Sea of Thieves News

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Reapers Rising[/h3][p]Set sail on Voyages for The Reaper’s Bones, roll out the Cannon of Rage and enlist Captain Flameheart’s Order of Bone and Blade! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 16 page.[/p][p]Reaper’s Chests Unsealed[/p]

• [p]Upon discovering a Reaper’s Chest, players can now break the seal to release waves of Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons. These allies will defend the crew in possession of the chest and even follow if the chest is brought along for the ride.[/p]
• [p]Once defeated, new skeletons will emerge until no charges remain. These waves will only appear when the chest is placed firmly on the ground or a ship’s deck, so defenders should look to throw the perilous chest overboard to halt the onslaught![/p]

[p]Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage Improvements[/p]

• [p]Additional buried pillar locations have been added to the Voyage, providing greater variation and addressing issues with multiple crews taking on the Voyage at the same location.[/p]
• [p]Crews will once again be able to venture to Plunder Valley when starting the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.[/p]

[p]Skeleton Mercenaries at Forts[/p]

• [p]Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons can now be discovered and unearthed at Skeleton Forts, providing handy reinforcements for the siege.[/p]

[p]Cannon of Rage Cash-In[/p]

• [p]The Cannon of Rage can now be sold to the Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls and Hunter’s Call in addition to the existing locations at the Merchant Alliance and Reaper’s Bones. The Sovereigns also offer their services for Captains looking to efficiently sell surplus Cannons of Rage![/p]

[p]Reapers Rising Commendations and Rewards[/p]

• [p]New Reapers Rising Commendations have been added within the Reputation tab, tasking players with seeking out the newly enhanced Reaper’s Chests. Crews taking on this challenge can unlock access to Reaper’s Bones instruments.[/p]

[h3]Season 16[/h3][p]Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger Rewards[/p]

• [p]The Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger now offers the Hunter’s Call ship livery and figurehead, along with the Assailant of the Dreaded Deep Title. These new rewards are earnable by Hunters representing the Company proudly when the Ledgers close at the end of the month.[/p]

[h3]Gameplay Improvements[/h3][p]Cross-Region Matchmaking Support[/p]

• [p]Sea of Thieves matchmaking now supports the ability for crews to be migrated to suitable regions nearby, should server availability or worthy opponents not be found in their home region.[/p]
• [p]When diving to a Faction battle, for example, crews will initially search for suitable rivals in their home region. However, if a suitable match isn’t found, additional regions nearby will be gradually added to the search to reduce matchmaking times.[/p]
• [p]Cross-Region Matchmaking will utilise network data to control each home region’s fallback behaviour, and once rolled out this will be monitored and optimised by player feedback.[/p]
• [p]Cross-Region Matchmaking will support crews diving to Faction battles or Voyages, entering the Tunnels of the Damned for Tall Tales and scuttling a ship. Safer Seas does not support Cross-Region Matchmaking.[/p]

[p]Skull of Siren Song Balancing[/p]

• [p]Crews joining the Skull of Siren Song Voyage will now only benefit from the reduced ship respawn distance when sinking close to a Voyage objective. These objectives include the island locations holding a quest item, and the Key, Chest and Skull of Siren Song themselves when being transported.[/p]
• [p]Crews joining the Skull of Siren Song Voyage and sinking at a distance from a Voyage objective will now follow the existing ship respawn rules.[/p]

[h3]Pirate Emporium[/h3][p]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![/p][p]New Items – Now in Stock![/p]

• [p]Dashing Duellist Ship Collection  [/p]
• [p]Dashing Duellist Weapon Bundle[/p]
• [p]Dashing Duellist Costume[/p]
• [p]Dashing Duellist Banjo[/p]
• [p]Comical Weapon Pose Emote[/p]
• [p]Sore Loser Emote (free!)[/p]
• [p]Eclipse Ship Collection (returning from Season 13 Plunder Pass)[/p]
• [p]Eclipse Clothing: Hat, Jacket and Gloves (returning from Season 13 Plunder Pass)[/p]
• [p]Eclipse Weapons: Pistol, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach and Cutlass[/p]

[p]Deadlock Jailer Costume Update[/p]

• [p]Wearing the Deadlock Jailer Costume now allows players to perform the Prisoner’s Woe Emote.[/p]

[h3]Outpost Cosmetics[/h3][p]New Outpost Stock![/p]

• [p]The Outpost weaponsmiths now stock the Golden Chaser Pistol, Cutlass, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach, Heavy Sword and Rapier.[/p]
• [p]The shipwrights have also restocked with the new Yellow Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag.[/p]

[h3]Updates[/h3][p]Text Chat Filtering[/p]

• [p]Messages sent to players via text chat will now pass through an improved profanity filtering system that can be updated outside Sea of Thieves’ regular updates, for a faster response to inappropriate language being reported by players.[/p]
• [p]This has been running behind the scenes to allow the team to configure the strictness of the system using real chat data. Once activated as part of this update, the system will be updated by the Player Support team to ensure a safe but fair chat experience for all players.[/p]

[p]Disabling Game Invites[/p]

• [p]Players on Steam, PlayStation®5 and Battle.net® now have access to a new HUD setting, providing the ability to Disable Invite Notifications from being displayed when a party invite is received from another player. This setting prevents game invites from being shown both while in-game and on the front-end menu.[/p]

[p]Game Integrity Improvements[/p]

• [p]Following improvements to game file integrity on PC, as part of this update any players with previously modified game settings will find those affected settings have now been reset to permitted levels.[/p]

[h3]Events[/h3][p]Fight Nights (June 19th–26th)[/p]

• [p]Load the cannons and brace yourself as the Battle for the Sea of Thieves rages on! During Fight Nights, pirates who engage in Faction battles using the Hourglass of Fate will receive double Allegiance and gold for their dedication.[/p]
• [p]Racking up victories in the name of both Factions during Fight Nights will allow players to unlock two exclusive Trinkets: ‘A Golden Victory’ and ‘Fire and Ash’![/p]

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3][p]Gameplay[/p]

• [p]Players venturing into The Reaper’s Hideout or Pirate Legend Hideout will now find that the war map once again shows the live state of the battle between the Guardians of Fortune and Servants of the Flame.[/p]
• [p]Players can no longer drop or give items while attempting to cash in at a vendor.[/p]
• [p]Players attempting to use both controller and keyboard together to turn the ship’s wheel will no longer find they can bypass the turning speed restriction of a damaged wheel.[/p]
• [p]The vortex above an Ashen Lord encounter now fades away consistently once the encounter ends.[/p]
• [p]The Lamplighter Double Barrel Pistol has had its aiming improved to ensure shots now align with the tip of the iron sights.[/p]
• [p]A Tracker’s Megalodon Hunt Voyage no longer ends prematurely, meaning the Voyage will no longer end on its own or resolve as failed after half an hour.[/p]
• [p]Skeletons operating cannons should once again be able to hit their targets nearby.[/p]
• [p]‘The Cursed Rogue’ – Briggsy’s ritual music now starts at the correct time.[/p]

[p]Performance and Stability[/p]

• [p]Players receiving a large number of game invites should now find their game remains stable.[/p]
• [p]Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.[/p]

[p]Reapers Rising[/p]

• [p]Players on Steam will no longer be awarded the Bony Bodyguard and Voyager of Bones achievements when loading into the game, and will now be required to meet the necessary criteria.[/p]
• [p]Players meeting the necessary criteria should now consistently unlock the Mobile Cannoneer achievement or Trophy depending on their platform.[/p]
• [p]Players stealing a Skull of the Banished buried by a rival crew will now find they make progress towards the Reaper Rivals Commendation.[/p]
• [p]The Dusty Hair of Boneward Blade now appears in the correct place in players’ Vanity Chests.[/p]

[p]Hunting Spear[/p]

• [p]Hunting spears thrown at targets below deck now consistently deal the intended damage.[/p]
• [p]Players can no longer use various methods to duplicate their stock of hunting spears.[/p]
• [p]Hunting spears can now be consistently picked up from inside the ship even when standing in shallow water.[/p]

[p]Cannon of Rage[/p]

• [p]Players are now consistently prevented from interacting with a cannon while it is being retracted or deployed.[/p]
• [p]Retracting a cannon will now consistently play the correct audio effects.[/p]
• [p]Players and skeletons carrying a Cannon of Rage will now hold the cannons correctly in their hands.[/p]

[p]Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage[/p]

• [p]Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons can now consistently dig to unearth a pillar after a crew has migrated across servers during the Voyage.[/p]
• [p]All players should see the sarcophagus in the correct state even when arriving partway through the sequence.[/p]
• [p]After unearthing a pillar, crews should now be able to view it in the correct state after leaving and returning to the island.[/p]
• [p]The map clues now more closely match the pillar locations when voyaging on Lone Cove.[/p]
• [p]Various audio improvements have been made across the Voyage experience.[/p]
• [p]The dig locations for the pillars have been tightened to avoid the pillar being raised outside the intended area.[/p]

[p]Environment[/p]

• [p]Improvements have been made to the geometry at Crescent Isle and Marauder’s Arch to address crews using these locations to hide their ship and shelter from attacks during Faction battles.[/p]
• [p]Players using the Grapple Gun around the Sovereigns’ tent should no longer find they hit invisible walls that prevent them from grappling their target.[/p]
• [p]Players should no longer be able to walk through and hide items inside gates at Port Merrick.[/p]
• [p]Players should no longer be able to hide inside rocks on Thieves’ Haven and Lone Cove.[/p]
• [p]‘Shores of Gold’ – Various improvements have been made to the environment to prevent players using the Grapple Gun to bypass large areas of the Tale.[/p]

[p]Visual and Audio[/p]

• [p]Many blunderbusses have been amended to prevent the weapon from intersecting with the player’s camera during the kickback while firing.[/p]
• [p]A range of swords have been reviewed and had their slash visual effects re-enabled.[/p]
• [p]If a Voyage is cancelled upon arrival in the Tunnels of the Damned, players should no longer hear the portal audio when returning to the inactive portal.[/p]
• [p]The Guild Plaque’s Distinction Medal will no longer shift position when observed at different distances.[/p]
• [p]Skeleton Mercenaries given a Reaper’s Urn or Reaper’s Chest will now hold them correctly in their bony hands.[/p]
• [p]Belts can no longer be equipped over the Hunter’s Call Emissary Costume.[/p]
• [p]The Islehopper Outlaw Blunderbuss is now wielded and aimed at the correct distance from the player and will not intersect with the camera when used.[/p]
• [p]Digging in front of the Pirate Lord on the Maiden Voyage no longer causes the chest to appear with the same texture as sand.[/p]

[p]User Interface[/p]

• [p]The Discover tab on the Quest Table should no longer display a random Voyage when selected, and should consistently provide a curated list based on a player’s journey.[/p]
• [p]Filters within the Reputation tab’s Commendations menus now appear consistently across all platforms.[/p]
• [p]Navigating the front-end menu with a 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio display now shows the front end correctly.[/p]

[p]Text and Localisation[/p]

• [p]All Hunter’s Call Distinction Rings now show the correct text when viewed in the Clothing Chest.[/p]

[p]Accessibility[/p]

• [p]Players using High Contrast ‘X Marks the Spot’ will now find the fishing maps use high-contrast icons for improved accessibility.[/p]
• [p]Players using ‘Let Games Read to Me’ should now find the initial menu screens shown to new pirates are fully narrated.[/p]
• [p]Players using ‘Let Games Read to Me’ should now hear the Select a Ship screen narrated when navigating the front-end menu.[/p]

[h3]Known Issues[/h3][p]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.[/p]

[p]Even though it’s been mere weeks since Sea of Thieves swept into Season 16, the annual Xbox Games Showcase is an occasion that embraces gaming highlights still to come. So on Sunday, June 8th, the 2025 Showcase came loaded with the first sighting of Season 17, now in development and on course to land with a bang in August.[/p][p]Recent Sea of Thieves Seasons have expanded the roles of existing Companies: Season 15 charted the growth of The Hunter’s Call to meet new oceanic threats, while Season 16 exposes the ceaseless schemes of The Reaper’s Bones, forever in thrall to Captain Flameheart. But things are a little different in Season 17, which brings in some brand new blood under the banner of The Smuggler’s League. Watch the trailer below to learn a little more about their motivations…[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Here’s the official description released alongside the Showcase trailer:[/p][p]A new gang of nefarious troublemakers have infiltrated the Sea of Thieves! Known as The Smuggler’s League, they’re recruiting pirates willing to deal with dangers others are afraid to handle, including weapons and some of the most powerful explosives ever seen on the seas. Crews that think they’re up to the challenge can embark on new Smuggler’s Voyages to salvage – or steal – these hot properties and see them safely into the wrong hands, but one false move could spell disaster. Sparks are sure to fly when Season 17: Smugglers’ Tide launches in August, free for all players.[/p][p]While there are a couple of months to wait for the Smugglers’ arrival, gaming’s summer season of shows and announcements mean there’s plenty going on to keep players occupied – not to mention the ferocious features of Sea of Thieves’ own current Season, all set to receive further free expansions in June and July. Stay tuned for more on those very soon![/p]

[p]Summer is finally here! The sun is blazing bright over the Sea of Thieves, which means it’s time to bid a fond farewell to the darling buds of May – but not before we’ve gotten you up to speed on everything you might have missed. So settle down on your favourite pirate beach and lose yourself for a while in this latest round-up…[/p][h3]Content Update[/h3][p]The seas were teeming with activity throughout May, from the very first day when we kicked things off with a hotfix for some of the additions in late April. From there it was straight into the latest Festival of Fishing Event, celebrating the recent expansion of The Hunter’s Call and setting up some tasty rewards to be reeled in along the way![/p][p]All of which left us in a great position to unleash Season 16 a few days later, revolving around the Reapers and all that they and their master Flameheart have been working towards since his resurrection. The Reaper’s Bones revealed their very first Voyage, while the devastating portable Cannon of Rage started appearing on island shores. At the same time, the seas welcomed in a new wave of players from Battle.net® with a unique set of sails offered for free to anyone who sets sail this Season![/p][p][/p][h3]News and Features[/h3][p]With updates and events happening left and right, a quick summary was needed at the beginning of the month in the form of May’s This Month in SoT article, as well as a couple of State of Play Forum posts from Production Director Drew to explain what all those updates were about. But there was also time to unveil our latest Community Spotlight, peering into the world of twin creative crafters, ChloeSaurasCrafts![/p][p]It was a big month for book lovers too: in celebration of a new Reaper-themed Season, Sea of Thieves novel Heart of Fire was temporarily available for free from all of the places you can expect to find ebooks, while artistic souls were well served by the arrival of Sea of Thieves: The Art of Piracy! The second art book we’ve released, this tome highlights more work from the phenomenal artists who’ve helped to craft the visual style of our shared pirate paradise.[/p][p][/p][h3]Videos and Streams[/h3][p]With The Reaper’s Bones preparing to make their move in Season 16, we wanted to ensure everyone had a chance to get up to speed on the story so far. To that end, some of the Rare crew gathered in the Tavern for a special lore-centric podcast, while Sea of Thieves Partner Captain Falcore relayed the history of Captain Flameheart. And, while we were all in the Reaper spirit, we just couldn’t wait to release the ominous music behind the Season 16 title screen, ‘Reaper’s Requiem’.[/p][p]That left a tiny amount of time to squeeze in May’s episode of Sea of Thieves News, before diving right into the business of the content update, launch, Emporium overview and unlockable cosmetics videos that come with the arrival of every new Season. There was even a new Developer Update in the same week with more behind-the-scenes details![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]Social Channels[/h3][p]May was no slouch in the community competition department, with not only a new Community Hub update and a #SoTShot round on Wild Things, but the Season 15 Style of Thieves contest that sashayed in just before the Season ended. Fashion-focused pirates could strut their stuff in the categories of Hunter, Duvet Day, Regal and Monstrous, with the winning ensembles well deserving of a hearty round of applause.[/p][p]It wasn’t all competitions though; we started the month by asking the Big Questions, and closed the month in much the same way, albeit with some Crewmates hijinks, skeleton friends and a bit of light thievery along the way. Really now, what did you expect from pirates?[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]And on that altogether unsurprising bombshell, we must depart. We’ll be back again as always next month with new delights to round up for you all, but until then, why not drop by and see us on the social channel of your choice? You can find us on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, the official Forums and Discord, so feel free to come and say hello. But with that we’ll have to leave you – The Reaper’s Bones have been making quite the mess and you wouldn’t believe how hard it can be to scrub paint off sea rocks. At least the Megalodon plush is here to help. [/p][hr][/hr][h3]Previously in 2025:[/h3][p]Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2025[/p][p]Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025[/p][p]Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025[/p][p]Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025[/p]

Welcome to a brand new month of Sea of Thieves fun! There are a quite a few bits and bobs for buccaneers to get their teeth into over these next few weeks, so grab your map and let us help you plot a course for all the Events, features and bonuses that June has to offer.

Gold & Glory Weekend – Friday, June 6th – Monday, June 9th

The pirate life isn’t just about the gold, it’s also about the glory – except for when we have an Event on, and it’s actually about both. Hit the High Seas from June 6th–9th to get boosted gold, reputation, Renown and Allegiance in return for your hard work.

Pirate Emporium Gone Fishin’ Sale – Wednesday, June 11th – Monday, June 16th

While Season 15 is now in the rear view mirror, our love of The Hunter’s Call and their fishy friends remains. This month’s Emporium sale discounts some of the more marine life-related designs, including items from the Wrecker Wrangler, Stormfish Chaser, Lionfish and Ruby Splashtail sets. With discounts as deep as 50%, it’s an excellent time to snag yourself a bargain.

‘The Ancient Pillars’ Release – Friday, June 13th

Our latest Sea of Thieves soundtrack addition is the dramatic, driving anthem ‘The Ancient Pillars’, which will be available to stream on Spotify or the alternative streaming service of your choice from June 13th. Guaranteed to make the completion of any task feel grander!

June Monthly Update – Thursday, June 19th

Season 16’s second content update releases on June 19th, bringing with it revamped Reaper’s Chests! As Flameheart’s power and influence grows, these once mysteriously locked chests can now be unsealed – unleashing Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons to protect your crew and attack any foes nearby.

Of course, a new monthly update also brings fancy new wares to the Pirate Emporium and a Voyage of Luck to all players for free, so there’ll be plenty to set sail for when June’s update drops.

Fight Nights Event – Thursday, June 19th – Thursday, June 26th

After making their debut late last year, Fight Nights return! Seek out combat with your Hourglass of Fate and earn double the usual Allegiance and gold for every Faction battle fought during this Event. These boosts will fast-forward your progress towards both the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune and the Skeleton Curse, so put your best foot forward and get ready for some solid seafaring scrapping.

Twitch Drops – Friday, June 20th – Friday, June 27th

Twitch Drops return to accompany June’s content update, kicking off the following day. This set of swag will be available to unlock and claim for seven days, with gold, Seasonal Renown, Voyages and cosmetics all part of the package. There’ll be more information on the specific goodies included later in the month.

Drops are available by linking your accounts and watching any Sea of Thieves Partner on Twitch for the required amount of time. 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!

Sails of Bonded Brawlers – throughout Season 16

Players who have yet to set sail in Season 16 are still able to bag the beautiful blue Sails of Bonded Brawlers. Released in celebration of Sea of Thieves’ launch on Battle.net®, these snazzy sheets remain available to claim for free over the course of Season 16. Just head to the Ship Customisation Chest to find and equip them.

Pride Month – throughout June
Of course, June is also Pride Month, which gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all our sailors’ differences and reaffirm our commitment to Sea of Thieves’ Pirate Code. If you’re unfamiliar with the Pirate Code or just need a refresher, you can take a look here.

This year, we’re thrilled to announce that players can pick up the Progress Pride Flag from the ever-reliable Larinna outside the tavern, for the noteworthy total of 1969 gold. Proud pirates in participating territories will now be able to attach this fabulous fabric to their flagpole forevermore – as while it’s introduced as part of our Pride Month 2025 activities, it’ll stay in Sea of Thieves permanently and be available from the shipwright at any Outpost after June has passed.

We also have other celebratory events planned throughout the month, including a special stream from the studio. So stay tuned for more on what to expect as we honour our queer creators and communities! The sea calls to, and will always welcome, all pirates who wish to sail on it – and from this month onwards, you’ll be able to proudly represent the community with a beautiful banner too.

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3]
Cannon of Rage

• Players being fired from a Cannon of Rage deployed on a moving ship will no longer find their trajectory is affected by the ship’s movement while travelling through the air.
  
• Cannons deployed on the lift at The Reaper’s Hideout will no longer appear flattened.
  
• Cannons of Rage can now be consistently interacted with once deployed. (Released previously as part of an interim update.)

Search for Ancient Secrets

• The Skull of the Banished can no longer be placed inside a Treasure Chest and have its marker hidden from the ship’s map.
  
• Players will now be rewarded with Caskets of Verdant Bones when progressing through the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage, allowing them to work towards the Reaper of Servant’s Offerings Commendations.
  
• Crews will no longer be directed to Plunder Valley when starting the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.

Performance and Stability

• Further security improvements have been made to protect against players attempting to bypass game integrity checks.
  
• Improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly become disconnected from their session. (Released previously as part of an interim update.)

[h3]Known Issues[/h3]
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.

[h3]Full Release Notes[/h3]
These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our latest content update.