Sea of Thieves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Previously:
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: December 2024

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

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

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

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

‘Stirring Seas’ Release – Friday, February 14th

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

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

Season 15 Launch – Thursday, February 20th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Themes

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: AbadonSoT on X/Twitter

How to Enter

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

• To enter on X/Twitter, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves in your post.
  
• For Instagram, you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves. Same goes for Bluesky and Threads.
  
• Add your entry as a reply to that day’s theme post on Facebook.
  
• Post your entry with #StyleOfThieves in the #pirate-fashion channel of our official Discord server.

And regardless of where you’re sharing your entry, be sure to include the name of the theme you’re entering in your post, along with any extra info called for by the theme.

Rules of the Runway

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

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

Image credit: Great_Grantsby on X/Twitter

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

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Pirates of Mischief
Mimic Dart

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

Grapple Gun Improvements

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

Updates
Performance Improvements

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

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

New Items – Now in Stock!

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

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

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

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

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

Pirates of Mischief

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

Blowpipe

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

Crouching and Stealth

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

Environment

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

Visual and Audio

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

Text and Localisation

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

Performance and Stability

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

Known Issues
To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 2.4 GB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January Monthly Update – Thursday, January 23rd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Pirates of Mischief
Grapple Gun Improvements

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

Blowpipe Improvements

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

Merfruit Improvements

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

Mimic Dart – Delayed

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

Gameplay Improvements
Safer Seas Rewards and Reputation

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

Updates
Detection Improvements for Ban Evasion

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

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

New Emporium Items – Now in Stock!

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

Returning Emporium Items

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

Pirate Emporium Homepage Improvements

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

Pirate Emporium Plunder Pass Improvements

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

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

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

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

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

Performance and Stability

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

Pirates of Mischief

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

Disguises

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

Blowpipe and Darts

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

Crouching and Stealth

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

Traps

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

Environment

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

User Interface

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

Visual and Audio

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

Text and Localisation

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

Known Issues
Blowpipe Keybinding

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

To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 3.47 GB

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The end of the year is creeping ever closer and now that we’re in the final stretch, we’ve got a few more jobs to do before we sign off for the holidays. Like this one: filling you in on everything you may have missed in November! It was a surprisingly busy month for a mid-Season update, so let’s get right to business…

Content Update
Due to earlier issues with some Season 14 launch content, the November update ended up including a whole host of postponed features, including traps, hanging points and the much-missed disguises. We later hotfixed in a few other minor changes to buff out some lingering issues, but then it was full speed ahead with the Season of mischief.

With all those sneaky features back in players’ hands, it was time for a celebration. Enter Season 14 Community Weekend, with a shared Community Emissary Grade to boost rewards, Twitch Drops, Picture Walls, Pop-Up Plunder – and its new cousin, Pop-Up Blunder – and so much more. It was great to see so many people joining us and taking part, even the pirates we couldn’t see. We’d wondered where all those extra chests and barrels were coming from.

Further afield, there were some out-of-game releases to shout about too. The music for a certain flaming ritual was added to the Sea of Thieves soundtrack for streaming in all the usual places, ready for whenever you feel like reliving that time you lost all your skin and flesh. At the same time, new Making Mischief designs made it to the Xbox Gear Store and a few lucky viewers were among the first to get their hands on the new colouring book as a livestream giveaway prize! Crayons out, pirates – we’re ready to see all your colourful creations.

News and Features
As always, a Community Weekend has so many moving parts that a news article was the best way to lay out all the details up front, including which cosmetics were up for grabs, how to get involved and what that Community Emissary Grade can do for you. If you haven’t joined us for a Community Weekend before, this is a good place to start getting to grips with what they’re all about ahead of the next one.

Sticking with the community theme, the Community Spotlight shone down again in November: this time we were exchanging words with SoT UK admin heroine MrsPabl0 to find out what goes into helping to run a Sea of Thieves Affiliate Alliance group!

We also tried something new with the first instalment of This Month in Sea of Thieves. While dates are always fluid as Events and updates get shuffled around, we’re trying out this new series to put all the information you need about the upcoming month in one easy-to-read place. By the time you read this, December’s article will have landed too, so you may want to give it a peek – just beware spoilers for next month’s round-up!

Videos and Streams
The Video team started their month with a fresh instalment of Sea of Thieves News, but the very next day they were back again with the latest Explainer! This episode tackled the topic of the nature of Seasons and how players can earn, buy and win cosmetics to personalise their pirate however they see fit.

With the November update rapidly approaching, Drew hopped in front of a camera to deliver our first Developer Update in a while, teeing everyone up for what was to come in the rest of the month and giving a peek behind the scenes at what we’re working on. The video set us up nicely for the Monthly Update – complete with the full complement of trailers and Pirate Emporium reveals that you’ll have come to expect.

For Community Weekend, a cast of Community team members regrouped in the Tavern for some suitably chaotic stream fun, but not before we were done investigating this suspicious barrel we found… That left just one more thing to publish before the month was out, in the form of a somewhat belated official podcast episode! Give it a listen if you’re curious what might be coming next for the game or you want to hear some very serious, professional conversations about booty. No, really.

Social Channels
November on socials started with a spooky bang as we revealed the winners of the Ghouls and Ghosts round of #SoTShot! We really needed that one last scare before we shook off the lingering shivers of October. More player creativity was celebrated with a refresh of the Community Hub, but we may have gotten a bit preoccupied using Season 14’s new loadout additions to cause mayhem for much else. Fortunately it wasn’t long before the brand new Compass of Chaos made its debut and delivered a much more organised mayhem strategy for everyone to be getting on with.

The increased efficiency freed up some time to complete a second round of #SoTShot – this time putting everyone’s recently improved stealth abilities to the test with a Sneaky Sailors theme – but alas, some pirates mysteriously went missing during the process. Maybe they were just too sneaky.

Fortunately, most people came out of hiding for Community Weekend, highlighting their loyal crewmates and taking a moment to snap a quick pic at the Picture Walls to mark the occasion. There were even fireworks to enjoy – for some of us, at least…

All of which brings us to the end of November – and very nearly the year! This’ll be the last time you see the round-up crew (or at least, the writing crew with their round-up hats on) until next year when we’ll be recollecting all the adventures deployed in December. Until then, as always, you can find us on all the standard social channels – as well as Bluesky now! – over on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. Drop us a line in any of those places with any feedback but otherwise, happy holidays and we’ll see you in the new year! Sail responsibly!

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

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As we sail into December, the Sea of Thieves is alive with fresh adventures and holiday cheer! From thrilling events to brand new features, there’s plenty in store to keep you voyaging through the season: prepare for festive challenges, unique rewards and community events to end the year with a bang.

Holiday Decorations – from Sunday, December 1st

Kick off December with some suitable festive cheer, as Sea of Thieves’ Outposts get into the holiday spirit!

Legends Week – Monday, December 2nd – Monday, December 9th

Seasoned sailors are in for a treat with the next Legends Week. Get double gold and reputation for handing in Athena's Fortune treasure, seek Legendary Messages in a Bottle and complete the Voyages within to earn rewards (and unlock the Life of a Legend Tattoo). Tackle Legendary Daily Deeds for additional payouts too!

Holiday Hauls – Friday, December 6th – Sunday, December 22nd

Gift giving for all! Sea of Thieves Partners, Affiliate Alliance leaders and Deckhands will be setting sail under the Generous Gift Sails during this period, spreading holiday cheer and delivering a delightful array of gifts to those fortunate enough to cross their path! 

Support a Streamer – Friday, December 6th – Sunday, December 22nd

Sea of Thieves is partnering with Twitch for December's Support a Streamer event. Twitch viewers can receive rewards for gifting subscriptions to participating streamers!

Viewers who gift two qualifying subscriptions will receive the Celestial Steed ship cosmetics, while those who gift three qualifying subscriptions will also receive the Obsidian Capstan. Keep an eye on our social channels for more details when the campaign goes live!

December Monthly Update – Thursday, December 12th

A fresh update drops this month, bringing another exciting angle to Season 14’s array of stealth and mischief: the Mimic Dart! This latest addition to the blowpipe’s arsenal lets you shapeshift by targeting other players or skeletons, copying their appearance, so you can seamlessly blend in with a crowd or create unexpected chaos!

Once again, players who jump in during the first week after this release will be awarded a bonus stash of gold and Doubloons, and all players will find another Voyage of Luck waiting for them at the Quest Table.

Love to show off the latest emote? You can also claim the Ice Sculpture Emote for free when you visit the Pirate Emporium in December.

Festival of Giving – Wednesday, December 18th – Monday, December 30th

The Festival of Giving returns for another year with a treasure trove of daily gifts! Each day, pirates can claim a Gilded Voyage and a Voyage of Luck, drawing from an exclusive pool of these rare Voyages. But remember, they must be completed the same day, as they won't stack or carry over!

Adding to the festive bounty, a daily gold and reputation multiplier will boost rewards for the Trading Companies in turn. Across the 12-day event, each participating Company (Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, Merchant Alliance and Athena’s Fortune) will have three special days with increased rewards, giving crews a generous holiday haul for their efforts.

Holiday Sale – Wednesday, December 18th – Monday, January 6th

This year's Holiday Sale in the Pirate Emporium arrives with an animal theme, slashing prices on the Pet Protector, Boarhunter, Soaring Oracle sets and more, in addition to offering deals on some Collector’s Pets and all standard pets. Swing by the Emporium when the sale is live to see the full selection!

Emporium Extravaganza – Wednesday, December 18th – Monday, January 6th

The Extravaganza is back: during the Holiday Sale period, Emporium shoppers can unlock the Ancient Coin Flag by spending at least 450 Ancient Coins, offering a stylish way to enhance their ship’s appearance. Similarly, the Ancient Coin Sails can be unlocked by spending 2000 Ancient Coins, allowing pirates to stand out on the high seas with style.

Gold & Glory – Monday, December 30th – Monday, January 6th

Gold and Glory returns to end the year, offering a final boost to all your treasure-hunting endeavours. For the duration of this Event, all pirates can earn increased gold and reputation, making it the perfect time to stack up your riches and climb the ranks of your chosen Trading Company!

Golden Scallywag Awards – ending Tuesday, December 31st

To ensure you have time to make the most of Season 14's features in this contest, the Golden Scallywag Awards have been extended a final time, until December 31st! See the complete contest details here.

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As December wraps up, we look forward to seeing you all again in January! With fresh challenges, time-limited Events and festive cheer still to come, there’s plenty to keep you on your toes as you sail into 2025. So hoist your sails high, gather your crew and make this holiday season one to remember!

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Fixed Issues
Traps

• Players are no longer able to retrieve additional resources when disarming an item-loaded trap.
  
• Traps deployed should now remain in place and not disappear unexpectedly during gameplay. Once deployed, a trap should now last for hours if left undisturbed and only be removed when triggered, replaced by a new trap when players reach their limit of two or when players leave the server.
  
• Players are consistently limited to deploying two traps and can no longer place additional traps by disconnecting and rejoining a session.
  
• Traps deployed by other crews will now consistently be removed when they dive to a new server, scuttle to new seas or migrate naturally to another server.

Voyage of Luck

• Crews diving for the Voyage of Luck should no longer experience an extended wait while underwater.

Performance and Stability

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

Known Issues
To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

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

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 1.32 GB

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Sea of Thieves Season 14 Community Weekend is taking place in just a few days, from November 23rd-25th (11am UTC)! Join us for free goods, boosted rewards, Pop-Up Plunder (and Blunder) fun and more. More details: https://aka.ms/SoTS14CommWknd

What shenanigans shall you be seeking?

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Happy Community Weekend Week, everyone! As we detailed at the start of the month, this Season’s Community Weekend runs from November 23rd from 25th, with a boatload of thrilling things going on to excite seasoned sailors and swabbies alike. This 48-hour frenzy of fun kicks off at 11am UTC on Saturday 23rd and ends 11am UTC on Monday 25th.

If you’d like to keep the Event’s shenanigans a secret until you log in on Saturday, now’s the time to stop reading – but if you’re intrigued by what’s on offer, then please, read on…

Persuade the Emissary Grade
If you’re new here and aren’t sure how the Community Emissary Grade works, don’t worry, we’re here to tell you! To raise this special Grade, players are tasked with tuning in to Twitch to level up the generosity of the multiplier, with the total Sea of Thieves watch time powering its progress. Simply put: all you need to do to help raise this Grade – and increase in-game rewards – is watch any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category during the Event period.

Every time the Community Emissary Grade levels up, so does the boost to gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation for not just you but all players sailing on High Seas – with the top Grade offering a sweet two-and-a-half times the rewards for your efforts!

Drops for the Ocean
As usual there’s a range of Twitch Drops for folks tuning in, with the Eastern Winds Ruby Jacket and Hook and the Seasoned Sailor Hurdy-Gurdy and Pocket Watch all on offer to those who spend a chunk of time watching Sea of Thieves creators over the weekend. And we mean any Sea of Thieves creator on Twitch – these Drops are earnable on all participating channels, not just our Partners’ channels – so maybe take some time this weekend to swing by a couple of new streams and say hi.

The special Drop that will be unlocked after the magic goal of 100,000 World Events collectively dived to and completed will be the Obsidian Captain’s Chandelier – another brand new Obsidian item debuting with this special Event! We hope you all like fancy lighting, because this stunning piece will brighten up the Captain’s quarters of any Galleon.

Freebies and Features
Of course, to mark the occasion, everyone who plays during this Event will be gifted the pastel-perfect Season 14 Community Weekend flag – and so that pirates can rank other marauders’ exhibitions of mischief, the Scorecard Emote returns as an accompanying login bonus. Community Spirit Firework Crates will also be available from your local Merchant Alliance representative.

There’ll be a particularly explosive vibe across the Sea of Thieves for the duration of the Event: you’ll find Gunpowder Barrels appearing more frequently on islands, Stronghold Gunpowder Barrels will also be more common and Kegs of Ancient Black Powder may appear in shipwrecks. Business will be booming for the Merchants if you manage to cash these in – and if you don’t, then we guess it’ll be all manner of other stuff booming...

Make a point of checking your Voyages on the Quest Table during this Event too, as you’ll find it offers you a special opportunity – Pirate Legend or not – to tackle an Athena’s Fortune Raid on a Sea Fort for some Legendary loot up to three times over the course of the weekend!

Picture Walls will of course be popping up as usual on every Outpost – perfect for posing against, or for a Community Emissary Grade check given that the attached flags will represent the current Grade (and thus indicate how generous the active multiplier is at that moment). Don’t forget to send your selfies to Sea of Thieves’ social media accounts so we can marvel at how stunning a set of sailors you all are.

The Joy of a Decoy
Pop-Up Plunder returns for Season 14 Community Weekend, but with a cheeky twist: a handful of maps will feature decoy dig spots, also known as Pop-Up Blunder! Some maps – shared on social media, as always – will have more than one X marking the spot, meaning the real treasure will be surrounded by a handful of mischievous duds. Some of these Pop-Up Blunder spots will also contain Gunpowder Barrels, so sorry in advance for the carnage this may cause (but not really).

A new Pop-Up Plunder will spring up every four hours during the event, and the first will be as Community Weekend kicks off. Stay tuned to social media for these clues to drop in!

Forget Your Troubles, Come On, Get Hatty
As is customary with Community Weekend, we love taking the time to bestow both love and rewards upon the unsung heroes and MVPs of our community. The way we do this is to honour a selection of fine folks with the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame – a rare, funny hat worn by the cream of our pirate crop.

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

And if you’re wondering: yes, we will be looking at Bluesky for submissions too. Given the recent boom, it’d be rude not to! Tag us over there with the #BeMorePirate hashtag and https://bsky.app/profile/seaofthieves.com.

The Compass of Chaos
To maximise your mischief-focused frolics, we’ve also introduced a brand new tool on our website: the Compass of Chaos! Head over and spin the Compass until it suggests a silly or outrageous adventure idea that tickles your fancy, tackle that task and send us your clips of completion to top it off with a chance to be shared and maybe even score the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame. This set of silly, shenanigan-focused tasks is designed to prompt some spectacular scenes, and is set to be added to every Season. Go give it a whirl now! Or save your fun for the weekend…

Seas the Day!
While we know the start of Season 14 has been a bit wobbly, we’re glad to be finally hitting our stride – and we’re delighted that we can offer you such a smorgasbord of tantalising treats for this upcoming Event. So we hope you’ll join us in making mischief (and lots of gold) for Season 14 Community Weekend. See you on the seas!

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Pirates of Mischief
Our November game update sees Season 14’s stealthy feature set finally unleashed in force, providing players with plentiful tools to wreak mischief upon one another. For an overview of this Season’s furtive features, head to our dedicated Season 14 page.

Disguises

• While crouched, players can access the stealth menu to put on a disguise and blend into the environment as a barrel or treasure chest. Unlike hide emotes, disguises allow players to sneak around the world, albeit at a much slower pace.
  
• New disguises can be unlocked through a range of new Commendations added in Season 14. After unlocking one, head to the Vanity Chest and the new Disguises category to equip it.

Hanging from Ledges

• While crouched, players will find various locations around the ship where they can vault over the edge and hang from the outside in order to hide from those on board. They can vault back onto the deck or let go at any time, but if discovered and attacked they’ll be knocked into the sea below!
  
• Pirate explorers may also find a few locations out in the world where they can hang from certain ledges away from their ship. We’ll leave players to discover these locations for themselves...

Traps

• Players can now find deployable traps in various storage containers throughout the world which can be used to damage unsuspecting enemies. These are considered a throwable item, and while players can hold up to five in their inventory, only two can be deployed at any time, destroying those previously placed.
  
• A deployed trap will become armed, and then can be triggered by any careless foot, dealing damage and briefly inflicting a limp. Sneaky players can disarm a trap by crouching, and recover the trap for later use.
  
• A deployed trap can be enhanced with additional items by crouching close to it and using the menu to select an object. The item’s effect is triggered when the trap snaps shut.
  
• Traps can be partially buried beneath softer surfaces for a more effectively concealed surprise, and even placed together to trigger a sequence of catastrophic events!

Blowpipe Balancing

• The blowpipe’s quickfire has been tuned to ensure that it still provides a quick but accurate shot at close range, without overshadowing the benefits of a more considered charged shot.
  
• Even a brief charge will now deliver a strong mid-range shot, while a fully charged shot travels the maximum shot range.

Commendations and Rewards

• With a suite of mischief-making tools now re-enabled, the previously blocked Commendations, rewards, achievements and Trophies are available for players to make progress towards unlocking.

Expanded Monthly Updates
First Week Bonus

• Eager players who jump in during the first week following a Sea of Thieves game update will now receive an early login bonus of gold and Doubloons.

Voyage of Luck

• Players can now embark on a Voyage of Luck each month, offering a quest for a range of high-value treasure. When starting the Voyage, some players will be blessed with a rare Golden Map leading to a jackpot of one of the highest-value treasures out there!
  
• Pirate Legends will get their very own Legendary Voyage of Luck – a Voyage for Athena’s Fortune with treasure befitting a Legend and the same chance of a rare Golden Map!

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!

• Ancestral Ship Set (returning from time-limited promotion)
  
• Ancestral Collector’s Figurehead and Sails
  
• Motley Mariner Blowpipe
  
• Gorgon Weapon Bundle
  
• Gorgon Ship Collection (returning from Season 12 Plunder Pass)
  
• Gorgon Mixed Bundle – Gorgon Headband, Creeping Stone Curse and Solid Stone Curse (returning from Season 12 Plunder Pass)
  
• Iron Turtle Cannon Flare (players who previously purchased the Iron Turtle Ship Bundle will now find the Cannon Flare in their Ship Customisation Chest)
  
• Festival of Plenty Instruments (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Festival of Plenty Pet Outfits (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Banana Banter Emote Bundle
  
• No Thoughts Emote (free!)

Outpost Cosmetics
New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost weaponsmiths now stock Ironwood Carpenter’s weaponry, with the cutlass, pistol, blunderbuss and Eye of Reach all available to buy.
  
• The Outpost clothing shops now offer Cinched Shirts in four colours for all pirates to purchase.
  
• The Pirate Legend Hideout has been stocked with the Ghost Heavy Sword and Rapier, locked behind progression with the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company.

Gameplay Improvements
Quick Switching Using Crouch

• Players attempting to crouch while switching weapons will now consistently have to wield the second weapon before being able to fire the follow-up shot, preventing weapons from being fired faster than intended.

Updates
DualSense® Wireless Controller Support

• Players are now able to play Sea of Thieves on PC with a connected PlayStation®5 DualSense® wireless controller. The DualSense® wireless controller is supported on both Windows Store and Steam platforms.
  
• Players using a DualSense® wireless controller on PC or PS5® can now further customise the level of haptic feedback within the game settings.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• The Guild Reputation multiplier and gold bonuses now consistently apply correctly when selling treasure to the Sovereigns.
  
• Players are now prompted to drop the chicken during the Merchant Alliance Tutorial Voyage, aligning it with the Gold Hoarders and Order of Souls Tutorials.

Pirates of Mischief

• The Commendations entitled Dance Off Danger, Pied Pirate Piper and Trap Ease Artist now progress for the whole crew when meeting the criteria.
  
• The Commendation entitled A Venomous Attack is now able to be completed while standing nearby.

Grapple Gun

• Players finding themselves underneath the Fort of the Damned are now prevented from retrieving treasure from the Fort’s Vault.
  
• Players shooting the Grapple Gun into a solid surface while aiming and walking will no longer have their view pulled to the side.
  
• Attempting to fire a grapple line into a placed dart will no longer cause the Grapple Gun to become stuck reeling in from a distant location.
  
• Players can no longer gain access to the Burning Blade interior by grappling into the front of the ship.

Blowpipe

• Allied Obsidian Skeletons will no longer attack players or each other when hit with a Lure Dart.
  
• Blowpipe darts can no longer be stacked on each other when fired at the same spot.
  
• Lure Darts stuck on a player will now be fully removed if the player leaves the game. Players migrating across servers will also now find their darts left behind are quickly removed.
  
• Players are now always restricted to four Lure Darts in their ammo supply.
  
• Players firing a dart at friendly Merfolk will find they now disappear and do not remain attached.
  
• Players hit with a Black Powder Dart who then dive underwater will now see the fuse doused instantly.
  
• Switching between darts when not charging a shot should no longer cause a brief controller rumble.

Crouching

• Players using ‘Reduce Hold to Interact’ accessibility settings should no longer be able to continue interacting with a barrel’s inventory after moving out of range.
  
• Players can no longer cancel out of a heavy strike with a cutlass by crouching.
  
• Attempting to aim down sights immediately after exiting crouching no longer causes a player’s movement to briefly stutter.
  
• Holding aim down sights while entering crouch will no longer cause the player to exit crouch upon releasing their aim.
  
• Crouching can no longer be used to reel in the Grapple Gun early.
  
• Players attempting to crouch after falling from a great height will now be able to crouch much more quickly, but will continue to suffer from the hindrances of fall damage while crouched.
  
• Rapid crouching while jumping no longer results in players losing the ability to crouch.
  
• Players are now shown the prompt to sit at a location while crouching.

Disguises

• A suite of fixes to disguises have been made to address visual issues with the experience. Players should no longer find themselves appearing incorrectly when using a disguise and should also appear correctly when observed by others.
  
• Turning left or right while disguised will now look and feel smoother.
  
• Players are now prevented from using disguises while flying through the air.
  
• Players wearing the Burning Eyepatch of the Ashen Dragon will now find the visual effects are correctly hidden when using a disguise.
  
• Darts attached to a player will now be hidden when they put on a disguise.
  
• Getting into disguise while on a floating Rowboat now has smoother camera movement.
  
• Players walking through disguised players will not feel any resistance.
  
• Players can now use auto-move from the game settings while in disguise.

Environment

• ‘Shores of Gold’ – The exit staircase from the Gold Hoarder’s lair no longer has a blocking wall preventing players from leaving.
  
• Pulleys on Sea Fort resource barrels containing food now respond correctly to player input.
  
• Improvements have been made to a number of island locations to prevent players from using the Grapple Gun to get outside the world.
  
• At Imperial Crown Fortress and Old Brinestone Fortress, players are no longer able to push themselves through the roof and reach higher areas.
  
• Windows within the Sunken Kingdom can now still be opened when shot with a dart.
  
• Various objects found decorating the Sea Forts are now solid and players are unable to walk through them.
  
• Objects at the end of the bridge at The Reaper’s Hideout now cast shadows correctly.

User Interface

• The Captain’s Logbook now includes new sketches when crews progress through the newly introduced Season 14 Milestones.
  
• The banner shown during the Gold Hoarders Tutorial Voyage now correctly displays the player's name.

Visual and Audio

• Characters’ faces no longer appear to be missing parts when wearing a mask combined with a range of costumes. This addresses issues reported with the Shadow Tide Fox Mask, Thieving Mask of Mischief and Monstrous Mask of Mayhem.
  
• The Pirate Lord no longer becomes transparent when players walk away and return during his speech.
  
• The Rusted Skulls Braced Jacket no longer drifts or distorts when viewed from the third-person perspective.
  
• The Watermelon Wheel has been visually improved and now casts appropriate shadows, is correctly held by players when interacted with and has improved quality when viewed at close range.
  
• The Shadow Tide Capstan no longer has a noticeable change in graphical quality at short distances.
  
• Various Grapple Guns now display the rope tether correctly at the end of the gun.
  
• Music volume on the game’s front end has been adjusted to its intended level.
  
• ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ – Murray is now visible near the gate leading to the Governor's Mansion when starting from the third checkpoint.

Performance and Stability

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

Known Issues
To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 2.37 GB

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It’s safe to say that players faced some unexpectedly rough waters this October. The Season 14 update didn’t land as smoothly as planned, and as a result there’s still work to be done before the Season’s over. Nevertheless, there was plenty of October activity to report on, so we’re here once again to deliver your usual round-up!

Content Update
With the end of Season 13 rapidly approaching as we entered October, it seemed only fair to give everyone who hadn’t maxed out their Seasonal Renown a helping hand. That meant unleashing a weekend of boosted Renown (and gold) for all players, followed by a spree of single-use Gilded Voyages enabling determined pirates to haul in bounteous rewards.

With everyone as caught up as they could be, it was on to the October update proper and the arrival of Season 14. However, launch day hiccoughs led to some features being held back, so best to read the launch release notes to catch up on what made it and what’s still ahead. A hotfix helped iron out some of those issues a little later in the month, reintroducing crouching and tweaking a range of other features. But that’s not the end of our work to fully deliver Season 14, so keep an eye on our channels for up-to-date information!

There was also, of course, no ignoring the fact that spooky season was well and truly upon us last month. Pumpkin-based decorations popped up around the Outposts to herald the Festival of the Damned, and everyone was treated to a sinister Ghoul & Glory Event! All those who joined in got their hands on the Grinning Gourd Bucket, free Voyages and boosted rewards for a full four days.

News and Features
As we built up to the release of Season 14 and all its entailing mischief, it seemed like a good time to highlight some of the community’s best clips from their covert pirate operations. The ensuing Golden Scallywag Awards are still open to entries in eight categories, with opportunities to win an in-game Title and Trinket, Ancient Coins, Plunder Passes and even a physical trophy to brighten up your gaming room.

We couldn’t launch a new Season without a dedicated article covering all the details, of course – but this time it was followed by a State of Play Forum post to address the issues encountered and explain what was happening with the staggered release of features, and then a second post to tee up the hotfix at the end of the month. When you put all that together it’s more reading than most pirates usually get up to, but well worth a look for anyone seeking a status update on Season 14…

Videos and Streams
The November instalment of Sea of Thieves News landed early in the month, previewing some of the content arriving with the new Season while offering a look at upcoming events and the restock of the coveted Sea of Thieves vinyl soundtrack. That wasn’t the only musical news this month either, with the official Season 14 ‘Making Mischief’ track making its way to all the usual streaming platforms.

As always, a Season launch meant a host of new videos showcasing the new features, unlockable cosmetics and Pirate Emporium additions, before we published the launch trailer on update day. We couldn’t leave it there, however; after the last-minute changes to the Season launch and shifting around of features, we wanted to make sure we were clearly communicating our progress on all channels. In practice, that meant Production Director Drew getting back in front of a camera to deliver an update on Season 14 and the plan moving forwards.

Social Channels
Even with everything else going on, the spookiest of seasons was not about to pass without some celebratory competitions. That meant two Community Hub updates, showcasing players’ creative talents and giving us an excuse to hand out some glorious Hats, before we challenged crews to split up for a Lone Sailors round of #SoTShot! After all, the best way of confronting spooks is to go it alone. Finally, there was one remaining piece of Season 13 business to get through before the monthly update: the Style of Thieves winners! Check out those stunning autumnal fashions.

Elsewhere this month, we shut down a sinister grub trader, put up with a visit from everyone’s favourite rogue and took a few minutes to appreciate the water of the Sea of Thieves, but were rapidly distracted by a very strange game of hide and seek. The local serpents were no help. The local felines… well, they didn’t help much either but they were otherwise occupied. We’ll forgive them.

And that was October! A rocky month on many fronts, but we’re all set to get back into gear in November and keep that content coming for the rest of the year. We’ll be back here next month to report on how it’s going, but until then, find us on all the usual social channels: Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. Happy post-spooky sailing!

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

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While October was certainly an eventful month on the Sea of Thieves, the waves are looking a little calmer as we head into November. That means we’re ready to look ahead and share a calendar of the events coming your way over the next month!

Golden Scallywag Awards – extended to Monday, November 25th

Following Season 14’s slightly shaky start, the entry period for the Golden Scallywag Awards has been extended. Mischievous pirates now have until November 25th to submit their sneaks, tucks, traps and more to be in with a chance of scooping a real-life statuette and in-game Trinket and Title. For more information, see the competition announcement article.

November Monthly Update – Thursday, November 14th

The next free content update drops on November 14th, and is slated to bring back disguises while enabling pirates to set traps and hang from ledges. Alongside these Season 14 features, there’ll be refreshed fashions in the Pirate Emporium (plus a free emote for collection) and a sweep of smaller fixes to the game experience.

For the first time, we’ll also be offering an extra boost to the monthly update: players who jump in during the first week after release will now earn a bonus stash of gold and Doubloons, and there’s a new free monthly Voyage for all players in the form of the Voyage of Luck. This offers a single map leading to a high-value loot item – and particularly fortunate pirates might find a Golden Map leading to a jackpot cache. These Voyages also have a Pirate Legend flavour for anyone who’s reached that rank.

Sea of Thieves Twitch Drops – Friday, November 15th – Monday, November 18th

If you’re tuning in to watch a streamer showcasing the newly added features, remember you can get rewarded for it too: this time around the Stalwart Sea Dog Spyglass and the Eastern Winds Ruby Belt, Boots and Dress are available by linking your accounts and watching any Sea of Thieves Partner on Twitch. If you’re not sure who to watch, check our Partner Directory to see who’s online and available to tune in to once those Drops go live.

Season 14 Community Weekend – Saturday, November 23rd – Monday, November 25th

The last full weekend of November brings Season 14 Community Weekend to sailors’ shores! Our usual Seasonal frenzy of login bonuses, Community Emissary Grade boosts, a new Obsidian stretch goal, Picture Walls at Outposts, time-limited Voyages, Twitch Drops and more will kick off on November 23rd and run for a full 48 hours.

More details on this Event will follow in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to the Sea of Thieves website and social channels.

This is the schedule of November happenings that we’re currently targeting – so while these dates may flex slightly, this is a relatively reliable representation of what you can expect to enjoy over the next few weeks.

We hope you’re excited as we are to dive into everything on offer, and we’ll see you back here at the start of December, when we tell you how we’re planning on seeing out the year. And yes, if you’re wondering, we’ll definitely be in a Giving mood…

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Pirates of Mischief
As shared in our recent Season 14 update, the team disabled a number of features in order to protect players from high-impact issues and for the team to work on improving the quality bar. With this hotfix, crouching is once again available. The Known Issues section identifies issues that will be addressed in future updates.

Crouching and Stealth

• Players will once again be able to switch their stance from standing to a low crouch, slowing their movement, hiding them from some nearby enemy threats, concealing their player name and generally making them stealthier for the purposes of sneaking around.
  
• Crouched players will be harder to hit as they can duck shots in combat and will be braced against knockback, reducing its effect.

Fixed Issues
Gameplay

• Players will once again be prevented from walking directly through enemy threats.
  
• Players are now prevented from shooting others through solid surfaces on the ship such as the deck.
  
• Rowboats discovered washed up on islands or those which become beached are now much easier to push back into the sea, and should no longer become stuck and unusable.
  
• All players will now have access to the Burning Blade’s Armoury once the ship is controlled by a crew.

Pirates of Mischief

• Unlockable disguises will no longer be granted when completing part of the unlock criteria, and will now require the full set of conditions to be met.
  
• Players must now complete the Found You Commendation before being awarded the Shadow Tide Tattoo.
  
• The Enticing Explosion Commendation now progresses when attaching a Lure Dart to a barrel-wielding Skeleton or directly to the held barrel itself.

Grapple Gun

• Players attempting to grapple an item while climbing into a cannon will now find the item is placed back on the ground. Players fired out of a cannon, however, are not prevented from grappling a nearby item if they can do so quickly enough. The team will continue to monitor this technique from a game balance perspective and address it in the future if necessary.
  
• Players attempting to grapple each other at the same time should no longer find they are flung across the sea.

Crouching

• Players attempting to crouch after being fired from a cannon will no longer be able to modify their trajectory while in the air.
  
• Players attempting to crouch prior to climbing into a cannon will now continue to be damageable when leaving the cannon.
  
• Players attempting to crouch after falling from a great height will now be able to crouch much more quickly, but will continue to suffer the hindering effects of fall damage while crouched.

Pirate Emporium

• The Witch’s Stitches Bundle now grants players the Coral Coven Cat once purchased.

Blowpipe and Darts

• Firing Lure Darts into a ship prior to migrating across servers will now result in those darts being removed upon arrival at the new location.

Visual and Audio

• Players equipping the Lodestar Costume will now find it displays correctly on their pirate and will also appear in the Pirate Emporium and Clothing Chest when previewed.

Text and Localisation

• Improvements have been made to localisation across a range of languages for newly introduced items in Season 14.

Performance and Stability

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

Known Issues
Stealth Features Temporarily Disabled

• Some of the new additions to the sandbox announced in the recent Season 14 Content Update Video have been temporarily disabled following the discovery of issues with potentially high player impact. These include disguises, traps and hanging from ledges.

Quick Switching

• Players can currently use crouching to switch between ranged weapons and fire two shots in quick succession faster than intended. Enforcement is not currently being taken on players using this technique, but it will be removed in a future update.

To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

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

Download and Installation
Download Size:

• Steam: 1.51 GB

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Following the long-awaited arrival of Captain Flameheart and his Burning Blade flagship in Season 13, this subsequent Season sees the focus shift back to expanding the sandbox with more tools and features, delivering new ways to play and options for achieving your devious pirate goals. Read on to find out exactly what’s possible as Season 14 slips out of the shadows…

The Armoury Expands
For the second time this year, two new loadout options have arrived to complement the classic Sea of Thieves arsenal. In line with Season 14’s stealthy theme, these latest additions are the versatile Grapple Gun and the near-silent blowpipe, both offering alternatives to the traditionally quite direct pirate approach to looting and fighting.

Despite the name, the Grapple Gun functions more like a tool than a weapon. It can target a whole range of things: treasure items, other pirates and even enemies can be grappled and pulled towards you, or conversely you can use it to grapple yourself around high or difficult island terrain.

The blowpipe can be used with classic Poison Darts to inflict lingering damage on an enemy, but Lure Darts are also available for when you want to cause trouble by attracting foes to a specific spot (or another pirate), while Black Powder Darts take a normally noiseless weapon and endow it with a much more explosive effect!

Duck and Cover
That’s not all: for the first time, Season 14 allows pirates to crouch and move around more stealthily in pursuit of mischief or mayhem. Want to go further and get right in amidst another crew’s adventures undetected? Disguises allow you to conceal yourself (and move around) as a barrel or a chest, with different types of chest gradually being unlocked for use. How long can you lurk unnoticed, and what can you get your hands on without being spotted?

If you’d rather put a little more distance between yourself and your intended victim, Season 14 will soon allow you to lay traps – which can not only be partially buried to make them harder to spot, but loaded with other items such as fireworks, blunderbombs or Cursed Cannonballs to spice up the life of the pirate who strays into the danger zone!

Finally, raiders who want to get on board another crew’s ship without the usual tell-tale signs can make use of the new Merfruit, which when cooked to perfection has enchanted qualities, banishing the mermaid who traditionally appears to transport you back to your own ship. They’ll never see you coming…

Collect Covert Cosmetics
Experimenting with Season 14’s features can unlock Commendations and rewards, while just playing the game in any way you choose will let you climb the latest 100 levels of Seasonal Renown. These bring their own bounty of gold, Doubloons, Ancient Coins and stealth-themed cosmetics, and the optional Plunder Pass adds even more prizes to the pool: for Season 14 this includes the mysterious Inner Sanctum ship set complete with Collector’s items, plus the Inner Sanctum Jacket, Belt and Hat for your pirate and 750 unlockable Ancient Coins to help you recoup the price of the Pass itself.

Over in the Pirate Emporium, it’s all about witch vibes with the advent of the Coral Coven set – and if the ship, clothing and weapon bundles don’t catch your eye then surely the worldly-wise Coral Coven Cat will. If you prefer an animal sidekick on the streamlined side, the new time-limited Skeleton Fox and Owl might be more your style. Or if you’re too busy mastering the new toolkit to think about anything else, you’ll find an array of alternative designs for both the Grapple Gun and blowpipe here!

Find Out More
For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season 14 update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players on Steam. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Join the ongoing adventure at https://www.seaofthieves.com/ where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

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