 will offer boosted gold and reputation depending on the representative.
  
  
• 
  Crews exploring this volcanic region will find that the frequency of discovering the ferocious Chest of Rage in their treasure hoard has increased across a range of activities.
  
  
• 
  Across The Devil’s Roar, environmental hazards have been rebalanced to reduce frustration while adventuring. Crews should continue to watch their step and keep a keen eye on the horizon, however, as this volcanic region remains a dangerous part of the seas.
  
  
• 
  Morrow’s Peak Outpost is now a potential starting location for crews at the beginning of a session.
  

The Smugglers’ League

• 
  The Smugglers‘ League have established two new trap-laden hideouts in The Devil’s Roar. Elias operates from a cave beneath Fetcher’s Rest and Lucia can be found in a tunnel cutting through Ruby’s Fall. Both contacts are now available as delivery locations for Smugglers’ treasure.
  
  
• 
  The Smugglers’ Route Run has now shifted location into The Devil’s Roar and this new treacherous pathway has been marked on the ship’s map for all to see.
  

Sandbox Balancing

• 
  With Season 17 drawing to a close, the Smugglers‘ influence on the seas has waned and a variety of emergent discoveries have returned to pre-Season 17 levels.
  
  
• 
  The frequency of shipwreck discoveries has been increased and there is now an equal chance of finding a regular shipwreck or a Smugglers’ Shipwreck, both containing handy air bubbles throughout the ship to help pirates while exploring.
  
  
• 
  Crews spotting a washed-up Rowboat will now have an equal chance of finding any of the different types of Rowboat.
  
  
• 
  Ambushes by Black Powder-wielding Skeletons and the presence of washed-up Smugglers’ Caches are now much less frequent.
  
  
• 
  The glint of a washed-up Message in a Bottle on the shores now provides a range of different activities and will no longer just provide a Smugglers’ Run.
  
  
• 
  Skeleton Ships have slowed their stockpiling of Smugglers’ League treasures, and crews will now find a more balanced hoard on board.
  

Secrets of the Banished Rewards

• 
  As the fires of Act 1 begin, a range of new Commendations have been added to the Secrets of the Banished Reputation tab. Pirates completing these Commendations will unlock access to new weapons from the Forsaken Ashes set, Mark of the Widow Tattoo, Chest of Banished Tribute Disguise and ‘Effigy of Rage’ Trinket – and from the Smugglers’ clothing set, Saltbones Elias’ Hook and Laughing Fox Lucia’s Mask.
  
  
• 
  New time-limited Act 1 Deeds have been added to the Season menu, earning players a boost to their Seasonal Renown progression and the ‘A Dark Discovery’ Painting once completed.
  
  
• 
  New Xbox and Steam achievements and PlayStation®5 Trophies can be unlocked by progressing through the new in-game Commendations.
  
  Vanquisher of the Eternal
  
  Explorer of Scared Places
  
  Broker of Banishment
  
  Violet Violence
  

Season 18

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 18 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• 
  Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 18 will reward players with a variety of new cosmetics. The Spider’s Venom clothing set and vanity items plus unique Creepy Crawlers cosmetics can be unlocked, while Pirate Legends can also earn the Warsmith Throwing Knives and Duke Tribute Tattoo.
  
  
• 
  Time-limited for Season 18, players can also earn the exclusive Widow’s Weave Flag, Hull, Sails, Makeup and Tattoo. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
  
• 
  Pick up a Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Nightshade Sentry collection, including a ship set and selection of themed clothing, all individually earned 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 18 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• 
  This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘An Eternal Ebb and Flow’ Painting, ‘Banished Finery’ Ornament and Guild of Dark Banishment Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  
  
• 
  The Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger now offers the Living Depths Flag, Sails and Capstan, along with the Assailant of Ancient Quarry Title. These new rewards are earnable by Hunters representing the Company as Emissaries.
  

Chest of Fortune

• 
  The Chest of Fortune remains within the Fort of Fortune, allowing crews to earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation and unlock access to the Regal Fortune Fishing Rod, Shovel, Pocket Watch, Tankard and Speaking Trumpet.
  

Reaper’s Chests

• 
  Crews chasing down the tell-tale beacon of the Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty can earn the next Grade of the Reaper’s Riches Commendation and unlock access to the Regal Fortune Hurdy-Gurdy and Concertina.
  
  

Gameplay Improvements

Migrating Crews from Failed Encounters

• 
  Crews engaging with the same rival repeatedly will now find that they will be migrated away to a new server after subsequent losses.
  
  
• 
  Losing to the same rival three times within a generous 1h 45m period will cause the losing crew to be migrated. However, should the losing crew turn the tide and sink their rival, this will reset the encounter.
  
  
• 
  This ruleset will not affect crews taking part in an encounter with the Burning Blade, and crews engaging with the Skull of Siren Song will need to be actively participating in the Voyage to be remain exempt.
  

Reducing Emergent Encounters During Naval Battles

• 
  Crews engaging with rivals in naval combat will find that ambush threats like Skeleton Ships and Megalodons are now reduced in frequency. While these unpredictable encounters can still occur, they will now be much less frequent, allowing crews to remain focused on their rivals.
  

Performance Improvements

• 
  This update includes further system-level optimisations to CPU performance across the whole experience. This will improve loading behind the scenes, with the aim of providing a smoother framerate when approaching islands, ships and other players in the world.
  
  
• 
  Improvements have been made to game performance when digging up items in the world to improve client framerate.
  
  

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!

• 
  Tundra Wanderer Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Clothing Bundle
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Drum
  
  
• 
  Festive Hat Bundle (time-limited, will return next year)
  
  
• 
  Dark Constellation Cat
  
  
• 
  Glacial Curse Barbary and Toucan
  
  
• 
  Ghostly Curse Ragamuffin (requires Pirate Legend status)
  
  
• 
  Humble Gift Emote – Free!
  

Returning Items – Time-Limited

• 
  Bonechiller Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Bonechiller Costume Set
  
  
• 
  Bonechiller Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Festival of Giving Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Festival of Giving Pet Outfits
  
  

Outpost Cosmetics

New Outpost Stock!

• 
  The shipwrights have restocked with the new Pale Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.
  
  
• 
  The Outpost weaponsmiths now offer weapons from the Regal Hound set.
  

Season 11 Legacy Cosmetics

• 
  Cosmetics previously available during Season 11 have arrived in the Outpost shops and can now be purchased with Doubloons!
  
  
• 
  Players can purchase items from the Cunning Serpent set including clothing, Medusa Hair, Snake Tail Hair and Beard. The Cartographer Cannons and Pegleg, Musketeer Eye of Reach, Banded Chaperon Hat and Fog-Piercing Frog Lantern are also available.
  
  
• 
  Pirate Legends can purchase Briggsy’s Weatherbeaten Gloves and Belle’s Mysterious Dress.
  
  
• 
  The time-limited Swift-Winged Wayfarer items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season 11.
  
  

Updates

Season Overview Menu

• 
  The Season Menu has been updated, now bringing Season Progress and Events into the menu alongside the Season’s Deeds and rewards. This menu now provides a single source of information for everything taking place during the Season.
  
  
• 
  The Pirate Log has been renamed to Reputation and is now focused on highlighting progression with the various Trading Companies, Factions, Tall Tales and Adventures at Sea.
  
  

Events

The Festival of Giving is in full swing throughout the second half of December, with free daily Gilded Voyages for players and much more besides. See below for an overview and head to the Events Hub to check on what’s live!


The Orb Returns (December 12th – December 14th)

• 
  The Orb breaks its silence with new whispers and visions, teasing future events and offering clues to an enlightening in-game reward. Tune in on Twitch!
  

Holiday Hauls and Legends of Giving (December 15th – January 2nd)

• 
  Pirate Legends join the Partners, Affiliate Alliance leaders and Deckhands taking to the seas under the Generous Gift Sails this year, spreading holiday cheer and delivering gifts to other pirates they meet!
  

Support a Streamer (December 15th – January 2nd)

• 
  Support your favourite Sea of Thieves streamers and get rewards! Gift two qualifying subscriptions to earn Amethyst Mercenary ship cosmetics, and gift three subs for the Ebon Double Barrel Pistol.
  
  

Fixed Issues

Gameplay

• 
  Blunderbombs fired from cannons into other ships will now push ships in a more predictable direction.
  
  
• 
  The Double Barrel Pistol now reloads reliably when rapidly fired and reloaded in quick succession.
  
  
• 
  Players sitting on the barrel on the lower deck of the Sloop can now consistently be damaged by sword attacks.
  
  
• 
  Exiting crouch by sprinting and quickly aiming down sights should no longer cause pirates to briefly stutter.
  
  
• 
  ‘Shores of Gold’ – All levers in this Tall Tale can now consistently be interacted with, allowing the Tale to be progressed.
  

Performance and Stability

• 
  Crews experiencing technical issues when diving beneath the waves should no longer find themselves returned to the surface alongside a duplicate version of their ship.
  
  
• 
  Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.
  

Visual and Audio

• 
  Sailing near a Skeleton Camp no longer causes ship interiors to appear overly bright.
  
  
• 
  A blowpipe musical tune should no longer be heard when on the Ferry of the Damned.
  
  
• 
  Players climbing inside the Cartographer Cannons will now retain their intended field of view.
  
  
• 
  The Gilded Phoenix Ship’s Crest now displays correctly when viewed at the back of a ship.
  
  
• 
  The symbol on the Purple Resolute Sails is now correctly positioned.
  
  
• 
  The Nightfall Hunter Shirt icon now shows the pirate’s hand in the correct position.
  
  
• 
  The glint of treasure viewed at a distance will now twinkle more randomly and not pulse consistently with other treasure.
  
  
• 
  Sprinting while holding a Fort Key no longer causes hand animations to jump after stopping.
  
  
• 
  Pirates burying items should now have a consistent shadow in sync with their animations.
  
  
• 
  Quest Board maps to islands with Skeleton Camps should now display the correct island visuals.
  
  
• 
  The Boreal Aurora Cannons now appear correctly when viewed at close range.
  
  
• 
  Players firing the Alter Ego Eye of Reach should no longer find the weapon clips into the camera.
  
  
• 
  The Amethyst Mercenary Flag now appears correctly when equipped on a Brigantine.
  

Environment

• 
  Improvements have been made to areas of the environment at Port Merrick, Flintlock Peninsula, The Devil’s Thirst and Ruby’s Fall to prevent players becoming stuck while traversing.
  
  
• 
  Players should no longer be able to grapple into the roof decoration of the tavern at Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
  
  
• 
  During a storm, rain can no longer be seen within the Pirate Emporium.
  
  
• 
  ‘Shores of Gold’ – A visible crack on the ground at the Shores of Gold has been smoothed out.
  
  
• 
  Skeletons navigating around Mermaid’s Hideaway and Crescent Isle can now consistently reach their intended location.
  

User Interface

• 
  Players using an ultra-wide screen will find HUD elements such as the notification pane and currency are now placed at the edges of the screen to be consistent with other parts of the HUD.
  
  
• 
  Viewing the Reputation tab from the front-end menu now shows the correct number of promotions.
  
  
• 
  Players changing settings for Narration and Custom Text Overlay will find that these settings now persist across sessions.
  
  
• 
  Player names in the Invites menu now remain visible when highlighted.
  
  
• 
  Players using ‘Let Games Read to Me’ should hear the Enhanced Headphone Menu fully narrated while browsing.
  
  
• 
  Viewing the Rank 15 promotion within the Gold Hoarders Trading Company now shows all the rewards available to unlock.
  
  
• 
  The preview imagery for the Frozen Horizon Instrument Bundle within the Pirate Emporium now shows the correct iconography.
  

Text and Localisation

• 
  Players speaking with the Smugglers Lottie, Solomon and Ix should now find their voiceover consistently matches their dialogue.
  
  
• 
  Players using Italian language settings should no longer see overlapping text when equipping various weapons within the Armoury.
  
  
• 
  Players navigating the Reputation tab while playing in Safer Seas are now correctly reminded of the Trading Company rank limitation across a range of non-English languages.
  
  
• 
  Players using Polish language settings should now find the clues given as part of the Voyage of Legends are now much clearer to follow.
  
  
• 
  Players using Thai language settings will find the Alter Ego set name has been changed to better match its visual appearance.
  
  

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: 5.4 GB
  

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Secrets of the Banished

Get ready to take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 18 page.


The Eternal Guard

• 
  Pirates can now encounter a resourceful new enemy – the Eternal Guard. Crews out scouring islands across the Sea of Thieves may stumble across ancient sarcophagi, and perform a summoning ritual to bring forth these ferocious combatants.
  
  
• 
  The Eternal Guard use ancient magic to cloak and stalk their targets around the battlefield. They are invulnerable while cloaked, so crews should keep an eye on their surroundings and seek the telltale signs of a Guard readying an attack.
  
  
• 
  When ready to strike, the Guard will cross the veil to take mortal form and unleash attacks with blowpipe, spear and poison bomb before returning to the shadows.
  
  
• 
  During this encounter, pirates should also be prepared to face off against Banished Ancient Skeletons who can be summoned by the Eternal Guard during a challenging encounter.
  
  
• 
  Upon defeat, the Guard will release a powerful shockwave – so stay back! Pirates who take down one of these uncanny enemies will be rewarded with a key to unlock a nearby Sanctuary of the Banished.
  
  
• 
  While they are most frequently discovered in The Devil’s Roar, the sarcophagi of the Eternal Guard can now also be discovered on large islands in other regions.
  

Sanctuaries of the Banished

• 
  The Smugglers’ League have excavated three Sanctuaries in The Devil’s Roar. These Ancient structures can be found hidden beneath Cinder Islet, Flame’s End and Brimstone Rock, and each site is shown on the ship’s map.
  
  
• 
  Crews using a recovered Sanctuary of the Banished Key to make their way inside will discover Ancient Treasure littering the Sanctuary and the new Trident of the Banished weapon. Locked compartments can be opened with Ashen Keys to fully plunder the Sanctuary.
  

Trident of the Banished

• 
  The Trident of the Banished is a corrupted weapon, enhancing the power of the Trident and inflicting poisonous effects.
  
  
• 
  A small bubble can be charged quickly and releases a fast-moving shot to deal both direct damage and lasting poison effects.
  
  
• 
  A medium-sized bubble deals greater damage than its Trident of Dark Tides counterpart with a larger blast radius, also poisoning enemies in the area.
  
  
• 
  The largest bubble deals high damage and poison; however, it moves very slowly when fired, allowing pirates to follow-up with a well-aimed shot to detonate it.
  

The Devil’s Roar

• 
  Crews venturing into The Devil’s Roar will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts by the local Trading Companies and Smugglers. Cashing in loot within The Devil’s Roar during Season 18 will offer boosted gold and reputation depending on the representative.
  
  
• 
  Crews exploring this volcanic region will find that the frequency of discovering the ferocious Chest of Rage in their treasure hoard has increased across a range of activities.
  
  
• 
  Across The Devil’s Roar, environmental hazards have been rebalanced to reduce frustration while adventuring. Crews should continue to watch their step and keep a keen eye on the horizon, however, as this volcanic region remains a dangerous part of the seas.
  
  
• 
  Morrow’s Peak Outpost is now a potential starting location for crews at the beginning of a session.
  

The Smugglers’ League

• 
  The Smugglers‘ League have established two new trap-laden hideouts in The Devil’s Roar. Elias operates from a cave beneath Fetcher’s Rest and Lucia can be found in a tunnel cutting through Ruby’s Fall. Both contacts are now available as delivery locations for Smugglers’ treasure.
  
  
• 
  The Smugglers’ Route Run has now shifted location into The Devil’s Roar and this new treacherous pathway has been marked on the ship’s map for all to see.
  

Sandbox Balancing

• 
  With Season 17 drawing to a close, the Smugglers‘ influence on the seas has waned and a variety of emergent discoveries have returned to pre-Season 17 levels.
  
  
• 
  The frequency of shipwreck discoveries has been increased and there is now an equal chance of finding a regular shipwreck or a Smugglers’ Shipwreck, both containing handy air bubbles throughout the ship to help pirates while exploring.
  
  
• 
  Crews spotting a washed-up Rowboat will now have an equal chance of finding any of the different types of Rowboat.
  
  
• 
  Ambushes by Black Powder-wielding Skeletons and the presence of washed-up Smugglers’ Caches are now much less frequent.
  
  
• 
  The glint of a washed-up Message in a Bottle on the shores now provides a range of different activities and will no longer just provide a Smugglers’ Run.
  
  
• 
  Skeleton Ships have slowed their stockpiling of Smugglers’ League treasures, and crews will now find a more balanced hoard on board.
  

Secrets of the Banished Rewards

• 
  As the fires of Act 1 begin, a range of new Commendations have been added to the Secrets of the Banished Reputation tab. Pirates completing these Commendations will unlock access to new weapons from the Forsaken Ashes set, Mark of the Widow Tattoo, Chest of Banished Tribute Disguise and ‘Effigy of Rage’ Trinket – and from the Smugglers’ clothing set, Saltbones Elias’ Hook and Laughing Fox Lucia’s Mask.
  
  
• 
  New time-limited Act 1 Deeds have been added to the Season menu, earning players a boost to their Seasonal Renown progression and the ‘A Dark Discovery’ Painting once completed.
  
  
• 
  New Xbox and Steam achievements and PlayStation®5 Trophies can be unlocked by progressing through the new in-game Commendations.
  
  Vanquisher of the Eternal
  
  Explorer of Scared Places
  
  Broker of Banishment
  
  Violet Violence
  

Season 18

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 18 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• 
  Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 18 will reward players with a variety of new cosmetics. The Spider’s Venom clothing set and vanity items plus unique Creepy Crawlers cosmetics can be unlocked, while Pirate Legends can also earn the Warsmith Throwing Knives and Duke Tribute Tattoo.
  
  
• 
  Time-limited for Season 18, players can also earn the exclusive Widow’s Weave Flag, Hull, Sails, Makeup and Tattoo. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
  
• 
  Pick up a Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Nightshade Sentry collection, including a ship set and selection of themed clothing, all individually earned 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 18 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• 
  This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘An Eternal Ebb and Flow’ Painting, ‘Banished Finery’ Ornament and Guild of Dark Banishment Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  
  
• 
  The Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger now offers the Living Depths Flag, Sails and Capstan, along with the Assailant of Ancient Quarry Title. These new rewards are earnable by Hunters representing the Company as Emissaries.
  

Chest of Fortune

• 
  The Chest of Fortune remains within the Fort of Fortune, allowing crews to earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation and unlock access to the Regal Fortune Fishing Rod, Shovel, Pocket Watch, Tankard and Speaking Trumpet.
  

Reaper’s Chests

• 
  Crews chasing down the tell-tale beacon of the Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty can earn the next Grade of the Reaper’s Riches Commendation and unlock access to the Regal Fortune Hurdy-Gurdy and Concertina.
  
  

Gameplay Improvements

Migrating Crews from Failed Encounters

• 
  Crews engaging with the same rival repeatedly will now find that they will be migrated away to a new server after subsequent losses.
  
  
• 
  Losing to the same rival three times within a generous 1h 45m period will cause the losing crew to be migrated. However, should the losing crew turn the tide and sink their rival, this will reset the encounter.
  
  
• 
  This ruleset will not affect crews taking part in an encounter with the Burning Blade, and crews engaging with the Skull of Siren Song will need to be actively participating in the Voyage to be remain exempt.
  

Reducing Emergent Encounters During Naval Battles

• 
  Crews engaging with rivals in naval combat will find that ambush threats like Skeleton Ships and Megalodons are now reduced in frequency. While these unpredictable encounters can still occur, they will now be much less frequent, allowing crews to remain focused on their rivals.
  

Performance Improvements

• 
  This update includes further system-level optimisations to CPU performance across the whole experience. This will improve loading behind the scenes, with the aim of providing a smoother framerate when approaching islands, ships and other players in the world.
  
  
• 
  Improvements have been made to game performance when digging up items in the world to improve client framerate.
  
  

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!

• 
  Tundra Wanderer Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Clothing Bundle
  
  
• 
  Tundra Wanderer Drum
  
  
• 
  Festive Hat Bundle (time-limited, will return next year)
  
  
• 
  Dark Constellation Cat
  
  
• 
  Glacial Curse Barbary and Toucan
  
  
• 
  Ghostly Curse Ragamuffin (requires Pirate Legend status)
  
  
• 
  Humble Gift Emote – Free!
  

Returning Items – Time-Limited

• 
  Bonechiller Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Bonechiller Costume Set
  
  
• 
  Bonechiller Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Festival of Giving Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Festival of Giving Pet Outfits
  
  

Outpost Cosmetics

New Outpost Stock!

• 
  The shipwrights have restocked with the new Pale Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.
  
  
• 
  The Outpost weaponsmiths now offer weapons from the Regal Hound set.
  

Season 11 Legacy Cosmetics

• 
  Cosmetics previously available during Season 11 have arrived in the Outpost shops and can now be purchased with Doubloons!
  
  
• 
  Players can purchase items from the Cunning Serpent set including clothing, Medusa Hair, Snake Tail Hair and Beard. The Cartographer Cannons and Pegleg, Musketeer Eye of Reach, Banded Chaperon Hat and Fog-Piercing Frog Lantern are also available.
  
  
• 
  Pirate Legends can purchase Briggsy’s Weatherbeaten Gloves and Belle’s Mysterious Dress.
  
  
• 
  The time-limited Swift-Winged Wayfarer items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season 11.
  
  

Updates

Season Overview Menu

• 
  The Season Menu has been updated, now bringing Season Progress and Events into the menu alongside the Season’s Deeds and rewards. This menu now provides a single source of information for everything taking place during the Season.
  
  
• 
  The Pirate Log has been renamed to Reputation and is now focused on highlighting progression with the various Trading Companies, Factions, Tall Tales and Adventures at Sea.
  
  

Events

The Festival of Giving is in full swing throughout the second half of December, with free daily Gilded Voyages for players and much more besides. See below for an overview and head to the Events Hub to check on what’s live!


The Orb Returns (December 12th – December 14th)

• 
  The Orb breaks its silence with new whispers and visions, teasing future events and offering clues to an enlightening in-game reward. Tune in on Twitch!
  

Holiday Hauls and Legends of Giving (December 15th – January 2nd)

• 
  Pirate Legends join the Partners, Affiliate Alliance leaders and Deckhands taking to the seas under the Generous Gift Sails this year, spreading holiday cheer and delivering gifts to other pirates they meet!
  

Support a Streamer (December 15th – January 2nd)

• 
  Support your favourite Sea of Thieves streamers and get rewards! Gift two qualifying subscriptions to earn Amethyst Mercenary ship cosmetics, and gift three subs for the Ebon Double Barrel Pistol.
  
  

Fixed Issues

Gameplay

• 
  Blunderbombs fired from cannons into other ships will now push ships in a more predictable direction.
  
  
• 
  The Double Barrel Pistol now reloads reliably when rapidly fired and reloaded in quick succession.
  
  
• 
  Players sitting on the barrel on the lower deck of the Sloop can now consistently be damaged by sword attacks.
  
  
• 
  Exiting crouch by sprinting and quickly aiming down sights should no longer cause pirates to briefly stutter.
  
  
• 
  ‘Shores of Gold’ – All levers in this Tall Tale can now consistently be interacted with, allowing the Tale to be progressed.
  

Performance and Stability

• 
  Crews experiencing technical issues when diving beneath the waves should no longer find themselves returned to the surface alongside a duplicate version of their ship.
  
  
• 
  Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.
  

Visual and Audio

• 
  Sailing near a Skeleton Camp no longer causes ship interiors to appear overly bright.
  
  
• 
  A blowpipe musical tune should no longer be heard when on the Ferry of the Damned.
  
  
• 
  Players climbing inside the Cartographer Cannons will now retain their intended field of view.
  
  
• 
  The Gilded Phoenix Ship’s Crest now displays correctly when viewed at the back of a ship.
  
  
• 
  The symbol on the Purple Resolute Sails is now correctly positioned.
  
  
• 
  The Nightfall Hunter Shirt icon now shows the pirate’s hand in the correct position.
  
  
• 
  The glint of treasure viewed at a distance will now twinkle more randomly and not pulse consistently with other treasure.
  
  
• 
  Sprinting while holding a Fort Key no longer causes hand animations to jump after stopping.
  
  
• 
  Pirates burying items should now have a consistent shadow in sync with their animations.
  
  
• 
  Quest Board maps to islands with Skeleton Camps should now display the correct island visuals.
  
  
• 
  The Boreal Aurora Cannons now appear correctly when viewed at close range.
  
  
• 
  Players firing the Alter Ego Eye of Reach should no longer find the weapon clips into the camera.
  
  
• 
  The Amethyst Mercenary Flag now appears correctly when equipped on a Brigantine.
  

Environment

• 
  Improvements have been made to areas of the environment at Port Merrick, Flintlock Peninsula, The Devil’s Thirst and Ruby’s Fall to prevent players becoming stuck while traversing.
  
  
• 
  Players should no longer be able to grapple into the roof decoration of the tavern at Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
  
  
• 
  During a storm, rain can no longer be seen within the Pirate Emporium.
  
  
• 
  ‘Shores of Gold’ – A visible crack on the ground at the Shores of Gold has been smoothed out.
  
  
• 
  Skeletons navigating around Mermaid’s Hideaway and Crescent Isle can now consistently reach their intended location.
  

User Interface

• 
  Players using an ultra-wide screen will find HUD elements such as the notification pane and currency are now placed at the edges of the screen to be consistent with other parts of the HUD.
  
  
• 
  Viewing the Reputation tab from the front-end menu now shows the correct number of promotions.
  
  
• 
  Players changing settings for Narration and Custom Text Overlay will find that these settings now persist across sessions.
  
  
• 
  Player names in the Invites menu now remain visible when highlighted.
  
  
• 
  Players using ‘Let Games Read to Me’ should hear the Enhanced Headphone Menu fully narrated while browsing.
  
  
• 
  Viewing the Rank 15 promotion within the Gold Hoarders Trading Company now shows all the rewards available to unlock.
  
  
• 
  The preview imagery for the Frozen Horizon Instrument Bundle within the Pirate Emporium now shows the correct iconography.
  

Text and Localisation

• 
  Players speaking with the Smugglers Lottie, Solomon and Ix should now find their voiceover consistently matches their dialogue.
  
  
• 
  Players using Italian language settings should no longer see overlapping text when equipping various weapons within the Armoury.
  
  
• 
  Players navigating the Reputation tab while playing in Safer Seas are now correctly reminded of the Trading Company rank limitation across a range of non-English languages.
  
  
• 
  Players using Polish language settings should now find the clues given as part of the Voyage of Legends are now much clearer to follow.
  
  
• 
  Players using Thai language settings will find the Alter Ego set name has been changed to better match its visual appearance.
  
  

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: 5.4 GB
  

Continue reading...

 

It’s been quite a year. The adventures of 2026 are just starting to crest the horizon, but there are still two more round-ups to deliver first! November ended up being a quieter month than initially planned as a result of Season 18 moving to December, but there’s still a fair number of things you may have missed if you weren’t keeping a close eye on the waves. Let’s dive into it!


Content Update

Following the Seasonal delay, November’s monthly game update was mainly focused on extending the reign of Act 3’s Reaper Fortresses, but also rolled out new features to enjoy such as improved weapon switching to make combat feel smoother, alongside the arrival of Immerse enhanced audio. As always, stop by the most recent release notes to pick up all the little details on everything adjusted and added.

Outside of the game itself, Xbox Game Pass subscribers had (and still have) a chance to pick up the Fancy Jig Emote via their In-Game Benefits, presenting both a nice freebie and a way to celebrate it in one fell swoop. Not long after that, iam8bit revealed their new shanty-heavy vinyl for the music-loving mariners amongst you, adding to a fine stash of stuff available this festive season, while footwear aficionados can enjoy a new Sea of Thieves Jibbitz charm for their Crocs. What more could you possibly require?

News and Features

Just because November was due to be a quiet one, it was no excuse for us to skip the now-traditional summary of what to expect at the start of the month. Following that we rolled out the latest Community Spotlight focused on the fashionable Lorenz Sinclair, before a Community Hub update highlighted four more fabulous fan works. There was even time for a round of Colourful Captures for #SoTShot, and a smattering of teases for events unfolding in the approach to Season 18 (and some extra tasks you may still want to mop up)...

Last up was the announcement that we’re raising money for charity, as Sea of Thieves teams up with the Global Gift Foundation on the Treasures for Hope campaign. For the first half of December, players can donate to unlock a choice of treasure packs containing in-game goodies, with proceeds going to fund incredible charitable work!

Video and Streams

November was a quiet month in this department, but of course it wouldn’t have been complete without an instalment of Sea of Thieves News and another batch of bountiful Twitch Drops. Later in the month, we hinted at things to come in December with the reveal of the Season 18 title screen, before finishing with the release of the relevant addition to our streaming soundtrack – and you can listen to ‘An Ancient Call’ in all the usual places as you prepare yourself for a return to The Devil’s Roar!

And that’s it for November’s catch-up. The month seemed to fly by, and December already seems set on doing the same. While we race headlong into the delights of the Festival of Giving, remember that you can always find us and share your thoughts on our social channels: Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Twitch, as well as the official Forums and Discord. Until next time – and next year! – we’ll leave you to sail in peace. Good luck!

Previously in 2025:

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

Continue reading...

 

The Festival of Giving is back, with all kinds of ways to get involved throughout December! Of course it's not all that’s happening – there’s a whole new Season launch coming your way this side of the holidays too – so pull up a log, brush off the snow and get settled as we present a handy schedule for the weeks ahead…

Reaper Fortresses Continue – until Thursday, December 11th

Before Season 18 encourages a return to The Devil’s Roar, you still have time to attack the Reapers’ enhanced encampments and pick up all the associated rewards! Emergent Reaper Fortresses will enter the usual World Event rotation from Season 18 onwards, so their Commendations will remain available to complete – they’ll just be a little more difficult to find in future.


Holiday Decorations – Monday, December 1st

Larinna’s been up in the loft and gotten the garlands out! That means the Outposts will once again be gloriously adorned with festive furnishings for the month of December. There’s even a fir free up at Sanctuary Outpost...


‘Carol of the Cursed Crew’ Release – Monday, December 1st

In the spirit of the season, December’s addition to Sea of Thieves’ streaming soundtrack is this brooding rearrangement of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, available on all major music streaming services from the start of the month. If you want some visuals to go with it, please enjoy our special lyrics video – perfect for sailors who fancy a singalong:

Treasures for Hope – Monday, December 1st – Thursday, December 18th

We’re supporting the Global Gift Foundation in this initiative where players can pick up packs of curated cosmetics (including rare Obsidian, Onyx and Ebon items) in return for their donations, improving the lives of families in need this festive season! Read all about it and check out the treasures on offer at https://treasuresforhope.com.


Season 18 Launch – Thursday, December 11th

Return to The Devil’s Roar in Season 18! This fiery new Season lures pirates back to that hotbed of hazards, where Sanctuaries of the Banished are now exposed and ripe for the looting – if you can get past their defenders, the resurrected Eternal Guard.

Of course, a new Season also means another 100 levels of Renown to climb and unlock rewards along the way, plus a new optional Plunder Pass (featuring the Nightshade Sentry set) alongside a monthly restock of the Emporium and Outpost shop shelves. Act 1 of Season 18 goes live on December 11th, so not long to wait!


Your Story So Far – Thursday, December 11th

The pirate performance checkpoint also returns, providing statistics on everything from gold earned and distance sailed to your fighting, singing and cooking preferences – and engagement with new Seasonal features released as recently as Season 17.

Keep whichever of your eyes is beadier on our social channels to see when this year’s Story So Far page goes live. Your final figures for the year will be captured as soon as you click through, so when you’re sure they’re as good as they can be, take the plunge and see how you did!


The Orb Returns – Friday, December 12th – Sunday, December 14th

It’s been a while since the last communication from this sinister sphere, so who knows what it has in store this time? Whispers and visions? Veiled clues and hidden rewards? Find out on Twitch when the Orb awakens from its slumber later this month.

Legends of Giving and Holiday Hauls – Monday, December 15th – Friday, January 2nd

Once again, Holiday Hauls will see our Sea of Thieves Partners, Affiliate Alliance leaders and Deckhands setting out under the Generous Gift Sails, spreading holiday cheer and presents alike to the crews they meet along the way. But this year they’ll be joined by any and all Pirate Legends who wish to take up the gift-giving cause. These Legends of Giving will raise the same telltale sails, and come prepared with an Obsidian gift for you to take off their hands!


Gilded Voyage Giveaways – Monday, December 15th – Friday, January 2nd

Also between these dates, we’ll be calling back to last year’s Festival of Giving by furnishing all pirates with a free Gilded Voyage every day. And it’s worth leaving a reminder here that these Voyages don’t stack, so you’ll want to make a beeline for the Quest Table and use each one as you get it…


Support a Streamer – Monday, December 15th – Friday, January 2nd

There’s a lot going on during this period! In addition to watching the horizon for gift-giving crews and making the most of your Gilded Voyages, you can earn more rewards by buying and gifting subscriptions for your favourite Sea of Thieves Partnered streamers. Viewers who gift two qualifying subscriptions will receive new Amethyst Mercenary ship cosmetics, while those who gift three can also walk away with the Ebon Double Barrel Pistol. Stay tuned to our channels for all the details!


Pirate Emporium Holiday Sale – Thursday, December 18th – Monday, January 5th

End-of-year sale time, and it’s a big one: almost everything (that isn’t brand new or time-limited) in the Emporium can be had for 50% off its usual price between the dates above. So if there was ever a time to go wild with the Ancient Coins and maximise your returns, this might just be it…

Xbox Game Pass Benefits – Fancy Jig Emote – until Friday, January 2nd

And don’t forget, if you’re a Game Pass subscriber, you can still claim your free Fancy Jig Emote through In-Game Benefits! ’Tis the season to be jolly and also the season to be fancy, so treat yourself.



And that’s everything we’ve managed to fit into 2025’s jam-packed final month. Stick some pins in your calendar (or stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels for reminders as these things go live) so that you don’t miss out on all the Festival of Giving festivities! We’ll see you for another look ahead at the start of 2026…

Continue reading...

 

Gameplay Improvements

Improved Weapon Switching

• 
  When players switch between ranged weapons, the animation and switching times have been reduced, providing a snappier and more responsive experience when firing two shots. The time between firing two ranged weapons is now one second.
  
  
• 
  Previous guards that forced players to observe the full duration of weapon wield animations when switching between ranged weapons have now been removed, allowing players the freedom to cancel animations when moving through the world. While players can once again cancel these animations, they will still experience a one-second gap between firing two weapons.
  

Weapon Animation Improvements

• 
  Wielding any ranged weapon from stowed is now faster, allowing players to react more quickly in combat.
  
  
• 
  Players wielding a weapon while jumping or falling will now see the wield animation at the correct speed. The result is a more consistent visual read for when a weapon is ready to fire.
  
  
• 
  Players attempting to aim down sights while crouched will now stand with their weapon able to fire much more quickly.
  

Addressing Extended Loading Times

• 
  Improvements have been made to how players load back onto their ship after leaving the Ferry of the Damned or when travelling large distances using a mermaid.
  
  
• 
  These improvements should provide a much more consistent experience when returning to the ship, and address the common causes of loading screens becoming stuck. This should also reduce the frequency of seeing glowing green skeletons for an extended duration after returning to the ship.
  
  
• 
  Loading optimisations have been introduced, targeting lower-spec hardware. These should improve the loading times experienced on lower-spec console, PC and handheld devices.
  

Reaper’s Chest

• 
  Crews unlocking the Vault at the Fort of the Damned will once again discover Reaper’s Chests within the treasure hoard.
  

Updates

Immerse Spatial Audio Integration

• 
  Immerse Spatial Audio has now been integrated into Sea of Thieves, providing enhanced depth and precision to the world when playing with headphones. This experience has been fine-tuned by the teams at Rare and Embody for the Sea of Thieves soundscape.
  
  
• 
  Players can enable Enhanced Headphone Mode with a Generic Profile for free within the game settings.
  
  
• 
  To enable a personalised audio experience, players can purchase the Immerse Gamepack from the Pirate Emporium or from Enhanced Headphone Mode in the game settings to create a Personalised Profile. Purchasing the Immerse Gamepack will also unlock the Coconut Headband in-game cosmetic.
  
  
• 
  All players are offered a 14-day free trial of the personalised audio experience from Enhanced Headphone Mode in the game settings. After the free trial has expired, players can still choose to enable the free Generic Profile.
  
  
• 
  Players who create a Personalised Profile can now choose to have their facial scan deleted directly from the Embody page after completing setup.
  

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!

• 
  False King’s Ransom Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  False King’s Ransom Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  False King’s Ransom Crown, Jacket and Boots
  
  
• 
  King’s Ransom Jacket and Boots
  
  
• 
  Inner Sanctum Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Hear No Evil Emote (free!)
  
  
• 
  Highborn Variety Ship Bundle (mixed bundle of existing items)
  

Outpost Cosmetics

New Outpost Stock!

• 
  The shipwrights have restocked with the new Purple Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.
  
  
• 
  The Outpost shops now offer the Regal Hound equipment and instruments.
  

Fixed Issues

Gameplay

• 
  Players with the Midnight Blades Hat equipped should no longer find they appear invisible within the front-end menu, or appear without clothing when arriving in the world.
  
  
• 
  When other players are observed swimming underwater or on the surface, their pirate should now be consistently orientated in the correct position. This should address a recent regression to hit detection and visual issues for swimming players.
  
  
• 
  Further visual improvements have been made to water effects to ensure a smooth, consistent transition when diving or surfacing.
  
  
• 
  Crews approaching a defended Sea Fort should now consistently find the Fort’s cannons firing at player ships.
  
  
• 
  Reaper Warrior’s Urns can now be placed inside Treasure Chests.
  
  
• 
  The Villainous Skull of Ancient Fortune retrieved from the Sunken Kingdom can now be stored inside Merfolk Statues.
  
  
• 
  Further improvements have been made to Merchant Alliance and Hunter’s Call representatives to rectify consistency when purchasing resources. While players may still occasionally experience issues following this update, this improvement should reduce the frequency of purchases failing.
  
  
• 
  ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ – The training dummy in the Trial of the Sword now reacts properly to regular attacks and allows the Tall Tale to be progressed.
  
  
• 
  ‘Heart of Fire’ – Mercenary Skeletons will no longer freeze in place if given the Mysterious Key during this Tall Tale.
  

Reaper Fortresses

• 
  Crews approaching an emergent Reaper Fortress should no longer find the Event ends abruptly.
  

Environment

• 
  Items from a Weapons Cache within a Reaper Fortress can no longer be grabbed through the walls at Kraken Watchtower.
  
  
• 
  Hatches found in Royal Crest Fortress should now be accessible unless purposefully covered by environmental dressing.
  
  
• 
  Improvements have been made at Hidden Spring Keep to address incorrectly placed environment dressing.
  
  
• 
  Players can no longer walk inside parts of the environment within the Hideout at Wanderers Refuge.
  

User Interface

• 
  Players are prevented from purchasing Ship’s Crests within the Pirate Emporium if they do not yet own a Captained ship.
  
  
• 
  The Quest Table now shows the correct ‘New’ icon on the Smugglers’ Route Run Voyage once unlocked.
  

Visual and Audio

• 
  Music within Smugglers’ Hideouts now plays at the intended volume.
  
  
• 
  Black Powder Barrels once again produce smoke effects after exploding.
  
  
• 
  Players should now appear to hold Gunpowder Barrels correctly when playing at a high field of view.
  
  
• 
  Food placed into cooking pots should now consistently remain visible while cooking.
  
  
• 
  The Brethren’s Masquerade Flag now displays correctly when equipped on a Brigantine.
  
  
• 
  The Skull of the Banished is now placed correctly on the ground when dug up.
  
  
• 
  After throwing a knife, players should no longer feel the camera bob unnecessarily.
  
  
• 
  The pattern on the Alter Ego Hull is now aligned throughout the ship when equipped.
  
  
• 
  The Paper Cutout Emote now has a smoother transition effect.
  
  
• 
  Ashen Age Tall Tales – Players should no longer experience audio issues affecting certain parts of these Tall Tales when playing on lower-spec hardware.
  

Text and Localisation

• 
  The Wrecker of Reaper Fortresses Commendation now displays the correct text in all languages at Grade VII.
  
  
• 
  The Alter Ego Cannon Flare description no longer contains a typo.
  
  
• 
  Localisation has been improved for set names within the Pirate Emporium across Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese languages.
  

Performance and Stability

• 
  Performance improvements have been made to how Treasure Chests are created and loaded by players, addressing a noticeable hitch affecting all players nearby.
  
  
• 
  Performance optimisations have been made to the Horn of Fair Winds to address framerate issues affecting nearby players when in use.
  
  
• 
  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.

Continue reading...

 

If you listen very carefully, you can just about hear the sound of carols floating on the wind, which must mean we’re officially out of spooky season! Before we roll right into the Festival of Giving, however, we have one final order of business: filling you in on everything you might have missed during October. It was a surprisingly packed schedule last month, so let’s not delay…


Content Update

Our October monthly update marked the arrival of Act 3 of Season 17 and the introduction of Reaper Fortresses! These give pirates a chance to take on upgraded Skeleton Forts alongside a wave of Phantom assailants and, if they’re lucky, sail away with a highly lucrative Mega Stash. Particularly fortunate pirates could even snag a Mega Stash during the doubled rewards of Ghoul & Glory Weekend, raking in more gold than they knew what to do with.

Outside the game, the official soundtrack expanded once again. This time we added in the dramatic ‘Forts of the Flame’ track to accompany you as you delved into the chaos of a Reaper Fortress. For pirates looking for a slightly different experience during their sail, October also saw the addition of some new Season 17-themed challenge prompts to the Compass of Chaos. The new entries bring the total number of possible prompts to more than 300, so there’s always something new to try. Give it a spin!

News and Features

There was quite a lot of news to keep up with during October, but we kicked things off as always with This Month in Sea of Thieves. From there it was a brief hop to announcing the categories for this Season’s Style of Thieves contest (and later the winners!), before unveiling the victors in the first of two #SoTShot rounds, focused on Movie Moments. Sticking with the theme of spotlighting community achievement, the latest, well, Spotlight, took aim at Makakar, another member of our Stream Team!

Alongside Act 3, October’s monthly update saw the introduction of our previously announced Second Chance Policy, so it seemed like the right time to gather up all the pertinent details into a news article. With those questions answered, we also shared the results of Season 16’s Big Listen survey, before rounding off the month with a Community Hub update and the second #SoTShot category, Haunted Hulls. All those spooky ships! Terrifying.

Videos and Streams

The October video schedule kicked off with a rapid one-two of Sea of Thieves News and a Content Update video, just in time for the start of Act 3. Those were followed by the expected Developer Update, but from there we broke from our usual planning to bring you a couple of unexpected treats.

The first was a Community team stream hosted by our very own Jo, grilling Creative Director Mike Chapman and Production Director Drew Stevens about the current state of the game and its future, all while they were busy Heisting at Royal Crest Fortress. Even more community questions were answered a week later in the official Season 17 Podcast, before finally, a second late-breaking Developer Update revealed some changes to our schedule for Season 18 – which will now be kicking off in December.

And that’s all we have for you this time, folks! November is shaping up to be a slightly quieter month than October’s wild ways, but we’ll be back in a month with all the highlights nonetheless. Until then, find us in all the usual places including Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Twitch, our Forums and Discord server. Drop us a message if you have any feedback you’d like to share – otherwise, you have one more month to raid those Reaper Fortresses and earn your Seasonal rewards, so get sailing!


Previously in 2025:

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

Continue reading...

 

What do you mean, it’s a week into November already? Not to worry – we may be running a little behind, but we wouldn’t miss out on letting you know what’s coming up on the Sea of Thieves calendar this month. So settle in somewhere warm, lend us your eyes for just a few minutes and we’ll get right to it…


Sea of Thieves Season 17: Act 3 Continues – Thursday, November 13th

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s been a bit of reshuffling to our plans for the rest of the year. The headline news is that Season 18 will now be arriving in December, which means another month of testing your mettle against Reaper Fortresses before Season 18’s new features lure you elsewhere for your treasure. Expect to hear more about what’s set to arrive in this new Season later in the month!

Before then, the next regular update lands on November 13th, in which our recently announced changes to weapon switching make the jump from Insiders to the live game. This update also introduces Immerse spatial audio, offering pirates a chance to listen to the sounds of the Sea of Thieves in a way they never have before. Meanwhile, the False King’s Ransom collection makes its debut in the Pirate Emporium, and if you have gold rather than Ancient Coins to spend, you’ll find new Purple Resolute ship parts along with Regal Hound equipment and instruments in the Outpost shops.

If you want to know more about how and why the Season 18 schedule has changed, Production Director Drew Stevens has the lowdown in the most recent Developer Update…

Twitch Drops – Friday, November 14th – Friday, November 21st

Stream viewers delight: a fresh round of Twitch Drops will be unleashed following the monthly update, enabling dedicated viewers to pick up free gold, Renown and Voyages, as well as the Winded Brawler Emote, Gilded Phoenix Tankard, Thunderous Fury Sails and previously unreleased Amethyst Mercenary Flag.

As always, all you have to do to get your hands on these treasures is make sure your Twitch and Microsoft accounts are linked via our Twitch Drops page. Then just tune in to any participating Sea of Thieves streamer on Twitch while Drops are live! Anyone can stream and offer this particular set of Drops, but if you’re not sure who to watch, you can always check our Partner Directory or Community Stream Team to see who’s online from our gallery of popular Sea of Thieves streamers.

Pirate Emporium Black Friday Sale – Thursday, November 27th – Tuesday, December 2nd

As we race ever closer to the festive season, the annual tradition of Black Friday is almost upon us. And the Pirate Emporium has a substantial offering this year: between November 27th and December 2nd, you can expect to enjoy discounts on a massive variety of sail designs. As is traditional, the Golden Skull Sails will also make a time-limited return for the duration of the sale only.

To accommodate the sheer scale of sails on sale, you won’t find the Black Friday items in the traditional Sale tab; instead, you can browse them in their usual tabs within the Emporium.


'An Ancient Call (Return to The Devil's Roar)' Release – Friday, November 28th

Finally on this month’s list, the Sea of Thieves soundtrack is expanding once again. We finish off November with the release of new track ‘An Ancient Call (Return to The Devil’s Roar)’, teasing some of what you can expect in Season 18 with the usual Rare musical charm. The track will be available on all the usual streaming services, so keep an ear out and your headphones ready.


All of which brings us to the end of November and the end of another This Month article! It’s a bit of a quieter schedule this time around while we put the finishing touches on Season 18, but be sure to watch our social channels for all the latest news on what’s happening and when. Until next time!

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From now until November 3rd (10am UTC), treat yourself to boosted reputation, gold, Renown and Allegiance for your spooky skulduggery. Good luck, pirates, and try not to fall for too many tricks...

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As pledged in this year’s Community Direct, as part of our ongoing commitment to better dialogue and transparency, we conducted one of our largest ever player surveys with Season 16’s Big Listen. In the spirit of this concerted effort towards improving transparency, we wanted to share with you how the results of this survey shook out and how we’re thinking about some of the signals we received.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, we want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to give us their feedback. We’ve found the results genuinely illuminating (as well as confirming a few assumptions and hunches), and it’s given us a clear set of priorities to think about. Of course, game development is hard and change doesn’t happen overnight – but we are listening and focusing our efforts on the things that matter most to you, our players.

We discussed these results at length on the latest episode of the Sea of Thieves podcast, so for those of you with 45 minutes to spare, tune in below to hear Creative Director Mike Chapman and Production Director Drew Stevens talking about what this means for Sea of Thieves’ future. However, if you’re after the key headlines, please read on – we have them all right here!

Season 16 Headline Learnings

First up: one of the big learnings from this survey was that among the thousands of folks we asked, we saw a significantly stronger affinity with Athena’s Fortune than The Reaper’s Bones – 64% to 36%, which was a surprisingly large margin to us given the closely fought battles of Adventures gone by.

So, going into a Reaper-themed Season with Season 16, we’ve been able to recognise retrospectively that the majority of players might not have vibed with the overall theming. While this will perhaps have coloured some of the survey perspectives, there are still all kinds of great insights we want to share with you all.

The overall player rating for Season 16 was 6.1 from our active players which, while not phenomenal, was a good result. Over a quarter of active players rated the Season as an 8/10 or higher, and less than 6% rated the Season as 1/10 or 2/10 – so there’s some recognition that, broadly, it was a solid experience. We’re always going to want to see that score go much higher, but given the transitionary nature of Season 16, it’s been heartening to see that players reliably took some enjoyment from its offering.

Season 16 Content Highlights

Those helpful Mercenary Skeletons of the Order of Bone and Blade were the highest-rated feature by far in Season 16 – their user rating came out on top, followed by the unsealable Reaper’s Chests and new cosmetics. The new Voyages introduced during Season 16 were broadly rated as fine, but players did not express a particularly keen desire to play them again – so we can recognise that there perhaps wasn’t the intended replayability appeal there.

We’ve heard this feedback, and for those who are interested, Creative Director Mike Chapman provided some good context behind the decision to introduce these Voyages on our latest podcast. In the same way that we fleshed out The Hunter’s Call at the beginning of the year, we wanted to expand the offering for The Reaper’s Bones – and these Season 16 Voyages are a solid entry-level introduction to Reaper play, as PvE experiences that bring a little more PvP threat.

We were more surprised by how little awareness and understanding players felt in general around the new Season 16 content. The Voyages ranked more highly for comprehension, which makes sense given they’re very much aligned with the Voyage structure our pirates are used to. However, around the new tools like the Cannon of Rage and Mercenary Skeletons, there was a sense that many players weren’t fully aware of them or didn’t feel well-informed about how they worked.

This is a sign we’ve already begun taking cues from, levelling up the UI Seasonal Tabs and Deeds to promote better discoverability of the content we’ve been introducing in every Act. A version of this went live with Season 17, and Season 18 will bring further refinements – so we hope to see these data points change more positively over time.

Game Health

Overall game health was rated 3/5 by our active users, with quality and stability being the key areas of technical performance we struggled with most. However, one of the biggest signals we got from this survey was that it’s the player-driven health metrics impacting the experience most of all.

Cheating and toxic behaviour from other players were rated 2.6/5 by all respondents. From our community sentiment, customer support contacts and game telemetry, we’ve always had an awareness of this problem – but to see it so concisely summarised in a low score was a stark reminder that we still have much to do in this area.

We do have some key improvements coming to Hourglass Battles to address some of the encounter-based toxicity, which Production Director Drew Stevens talks about in the latest Developer Update. But, more critically, we need to take a step back and look at how we influence players and gameplay at a fundamental level, to make encounters with other crews feel fairer and more fun.

Toxic behaviour is a huge topic to tackle and it encompasses so many parts of the experience, but we’re committed to finding a path through to change those numbers. More on this as it comes, but we’re teeing up a second, more in-depth survey to dig into the heart of this issue so that we can prioritise related areas for work moving forward.

Community Relations

As part of this survey, we also wanted to know what you thought of how we were communicating, and if you felt we were listening to your feedback. These are perhaps some bold questions to ask, but again, as we said in the Community Direct, we’re serious about improving community relations and bringing players’ perspectives to the forefront of our decision-making.

So: first, we asked if you thought we were listening to the community. You scored us 3/5 on this, with 43% of all active users rating us a 4 or 5. However, nearly one in five players (19%) scored us a 1/5, believing that we do not listen to our players at all – so it’s clear that while some feel there’s a foundation to build on, we need to do some work here to win back your trust and prove we’re listening.

Since the Season 16 Big Listen survey went out, we’ve made some advancements here based on your feedback: we’ve introduced 110 FOV, made the incoming spatial audio experience more player-friendly, worked on weapon switching, adjusted Season 17’s Reaper Fortress loot pools, and we have plenty of other feedback-inspired irons in the fire. We’re hoping to see this effort reflected in Season 17’s scores too, and we’ll keep putting the work in to ensure we’re addressing your key pain points.

Just on this: it would be remiss of us not to address the sentiment that some of these updates have skewed towards a certain player type, rather than all players. However, we want to assure players that there are ton of discussions ongoing where we’re looking at what would be impactful quality-of-life changes for everyone. We hope to have more to share here in the coming months, so please stay tuned for fresh information (and register as an Insider to test these upcoming changes, if you’re not already one of the crew)!

Also on the topic of communication, we asked if you thought our communication was regular and transparent enough, and you scored us 3.5/5 on this – with almost 60% of all active users rating us at a 4 or 5. We’ve been working on this lately, and we’re pleased to see it reflected in the scores. Again, we could still be better here and intend to drag that average up. However, it’s another solid foundation to build upon, so thank you for recognising our efforts with the return of the Dev Updates, the Community Direct commitments and everything else we’re doing – like the survey itself – to ensure a better dialogue with you all.

The Future

While we’re still working out what this really means for our development roadmap, as these results are still contextually very fresh, we have some clear signals about what players want to see the most. We can’t yet comment with any specificity on what we’re doing in these particular areas, but we wanted to be honest about what our players have asked from us – so, the top five most popular areas for future content updates amongst our active users include:

(1) New world regions and locations
(2) More narrative content
(3) New ship types
(4) New World Events
(5) New sandbox tools and mechanics

The Community Direct in early 2026 will be the next opportunity for us to unveil some of our content plans for the year ahead, so look forward to that!

And the Survey Said…

This was an incredibly useful first set of results for us. We’ve surveyed our players before, but not on this scale – so the sheer volume and breadth of the feedback has been invaluable. We’ll continue with our Seasonal surveys and track some of those key health metrics from Season to Season, with the hope of seeing the needles move in the right ways. And we’ll continue to share those results too, as part of our ongoing commitment to sharing in what we’re up to and why we’re making some of the decisions we do.

The survey for Season 17 will be arriving soon, so if you’d like to participate and have your say, sign up to the Insider Programme and ensure your email preferences are on to receive the invite – you can do this by logging in to the Sea of Thieves website and checking your Account page. Thanks to all of you for taking part!

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Smugglers’ Tide: Act 3

New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 17 page.


Reaper Fortresses

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  Skeleton Forts across the seas have been upgraded to Reaper Fortresses with devilish traps and reinforced defences. These new encounters will be signalled by a menacing new Skull Cloud visible across the waves.
  
  
• 
  With these Fortresses now an active battleground between The Reaper’s Bones and the Dark Brethren, players looking for loot must battle through the surrounding Ghost Ships before making landfall and taking on both Phantoms and Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons.
  
  
• 
  During the siege, defeating the Master of Arms will award players with the Skull of Arms. This serves as the key to a nearby Weapons Cache, providing useful munitions and supplies to help turn the tide.
  
  
• 
  Crews will encounter these new Reaper Fortresses emergently in the form of regular World Events. Pirate Legends can also begin a Legendary Raid for Athena’s Fortune from the Quest Table.
  
  
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  For the duration of Act 3, Reaper Fortresses have a chance for their Vaults to be boosted by a Mega Stash, replacing the contents with an immense treasure pile of significantly higher-value rewards.
  
  
• 
  Both emergent Reaper Fortresses and on-demand Athena’s Fortune Raid Voyages on High Seas can award a Mega Stash. However, the chance of this boost is much higher when encountering an emergent Reaper Fortress in the world.
  

Smugglers’ Tide: Act 3 Commendations and Rewards

• 
  Act 3 introduces new Adventures At Sea Commendations, challenging crews to take on the deadly Reaper Fortresses. Completing these Commendations unlocks access to items in the Brethren’s Masquerade ship set, along with the ‘Brethren of Shadow’ and ‘Gaunt and Gnarled’ Trinkets.
  
  
• 
  Crews completing Act 3’s Deeds can also earn the ‘Banner of Bone and Blade’ Ornament to commemorate their feats.
  

Chest of Fortune

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  During Act 3, the Chest of Fortune will reside in the Vaults of Reaper Fortresses and can only be obtained by overcoming these newly contested battlegrounds.
  

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!

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  Alter Ego Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
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  Alter Ego Weapon Bundle
  
  
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  Alter Ego Costume Set
  
  
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  Alter Ego Concertina
  
  
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  Skeleton Toucan
  
  
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  Crimson Crypt Cabin Bundle
  
  
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  Expanded Jack O’ Looter Collection: Collector’s Figurehead, Collector’s Sails, Ship’s Crest, Trinket and Lantern
  
  
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  Expanded Silver Sepulchre Collection: Double Barrel Pistol and Throwing Knives
  
  
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  Pocket Bat Emote
  
  
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  See No Evil Emote (free!)
  
  

Outpost Cosmetics

New Outpost Stock!

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  The shipwrights have restocked with the new Orange Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.
  
  
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  The Outpost weaponsmiths now offer the Lucky Rover Pistol, Cutlass, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach, Heavy Sword and Rapier.
  
  

Gameplay Improvements

Retrieving Items from Skeletons

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  Players can now retrieve items being held by allied skeletons more easily. Hitting the skeleton anywhere with a Grapple Gun or harpoon will retrieve the item, even if the skeleton is facing away from the player.
  

Performance Improvements

• 
  This update includes a system-level optimisation to CPU performance across the whole experience, to reduce the frequency of framerate drops and provide a smoother framerate during gameplay.
  
  
• 
  Further optimisations have been made to the way treasure items floating in water are managed, to improve performance on the server.
  
  

Updates

Second Chance Policy

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  Following the recent enforcement policy update, Sea of Thieves will now offer some players who were banned for lesser infringements under our old enforcement policy a second chance to sail the seas.
  
  
• 
  This new policy is designed as a balance between giving some players another chance and ensuring we continue to protect all players from malicious acts and the bad actors who conduct them. For more details on why we’ve introduced this new policy and how the behaviour of returning players will be managed, see this new article on our Second Chance Policy.
  
  

Fixed Issues

Gameplay

• 
  Further improvements have been made to the display of a Captained ship’s name on the Ship’s Crest, Captain’s Logbook and Banners after a crew migrates across servers.
  
  
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  Players should no longer be able to throw a blunderbomb or other throwable item instantly after firing a ranged weapon.
  
  
• 
  Throwables such as blunderbombs targeting the rear hull of a Galleon will now consistently impact the hull’s surface and not pass through certain areas to land inside the ship.
  
  
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  The Legendary Guild Emissary Ledger reward for Season 17 has been updated to ‘The Unseen Deal’, and players who have unlocked this reward already will find that the correct item has been provided to them.
  
  
• 
  Ships diving beneath the waves with skeletons on board will now cause them to gracefully be destroyed.
  
  
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  Skeleton Lords no longer take knockback or become stunned when hit with Ashen Winds Skulls, Obsidian Ashen Winds Skulls or the Horn of Fair Winds.
  
  
• 
  The Cannon of Rage now always sets Sloops on fire when it explodes.
  
  
• 
  Deploying a Cannon of Rage on a burning deck will now cause it to begin overheating.
  
  
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  Jumping while retracting a Cannon of Rage now interrupts the action.
  
  
• 
  Moving too far away when reviving an allied Order of Bone and Blade Skeleton now interrupts the action.
  
  
• 
  Treasure on board the Burning Blade will now be released after returning the ship to Captain Flameheart.
  

Smugglers’ Tide

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  Players can now consistently unlock the Captain of Smugglers’ Tides Commendation when meeting the required criteria across both Safer Seas and High Seas.
  
  
• 
  Black Powder Barrels from Voyages now consistently progress the ‘Treasures Sold’ Pirate Milestone.
  
  
• 
  Rum Crates found within Smugglers’ Caches can now be damaged by player-instigated explosives. However, they will remain undamaged by volcanic activity until collected by players.
  
  
• 
  Traps within the Smugglers’ Hideouts will now consistently trigger when players trip the pressure plates.
  
  
• 
  ‘The Smugglers’ Run’ painting can now be found in the shipwright’s shop for players eligible to purchase it.
  

Environment

• 
  Further improvements have been made to the environment in ‘A Pirate’s Life’, ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ and ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ Tall Tales and within Skeleton Camps to prevent players from using a Grapple Gun to leave the designated areas.
  
  
• 
  Players can no longer cause themselves to instantly return to their ship at some locations on Shark Bait Cove.
  
  
• 
  Allied skeletons carrying a Reaper’s Chest should no longer become stuck when navigating a Galleon staircase.
  
  
• 
  Players firing themselves from cannons at Hidden Spring Keep will no longer collide with the tower’s pillar.
  

Visual and Audio

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  Players wearing the Master of the High Seas Shirt alongside a jacket should now find their pirate appears as intended.
  
  
• 
  Players interacting with a Captain’s Logbook should now find they consistently hold the book at their intended field of view.
  
  
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  During the Captaincy onboarding, the Pirate Lord now looks at the player.
  
  
• 
  The pillar in the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage now rises smoothly from the ground.
  
  
• 
  Players performing emotes while wielding the Stalwart Sea Dog Cutlass should no longer find their camera stutters.
  
  
• 
  A thrown Throwing Knife of Faraway Shores now retains the correct model after being picked up.
  
  
• 
  Standing behind Aifrick no longer causes her head to turn at an unnatural angle.
  
  
• 
  ‘Heart of Fire’ – Flameheart’s voiceover can now be heard consistently during the Tall Tale.
  

User Interface

• 
  Guild Members will no longer appear as ‘Anonymous’ on the list.
  
  
• 
  Players using Swap Back and Select actions should now be able to accept crew invite and controller disconnected notifications.
  

Text and Localisation

• 
  Skeletons summoned by a Reaper’s Chest will no longer display duplicate names.
  

Performance and Stability

• 
  Game stability has been improved while navigating the front-end menu on Steam Deck.
  
  
• 
  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

Smugglers’ Tide: Act 3 Commendations and Rewards

• 
  Players may have found their Reaper Fortress Commendation completion inaccurately reflected with today's update, making rewards such as the Brethren's Masquerade ship items available to purchase ahead of time. The ability to purchase or equip these items has been temporarily removed while the team work to reinstate the correct criteria.
  

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.

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You’ve been smuggling contraband, you’ve taken part in a daring Heist, but it’s almost time for the biggest challenge you’ll face in Season 17: co-ordinating clothes! Don’t worry, spontaneous sweating is a natural reaction to such a high stress demand. Just breathe, take five minutes if needed and carry on reading when you’re ready.

That’s right, a fresh opportunity to get your hands on the Fashionista’s Finery Gloves is almost upon us. Whether you desire the gloves to pair them with light-coloured gear, to help you sleep easier at night knowing you’ve secured another rare item for your equipment chest or just because they look like they’d be great to wear while scrubbing your crew’s dirty dishes, you’ll be able to enter the Season 17 #StyleOfThieves contest for a chance to win them from October 20th–23rd 2025.

The format of the contest will continue unchanged: posts relating to this Season’s themes will appear on Sea of Thieves social media channels around 10am UTC on the dates specified below, signalling that the entry period for that day’s contest is open. You then share your screenshots on your social media channel of choice, including the relevant information and showing your pirate from head to toe, for our team to find and consider. This contest aims to stretch your styling skills, so standing out is a key goal to keep in mind. Which hat would other entrants not be picking for a theme? Can the prompt be interpreted in a unique way? How many themes can you wear the Wreath of Wisdom Crown in?

Each theme will be open to entries for 24 hours, after which time our Community team will create a shortlist of their top entries, concealing the links as morse code disguised as background elements in a portrait of Flameheart. Should the Art team work out this hidden message rather than simply sending copious notes on how to actually make art, alongside a cease and desist to ensure that the Community team never draws again, they’ll be able to choose their 16 overall winners for us to reveal on October 30th.

Before we reveal the themes, we’d just like to reiterate that this contest remains very popular, so please see it as an excuse to enjoy a spot of pirate dress-up before anything else. Use it as a reason to flex your rarest cosmetics and see your scoundrel in a new, potentially even snazzier light than usual. Even if you don’t win in this Style of Thieves contest, we hope everyone who takes part simply has a good time exploring the fun of fashion within Sea of Thieves.

Image credit: MrMestriner on X/Twitter

And now, without any more re-re-re-re-tweaked preamble, here are Season 17’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.

Detective
From long jackets to tailored hats, find a fit authoritative enough to make a guilty pirate confess before you’ve even fired your first question (or third cannonball, we don’t know your style).
Entry date: October 20th

Ridiculous
Embrace your silly side and throw on an assortment that passes for an outfit on the one simple truth that you are, in fact, wearing it, even if doing so could mean you’ll never be taken seriously again.
Entry date: October 21st

Cosplay
Do your best to pay homage to your favourite characters from beyond the Sea of Thieves with only your closet of ramshackle rags and pirate apparel. Good luck!
Entry date: October 22nd

Ghoulish
Cast about for a style that would have even the Order of Souls clutching their skulls. They do contain precious secrets after all, it’s just sensible to keep them safe from potentially scorned wraiths.
Entry date: October 23rd

Image credit: ZenekSoT on X/Twitter

How to Enter

There are of course rules to follow if you want to create a valid contest entry. For a refresher on these, and how to enter via any of the applicable channels, please refer to this previous Style of Thieves article – remembering of course that Season 17’s themes are the ones here in this article, the link’s just for the extra details! 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.

As an additional stipulation to ensure a level playing field, entries may only use the retail version of Sea of Thieves and not the Insider build, following the lifting of the Insider Programme NDA.

And done. You’re still here? Well, we appreciate that. And for sticking around, we’ll tell you the secret to winning, aren’t you lucky! The secret is to wear the Wreath of Wisdom Crown. The other secret is to not do what we expect. Would wearing that wreath be what we expect? It would, so it wouldn’t work. The moral of this story is there is no secret, do what you want. See you October 20th–23rd thanks bye!

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The nights have started growing longer – which means it’s the perfect time to undertake some sneaky smuggling! In September, pirates were unleashed upon a new Heist for The Smugglers’ League, while charity fundraisers and Community Spotlights capably filled the gaps. Let’s take a look at some things you may have missed…


Content Update

September’s update brought in Act 2 of Season 17, and the introduction of the Smugglers’ Heist! Once some tweaks to the Heist’s frequency were made with a quick hotfix, this new time-limited Event had covert crews competing against each other to claim an extremely valuable painted prize. We even provided the perfect backing music for your planning montage in the form of latest Sea of Thieves soundtrack addition ‘The Fine Art of Theft’.

With all this Heisting pulling in the gold, September felt like a perfect time to give back too. To that end, our trusty Community Stream Team pulled together to host a month-long fundraiser for Everyone Can! Together, their efforts completely smashed the set target, and they managed to raise more than £12,000 for the charity – legendary work by all involved.

News and Features

For once, the first news article of September wasn’t This Month in Sea of Thieves – although that came very shortly after – but was instead the first of two Spotlights squeezed into September. Culinary connoisseur Shredz (author of Sea of Thieves: The Cookbook) was the first to stop by, then the second Spotlight of the month focused on pirate artist Soycha and the creative chaos he gets up to on the seas.

Keeping our eye on community affairs, we saw plenty of competitive spirit going around in September. First, two new Community Hub updates saw eight deserving pirates receiving a glorious hat for their creative efforts, before a new #SoTShot contest theme had sailors showing us their best Smuggling Scenes. Most Smugglers prefer to conduct their business away from prying eyes, but we salute these brave souls for sharing their daring escapades far and wide.

Videos and Streams

No month is ever complete without at least one new instalment of Sea of Thieves News, and September was to be no different. Between Daryl outlining forthcoming game updates and, later, Drew pulling back the curtain in the latest Developer Update, it was a good month for any pirate interested in knowing what’s on the horizon.

As with every monthly update, there was also a vibrant run of video promotion providing all the details. Our latest Content Update video gave us a chance to walk you through the story behind the Heist and how this time-limited competitive Voyage actually works, before the Launch Trailer provided a whistle-stop tour of all the major highlights. After that it was just a case of revealing the latest Twitch Drops running alongside the update, and then letting players get down to the business of Heisting.

And that was the gist of it for September! If all the pumpkins around the Outposts didn’t give it away, we’re officially into That Time of Year now, so there are sure to be many more terrifying treats to recap for you in a month’s time. Until then, don’t forget you can always join in the conversation on any of our usual channels, including Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Twitch, and via our Forums or Discord server. See you there!



Previously in 2025:

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

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Gourd grief, how is it October already? This month features a veritable feast of goodies for folks wanting to set sail – so grab your pumpkin-spiced beverages, get out your diaries and plan your next sessions with this handy guide comprised of what to expect over the coming weeks. Let’s go!


Smugglers’ Heist Continues – until Thursday, October 16th

For those of you yet to dip your toes into the waters of Season 17: Act 2, the Smugglers’ Heist Event is still active until the middle of the month. The Smugglers’ League have asked pirates to procure one of Flameheart’s prized paintings, worth a cool 175,000 gold to any crew making it to the hand-in point. However, it’s hardly a piece of cake to secure the target painting – and that’s not even accounting for other pirate players turning up to meddle…


Festival of the Damned Decorations Return – from Wednesday, October 1st

Fans of pumpkins, gourds and squashes of the orange variety, unite! The shores of the Sea of Thieves will be appropriately decorated from October 1st, in honour of our very own spooky season.

‘Forts of the Flame’ Release – Wednesday, October 8th

This month’s audio track release is ‘Forts of the Flame’, which gives players a sneaky aural peek at the music that will soundtrack the Reaper Fortresses experience coming as part of Act 3’s update. Stream this stunning song via Spotify or other streaming service of your choice from October 8th.


Sea of Thieves Season 17: Act 3 – Thursday, October 16th

Captain Flameheart’s forces are once again under attack, and fortifying the Skeleton Forts to withstand renewed assaults on their Vaults. With the arrival of October’s game update, players can take the fight to these reinforced Reaper Fortresses, facing Ghost Ship battles, traps and a host of formidable fighting foes.

These Fortresses and their advanced defences will be available throughout Act 3, and will enter the usual World Event rotation from Season 18. Their Vaults hold a whole treasure trove of goodies, including Reaper’s Bones loot – so set sail when Act 3 launches to sample this fresh new flavour of Fort goodness.

October’s update will also refresh Outpost stock with the Orange Resolute Hull, Flag and Sails – or if green’s your autumnal colour of choice, you’ll be able to spend your gold on Lucky Rover weapons instead.

Meanwhile, spooky season arrives in the Emporium with aplomb, with an expanded Jack O’ Looter collection that now includes a Collector’s Figurehead and Sails, Ship’s Crest, Trinket and long-awaited lantern! The Crimson Crypt items are also set for expansion by way of a new Cabin Bundle for Captained ships, while the brand new Alter Ego collection brings a conflicted costume, ship set, concertina and weapons to the Emporium aisles. True to October’s theme, a new Pocket Bat Emote will also make its debut – and a ton of the Emporium’s most terrifying cosmetics will be on offer in a Festival of the Damned Mega Bundle!

Twitch Drops – Friday, October 17th – Friday, October 24th

With the launch of Act 3 also comes another windfall of wonderful Twitch Drops, available to earn just by watching Sea of Thieves Partners streaming on Twitch.

Alongside our usual rewards of 75,000 gold, a Renown boost and a Voyage of Luck, this batch of Drops also allows viewers to score the Mystical Divination Emote, Eastern Winds Ruby Eye of Reach, Amethyst Mercenary Pegleg, Mandrake Pistol and an Order of Souls-themed Skeleton Fort Raid Voyage. What glorious gains!


Pirate Emporium Halloween Sale – Tuesday, October 28th – Tuesday, November 4th

Kicking off close to the end of the month is another opportunity to save Ancient Coins, this time on some of the eeriest sets the Emporium has to offer! Crimson Crypt, Graveyard Gladiator, Soulflame and Blighted sets are all being slashed in price, along with a whole heap of eldritch emotes.


Ghoul & Glory Weekend – Friday, October 31st – Monday, November 3rd

This Festival of the Damned-flavoured twist on the trusty Gold & Glory Event makes a return for 2025! Boosted rewards await all who play during this period, with extra gold, reputation, Renown and Allegiance all up for grabs.

And that takes us to the closing days of October. While November promises the launch of a whole new Season, there are still all the tantalising titbits above waiting for players to tackle this month – so make sure you plot a course for everything that appeals to you in this lovely list of stuff, and we’ll see you on the seas!

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Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2

New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 17 page.


The Smugglers’ Heist

• 
  For the duration of Act 2, a daring Heist at Royal Crest Fortress will regularly be available via a note pinned to the ship’s mast, allowing all crews to join The Smugglers’ League in their task.
  
  
• 
  Once the Heist has begun, crews will need to follow directions to retrieve a key from a Smuggler contact and then set sail to Royal Crest Fortress in search of a precious painting.
  
  
• 
  Players must stick to instructions sent by The Smugglers’ League to ensure the correct painting is retrieved. There are many decoy paintings which can also be found and sold, but only the target painting will allow you to become the victor of the Heist!
  
  
• 
  Crews that hold the target painting should be ready to fend off Ocean Crawler ambushes while aboard their ship. Other crews can also join in the Heist at any stage, so be prepared to use any means necessary to get the painting safely back to the designated Smugglers’ Hideout.
  
  
• 
  Successful crews will earn a hoard of 175,000 gold for returning the correct painting, while Guilds will receive a significant bonus to their Guild Reputation!
  

Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2 Rewards

• 
  Crews taking on the Heist at Royal Crest Fortress can unlock the Royal Crest Fortress Plans and Royal Crest Fortress Blueprints Trinkets to commemorate their daring accomplishments.
  

Smugglers’ Route Run Balancing

• 
  The frequency of Phantom encounters while taking part in a Smugglers’ Route Run Voyage has now been reduced.
  
  

Gameplay Improvements

Improved Field of View

• 
  Players can now extend their field of view above the previous limit up to 110, providing a range of wider view options.
  
  
• 
  To give players more control over their field of view experience, the graphics settings now provide individual field of view override settings for areas where players dock to an object such as the ship’s wheel, Rowboat or ladders.
  

Cinematic Banner Improvements

• 
  The cinematic banners shown on the HUD have been extended to provide support for a reduced banner option that retains visibility of the player’s health and ammunition during gameplay.
  
  
• 
  Players can navigate to the HUD Settings and switch between Full (default) or Reduced Lower Banner Style.
  

Underwater Animation Improvements

• 
  Players swimming in water and making quick changes to their pitch and rotation will now find their pirate moves more smoothly when viewed by others.
  
  
• 
  These changes aim to reduce the impact of players making fast movements with their mouse or controller to avoid damage during gunplay while underwater.
  

Ashen Skull of the Banished

• 
  The Ashen Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage in The Devil’s Roar now rewards players with the new Ashen Skull of the Banished, replacing the Skull of the Banished on this Voyage.
  

Ashen Chest of Bones

• 
  The Ashen Followers of the Flame Voyage now rewards players with an Ashen Chest of Bones, offering higher value than the Chest of Bones.
  

• 
  The Ashen Chest of Bones retains the same number of charges as a Reaper’s Chest, but will not reinforce crews with Order of Bone and Blade Captains.
  

Displaying Trophy Tiers

• 
  Captains who have earned multiple tiers of a Trophy are now able to decorate their ship with all previous tiers when interacting with a Trinket location.
  

Skull of Siren Sorrow

• 
  Players are now able to sprint when holding the Skull of Siren Sorrow.
  

Sunken Merfolk Statues

• 
  Merfolk Statues found within the Sunken Kingdom will now only store treasure that can be discovered while exploring the various Shrines and Treasuries, and Trading Company items recovered during Raid Voyages.
  
  

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!

• 
  Pirate Pugilist Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
  
• 
  Pirate Pugilist Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Pirate Pugilist Clothing Bundle
  
  
• 
  Pirate Pugilist Speaking Trumpet
  
  
• 
  One-Two Punch Emote (free!)
  
  
• 
  Inner Sanctum Weapon Bundle
  
  
• 
  Inner Sanctum Ship Collection (returning from Season 14 Plunder Pass)
  
  
• 
  Inner Sanctum Clothing Bundle (returning from Season 14 Plunder Pass)
  
  
• 
  Firestarter Variety Ship Bundle (mixed bundle of existing items)
  

Pirate Emporium Special Items Tab

• 
  A Special Items tab has been added to the navigation menu within the Pirate Emporium, providing access to items such as the Pirate Deed, Renaming Deed and Pirate Appearance Potion.
  
  

Outpost Cosmetics

New Outpost Stock!

• 
  The shipwrights have restocked with the new Russet Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.
  
  
• 
  The Outpost shops now offer Lucky Rover equipment and instruments.
  
  
• 
  The shipwrights have expanded to supply Ship’s Crests for purchase, and Pirate Legends can access the Sovereign Ship’s Crest previously available during Season Ten.
  
  
• 
  The weaponsmith in the Pirate Legend Hideout now stocks the Legendary Fortune Double Barrel Pistol, Grapple Gun, Blowpipe, Throwing Knives, Heavy Sword and Rapier. These weapons are all available for purchase upon reaching Pirate Legend status.
  
  
• 
  Players who previously purchased the Legendary Throwing Knives, Heavy Sword or Rapier from the Pirate Legend Hideout will find these items have been replaced in their Armoury with the corrected Legendary Fortune colour scheme.
  
  

Updates

Performance Improvements

• 
  Optimisations made to the loading of environment assets should now provide a more stable framerate for players residing on the Ferry of the Damned while their ship is still moving through the world.
  

Performance Counters

• 
  Players on console now have the ability to display their ping in the top corner of the screen. This can be enabled from within the Video Settings.
  
  
• 
  Players on PC can now choose to display ping only, without displaying their FPS at the same time.
  

Text Chat in Game Options

• 
  Players can now summon the text chat window from the Game Options menu, providing easy access to chat and freeing up a keybind. Players on console or handheld devices will find the Virtual Keyboard is shown when the chat window opens.
  
  

Fixed Issues

Gameplay

• 
  After being revived, players should find their health bar is now consistently displayed when not at full health.
  
  
• 
  Players wearing the Skeleton Curse are now able to equip disguises from the Vanity Chest.
  
  
• 
  During an Hourglass streak, crews who become matched again with the same rival within a session will now consistently earn a win towards their streak.
  
  
• 
  Crews choosing to leave treasure behind at sea when diving to a Faction Battle will now find that if their dive fails or is cancelled, the treasure they left behind is now floating nearby and no longer becomes stuck within the ship.
  
  
• 
  Rum Crates of all varieties are now properly damaged by Gunpowder Barrels.
  
  
• 
  When rowing towards a location where a Rowboat can be docked, the interaction now consistently displays at a range where the Rowboat can be attached.
  
  
• 
  Tapping to aim down sights with the Eye of Reach no longer causes the screen to blur before the weapon is scoped.
  
  
• 
  Bounty Voyages from a Message in a Bottle will now more appropriately scale their difficulty level based on the size of the crew.
  
  
• 
  Crews digging up a stolen treasure buried by another crew should now consistently gain the Commendation progress when selling the item. This addresses the following Commendations: Taker of Stolen Stock, Bony Bandit, Bountiful Giving, Charitable Giving, Ritual Recovery and Legendary Thief.
  
  
• 
  Players interacting twice with a ship’s cannon while holding an item will no longer find the item is held floating nearby.
  
  
• 
  Crews pledging to the Guardians of Fortune or Servants of the Flame and remaining on the sea should no longer be able to increase their ship’s Treasure Grade when recovering the same item onto their ship repeatedly.
  
  
• 
  Ancient Skeletons defeated by skeletons allied to the crew now consistently award Ancient Coins to the members of the crew.
  
  
• 
  Crews are no longer able to gain additional Gunpowder Barrels from Skeleton Camps.
  
  
• 
  Crews are no longer able to encounter multiple Skeleton Captains or Ashen Guardians at the same Skeleton Camp.
  
  
• 
  Players moving across a tightrope should now consistently appear in the correct position to other players.
  

• 
  ‘Shores of Gold’ – Players dying within the Devil’s Shroud during this Tall Tale should now return from the Ferry of the Damned with their equipment and resources intact.
  

Smugglers’ Tide

• 
  The following Commendations can now be progressed consistently when performing the required criteria: Revered Rum Runner, Fine Art Felon and Super Smuggler. Players with prior progress may remain temporarily blocked as the team works behind the scenes to sync their progress.
  
  
• 
  The Skull of Siren Sorrow now sinks after the correct amount of time when left floating on the sea.
  
  
• 
  The Deed to Sink a Smuggling Skeleton Ship with a Black Powder Barrel now progresses consistently.
  
  
• 
  Smuggler characters can no longer be interacted with from behind or while airborne.
  
  
• 
  Players wearing the Black Powder Barrel Disguise now show a tooltip to others to inspect The Smugglers’ League mark, to ensure a more effective disguise.
  
  
• 
  Players will no longer progress the Chest Buster Commendation when being forced out of the Black Powder Barrel Disguise.
  
  
• 
  A range of island improvements have been made to Smugglers’ Hideout locations, addressing visual issues and ensuring traps trigger consistently.
  
  
• 
  Skeletons can no longer walk through items or walls in Smugglers’ Hideouts.
  
  
• 
  Enemy Phantoms will no longer appear inside Smugglers’ Hideouts.
  
  
• 
  Smugglers’ Treasure found washed up will now direct players to the correct location of The Smugglers’ League.
  
  
• 
  The ship’s map should now consistently show the Smugglers’ Route Run path when switching between Safer Seas and High Seas sessions.
  
  
• 
  Crews should now be awarded progress towards the Storm Sale Commendation when handing in a Horn of Fair Winds to The Smugglers’ League.
  
  
• 
  Players should now consistently earn progress towards the Seeker of Smugglers’ Caches Commendation when locating Smugglers’ Caches on islands.
  
  
• 
  Smugglers’ Caches now remain buried when leaving and returning to islands.
  
  
• 
  Speaking with Lottie no longer causes her body to change shape.
  

Reapers Rising

• 
  Crews taking on a Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones will now find that joining and leaving an Alliance will retain their raised Reaper’s Bones Emissary Flag and Reaper’s Mark Flag.
  
  
• 
  Players should now find it easier to interact with a moving Skeleton Mercenary in order to give them an item to hold.
  
  
• 
  Items dropped onto the Ancient Pillars or Sarcophagus found during the Search for Ancient Secrets or Followers of the Flame Voyages are now placed safely away from the location instead of becoming stuck within them.
  
  
• 
  Skeletons can no longer walk through the Ancient Pillars or Sarcophagus found during the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.
  
  
• 
  Notifications shown during the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage will now appear consistently.
  
  
• 
  Ancient Fish are now held correctly by Skeleton Mercenaries.
  
  
• 
  Showing a map to an allied skeleton now consistently results in the skeleton aiding the player to find the location.
  
  
• 
  Improvements have been made to readability for the Quest Maps during the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.
  
  
• 
  Crews digging up multiple Pillars in quick succession should no longer prevent Ancients from appearing.
  
  
• 
  The Order of Bone and Blade should now have no trouble in digging up the Sarcophagus during the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.
  

Visual and Audio

• 
  The Alabaster Wildcat now appears in the correct colour when summoned or viewed in the Pet Chest.
  
  
• 
  Various throwing knives have had their visual effects restored when performing melee attacks.
  
  
• 
  Emerging Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers are now accompanied by the intended music.
  
  
• 
  Voting daggers now sit correctly on the Quest Table when cancelling a Voyage.
  
  
• 
  Animals and skeletons will now move more smoothly when idling around islands.
  
  
• 
  Players opening and exiting a shop will no longer see their character become temporarily invisible.
  
  
• 
  Players equipping the Rare Regalia Hull will now find all areas of the ship are coloured consistently.
  

Environment

• 
  Players are no longer able to venture underneath Port Merrick by using the Cannon of Rage to fire themselves into the environment.
  
  
• 
  Improvements have been made to the environment in ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’, ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ and ‘A Pirate’s Life’ Tall Tales to prevent players from using a Grapple Gun to leave the designated areas.
  
  
• 
  Players can no longer fall out of the environment by using a Grapple Gun to navigate within Ancient Vaults.
  
  
• 
  Barrels in Sea Forts can no longer be accessed through the ceiling.
  
  
• 
  ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – The area behind the Headless Monkey no longer contains hidden water that allows players to swim in mid-air.
  

User Interface

• 
  Emissary Ledgers should now consistently show the next unlockable reward when the Ledgers refresh each month.
  
  
• 
  Players are now prevented from purchasing Ship’s Crests and Banners within the Pirate Emporium if they do not yet own a Captained ship.
  
  
• 
  The Ghostly Curse Alsatian now requires Pirate Legend status to purchase within the Emporium.
  
  
• 
  The countdown shown in the Season overview now displays the time correctly.
  
  
• 
  The Last Played date now displays correctly for newly created pirates.
  
  
• 
  Pirate options can no longer be opened while a pirate is in the process of being deleted.
  
  
• 
  Pirate previews now display correctly after deleting a pirate.
  
  
• 
  Trading Company shops now require the correct promotion to be unlocked before a corresponding item can be purchased.
  
  
• 
  During the Tutorial Voyage for the Order of Souls, the destination island will no longer be obscured by notifications.
  

Text and Localisation

• 
  Players starting the Tutorial Voyage for the Merchant Alliance at Ancient Spire Outpost will now find the notifications refer to the correct islands during the Voyage.
  
  
• 
  The Merchant Alliance Tutorial Voyage now consistently shows the intended text on the quest parchment during the Voyage.
  
  
• 
  Players unlocking the All-seeing Commendation will now see the appropriate description in the Pirate Log.
  
  
• 
  Terminology for the Chest of Fortune has been improved when playing in Japanese to better differentiate the item from a Treasure Chest.
  
  
• 
  Following player feedback, the terminology used for Fight Nights has been improved when playing in Polish.
  
  
• 
  Various terminology improvements have been made for The Smugglers’ League in Russian and Spanish (Mexico) languages.
  

Performance and Stability

• 
  Crews on Safer Seas should no longer experience scenarios where their ship begins to lift into the air.
  
  
• 
  Wielding Treasure Maps no longer causes performance issues when the maps update.
  
  
• 
  Players on lower-spec hardware should no longer find the loading wheel stops animating for long periods of time.
  
  
• 
  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.

Continue reading...

 

A hectic summer of Events, updates and general pirate chaos is finally coming to an end and that can mean only one thing: time to round up everything you might have missed in August. So settle in while we give you a whirlwind tour of the last month, ahead of everything still inbound this autumn…


Content Update

As we set sail into August, we were rapidly coming up on the end of Season 16. In a distinctly un-piratelike show of generosity, the Trading Companies thought they’d offer a helping hand to any pirates scrambling to max out their Renown before the Season closed, leading to a full Gold & Glory Weekend for everyone to enjoy. Who doesn’t love doubled rewards?

From there, Season 17 burst to life in an explosion of proportions never before seen on the seas – that’s right, the arrival of The Smugglers’ League brought with it fearsome Black Powder Barrels and a host of new loot, Commendations and Voyages for pirates to dive into. At the same time, Rare’s 40th Anniversary had us celebrating with anything and everything ruby, and August concluded with the latest Community Weekend to mark this special milestone in fine style.

News and Features

As always, the first addition to the News pages in August was our This Month in Sea of Thieves article, swiftly followed by the latest Community Spotlight, focused on artist extraordinaire Middy! Alongside a Community Hub update and two full #SoTShot rounds – Pretentious Photography and Rare View – there were plenty of opportunities to find out what community folks had been up to.

The introduction of a new Season always requires a little explanation to help players find their feet, so a Season launch article was delivered just in time for the update, followed by a Smugglers’ League guide introducing the new faces on the seas! After that, all that was left to do was tee up the delights of Season 17 Community Weekend with an in-depth article, and then wait for the screenshots to start rolling in.

Videos and Streams

We started our streaming news in August not with a stream of our own but with a Community Stream Team refresh! A whole new cast of streamers have signed on to represent Sea of Thieves, with some new goodies to give away to lucky viewers. They weren’t the only ones either – the Pirate Emporium team had new items with some real outlaw swagger ready to show off this month, and they weren’t about to miss that opportunity.

Elsewhere in the world of video we rounded up the regular monthly Sea of Thieves News, a new Developer Update from Production Director Drew, and, of course, a Launch Trailer and Content Update video for the new Season! As if that wasn’t enough, a new Seasonal title screen meant that the Audio team were on call for their usual trick of producing an anthemic tune to add to Sea of Thieves’ streamable soundtrack.

All of which brings us to the end of August and the first stirrings of a damp September wind across the waves! There’s sure to be more to report in on a month, but until then, please seek us out on your social media of choice: Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Twitch, or you can join in the conversations happening on our Forums or official Discord server. Hope to see you there!


Previously in 2025:

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

Continue reading...

 

What’s that? Another month of shenanigans on the horizon, is it? Why yes, it is! As we step into the run of -ber months, kicking off with a pumpkin-spiced September, a feast of delights await you on our shores. Let’s get into what you can expect…


Rare’s 40th Anniversary – until Saturday, October 4th

Although all the in-game fun has now finished for our big 40th milestone, some Rare Ruby remnants remain available until the first week of October. Players with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can swipe the ravishing Rare Ruby Emote until this date via the Perks programme, while the roguish Rare Ruby Hat remains obtainable via Microsoft Rewards in participating territories, either by completing a punch card or as a bundled bonus when redeeming against Ancient Coin packs.

‘The Fine Art of Theft’ Release – Friday, September 12th

To whet your whistles for the Smugglers’ Heist Event (more on that later), we’re releasing the music that soundtracks the final part of the experience. Stream this rousing, epic track via Spotify or other streaming service of your choice from September 12th, to get yourself in the mood for pulling off a serious art heist.


Sea of Thieves Season 17: Act 2 – Thursday, September 18th

The second update of Season 17 drops on September 18th, bringing with it a Voyage of Luck for players for logging in to enjoy the new experiences on offer, and a generous gold bonus for those who dive in during the first week. The update also features a hotly discussed update for Field of View: from September 18th, the FOV cap will increase from 90 to 110, providing players more choice in how they play Sea of Thieves.

Russet Resolute ship items hit the Outpost shops this month, as do Lucky Rover instruments and equipment, while Pirate Legends can head to the Hideout to find new weapons in the Legendary Fortune set. Over in the Emporium, fans of fisticuffs will be able to exchange their Ancient Coins for the Pirate Pugilist set, with the complementary One-Two Punch Emote is available as this month’s freebie. Inner Sanctum items are also up for purchase, originally part of Season 14’s Plunder Pass!

Smugglers’ Heist Event – Thursday, September 18th – Thursday, October 16th

The headline of Act 2 is, of course, the Smuggler’s Heist Event. The Smugglers’ League are asking pirates to procure one of Flameheart’s prized paintings, and brave buccaneers up to the challenge will need to sneak into Royal Crest Fortress and take it from under the bony noses of the Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons charged with its defence. The target painting is worth a stonking 175,000 gold – so it’s a high-stakes heist that promises a plentiful payout for crews participating.


Pirate Emporium Talk Like a Pirate Day Sale – Friday, September 19th – Wednesday, September 24th

To celebrate this key moment on the pirate calendar, you can enjoy Pirate Emporium discounts on some premium piratey wares! The anarchic Stone Islehopper Outlaw set is on offer, as is the Labyrinth Looter set, along with bundles of parrots, weapons and perfectly piratical emotes. The Pretty Polly Sails will also make their traditional time-limited return, so swing by and see what takes your fancy.


Twitch Drops – Friday, September 19th – Friday, September 26th

If you like your cosmetics free instead of deliciously discounted, make sure you tune in to any Sea of Thieves Partner during this week to grab a glorious hoard of items. Watch for six hours total to unlock 75,000 gold, a level of Seasonal Renown, a Voyage of Luck, the Eastern Winds Ruby Blunderbuss, a Gilded Voyage of the Ancient Isles, the Gilded Phoenix Shovel, Amethyst Mercenary Boots and the Mandrake Figurehead.

October is shaping up to be a similarly spicy experience to September, with Act 3’s Sea Fort refresh offering an overhauled take on a well-loved experience. There’ll also be a timely sprinkle of autumnal spookiness on the horizon – but more on that in the next edition of our This Month article. Farewell for now, and we’ll see you on the seas!

Continue reading...

 

The ruby-hued Season 17 Community Weekend is now live until Sep 1st (11am UTC)! Set sail for a free flag and emote, unlock the Ruby Legend Figurehead as a community, boost the Community Emissary Grade multiplier by watching Sea of Thieves on Twitch, earning you boosted gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation, and more!

As always, please note that Gold Rush windows are not active during Community Weekends, so you don't need to hoard! As the Community Emissary Grade rises, you'll always be earning the maximum multiplier available whenever you decide to deliver.


Pop-Up Plunder returns, with a twist! Below are the times these loot roulettes will appear, alongside a starting island. These locations will be key to the puzzle, but won't necessarily be the island containing the spot, so we hope you're ready for a race! Good luck...

Want to do something more co-operative? Well, if players complete at least 100,000 World Events over the Weekend, all participants will earn the extra-special Ruby Legend Figurehead! So spot that cloud on the horizon and set your course...

And that's not all: beating those World Events will also unlock two bonus Twitch Drops, the Obsidian Captain’s Table and Obsidian Captain’s Logbook! If unlocked, they'll be available from participating streamers between Sep 5th and 12th (10am UTC), at 90 minutes' watch time each.

Need some Twitch Drops now? Eight rewards are available during this Event, including two suitably ruby cosmetics for Rare Ltd's 40th anniversary! Tune in to any participating Sea of Thieves stream from now until Sep 5th (10am UTC) and earn everything you see below over six hours.

Spot the Deckhand or Quartermaster Sails on the horizon and you could secure spoils! Crews flying these sheets will have Celestial Steed ship items, Obsidian Capstans, Gilded Phoenix Ship's Crests and Six Item Packs to gift to playful pirates throughout the Event.

And that's the line-up for this Event! Time to pose at a Picture Wall, set some goals, get your hands on a haul and make it another Community Weekend to remember. If you need a refresher on anything, it's all here: https://www.seaofthieves.com/community-weekend

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As August draws to a close, we’re delighted to share with you a more in-depth look at the shenanigans scheduled to land for Season 17 Community Weekend, taking place from Saturday, August 30th to Monday, September 1st (11am UTC). This Event comes delightfully themed to our studio’s 40th anniversary; the good ship Rare has been sailing for four whole decades, so this particular Community Weekend commemorates our history, as well as offering a couple of cute cosmetics that reflect the ruby-red shine to our celebrations.

For those of you confused about where Season 16’s Community Weekend went, here’s your reminder that as we wrangled the transition to a more predictable Seasonal rhythm of content releases and Events, we had to sadly skip that one to get this Weekend into your hands so early in Season 17. The good news is, this one is here with some extra lovely stuff to make up for the missing Event!


Log In to Win

It wouldn’t be a Community Weekend without a suite of goodies shuffled into your inventory, all for the pleasure of popping in for a sail. Log in after 11am UTC on Saturday, August 30th and you’ll bag yourself a beautiful white, red and gold Community Weekend Flag, plus the glorious Rare-themed Paper Cutout Emote. That’s not all on offer, though: if players complete at least 100,000 World Events over the Weekend, all participants will earn the extra-special Ruby Legend Figurehead. Completion of that Community Spirit Goal will also unlock a couple of additional Twitch Drops – but more on that later!

Streams Can Come True

Hopefully most of you know the drill by now, but just in case: to raise the Community Emissary Grade and influence the in-game generosity, pirates just need to watch Sea of Thieves streamers on Twitch, with the total watch time powering Grade progress. So all you need to do is watch any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category during the Event period. You can tune into Sea of Thieves Partners, wave hello to our Stream Team, watch a friend or even find a random creator. It doesn’t matter where you watch, as long as you’re watching Sea of Thieves!

Every time the Community Emissary Grade increases, 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 and prepare to defend your loot from potential pirates looking to steal the fruits of your labour.


Twitch Perfect

Although the real reward from watching our wonderful streamers is the fun you have along the way, you can also swipe a stunning set of Twitch Drops just for tuning in! On offer during the Event will be the Eastern Winds Ruby Pistol and Cutlass, Gilded Phoenix Pocket Watch, Mandrake Sails, a Voyage of Luck, A Legendary Search for Cursed Treasure Voyage, bonus Renown and 75,000 gold.

And going back to that Community Spirit Goal: if a total of 100,000 World Events can be smashed during Community Weekend, then for the following week, the Obsidian Captain’s Table and Obsidian Captain’s Logbook will be made available as bonus Twitch Drops to be unlocked! That’s a serious hoard of lovely, shiny free stuff for players prepared to tune in and watch their fellow pirates sail the seas.

Pop-Up Plunder Evolves

We’ve been crunching some numbers here, and we’re thrilled to see that Pop-Up Plunder remains one of the most popular features introduced in recent times! However, we do like to keep you on your toes, so we’re ready to mix it up a bit and see how you all rise to the challenge. Enter this Community Weekend’s fresh take on Pop-Up Plunder, now featuring – drumroll please – starting islands.

That’s right: for Season 17 Community Weekend, we’re taking the unprecedented step of publishing the Pop-Up Plunder times and accompanying starting locations ahead of the day to support your crews getting closer to the shenanigans once a new dig spot drops. Just scroll down right now to see for yourself!

We will of course still be dropping clues on social media channels at these scheduled times to ensure you've all got a way to work out the specific spot you need to stick your shovel in, although the actual dig may not be on the island mentioned below (it'll make sense on the day). Think of the islands more like the starting grid of a race. Our hope is that more fun will follow if we can push you all a little bit closer together.

The loot’s absolutely worth fighting for too, with a pool of high-value goodies on offer to those who brave the challenge – so start your Pop-Up Plunder strategising now, because things are about to get a little more chaotic!

Smells Like Community Spirit

Alongside Pop-Up Plunder, pirates who set sail over Community Weekend will find Picture Walls at every Outpost, with The Reaper’s Hideout Picture Wall returning too. We want to see all your lovely crew moments captured at these special posing points, so please share them on social and tag us in – not much makes us happier than seeing you and your crews in pride of place in front of our Picture Walls, so we’re counting on you to deliver the goods.

Sailors can also expect to swipe a Community Spirit Firework Crate, free of charge, from their local Merchant Alliance representative over the Weekend. Nothing says “we’re friendly!!” quite like some of these beautiful community-themed fireworks, so make sure you have the box ready for when you bump into other crews. Or not, if you’re planning on sinking them.

Bonnet Blue

If you think you or one of your crewmates are deserving of fame and a particularly fetching blue hat, look no further as our usual #BeMorePirate giveaway gets amped up over Community Weekend! This is an occasion to celebrate amazing artists, players, creators and community MVPs – so as is customary, we’ll be scouring our channels and the #BeMorePirate hashtag for suitably special Sea of Thieves stories, from now until the end of the Event. Worthy winners will be awarded the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame, so get your submissions in ASAP to see if your antics warrant your pirate’s bonce being crowned with such a special bonnet.


Beyond the Sail

While a lot of these celebratory activities centre around setting sail, at its heart this Event is designed to honour and excite you, our amazing players. So this Community Weekend, we would love for you to share your favourite clips, creators, screenshots and crewmates in celebration of the stories you’ve all experienced on our shores. Sea of Thieves has already accounted for a seven-year slice of Rare’s amazing 40-year history, and we’re proud to be here in 2025 feeling just as excited for its future as we were when it was just a glint in the studio’s eye.

Whether you’re new to Sea of Thieves or thinking about diving in for the very first time, Community Weekend – with its gifts, goals and impeccable vibes – is the perfect opportunity not just to set sail, but to dip your toes in the lovely warm waters of our online community. So come on in! We’re a friendly bunch, promise. Alliance?

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Season 17 has begun! And some unfamiliar faces have been spied on remote islands as The Smugglers’ League settle in and begin their hunt for high-value, dangerous prizes.

While they show a surprising appreciation of Fine Art and fragile bottles of even finer rum, the League are also on the hunt for Black Powder Barrels. These devastating delights pack more of a punch than any other explosive on the seas, so you’ll want to be careful about bringing them aboard your own ship.

And there is cargo to be found! A recent run of bad luck has seen several Smugglers’ Shipwrecks left to languish beneath the waves, hiding treasures that can be returned to the League for a comfortable payout.

Season 17 wouldn’t be complete without a host of new Commendations to measure your success! Completing Voyages for the Smugglers and handing in their cargo will help you unlock a wealth of cosmetics to update your pirate’s style.

September and October will bring in Act 2 and Act 3 of Season 17, where there’ll be plenty more Smuggler activity to join in with including a daring Heist and newly fortified Reaper Fortresses. Get a preview of those in the Content Update trailer:

For the more complete rundown of what you can look forward to in the Season, head to the full Season 17 Launch Article. And for even more details in painfully diligent detail that the Merchant Alliance would surely give a small nod of approval, you can read the release notes right here.


Set Sail and Get a Free Eyepatch!

The free Rare Ruby Eyepatch is now on offer as a celebratory Sea of Thieves login bonus to mark Rare Ltd's 40th anniversary! Set sail between now and Sea of Thieves' September update to secure your celebratory patch.

There's plenty more to discover with today's update, from a new Plunder Pass and Pirate Profiles in the Emporium to a range of new Outpost cosmetics to splash your gold on, so all that's left is to wish you successful smuggling! We'll see you on the seas...

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