Sea of Thieves News

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2024

We can scarcely believe that we’re already into the warm tides of June, but even as we turn our attention to the upcoming delights of the month ahead, we still have one more task to complete before we fully say farewell to May: the regular round-up. So please take a moment to join us in celebrating everything that happened last month in the world of Sea of Thieves…

[h3]Content Update[/h3]
After the major updates in April, it was a relatively quiet monthly update this time around. Following a small hotfix at the beginning of the month, May’s main update introduced numerous tweaks and improvements to recently implemented Season 12 features, as well as a range of new stock for Outpost and Emporium stores. As always, it’s all in the release notes for exploration!

Not that it stayed quiet for long, of course; halfway through May, Gilded Voyages made their triumphant return in a special week-long Event. Pirates flocked to The Ancient Isles in search of rich rewards, not least of which was the military-minded Seamark Tribute Tattoo awaiting anyone who got to the end of one of these glittering Voyages.

Pirates eager for even greater rewards didn’t have long to wait for another treat either, with a Gold & Glory Weekend right around the corner. Who knew that a sea full of thieves could be so generous?

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[h3]News and Features[/h3]
Outside of gameplay, May saw the much-anticipated arrival of Sea of Thieves: The Cookbook! Packed with culinary delights – even by our punishingly high standards – these recipes demand pride of place on any kitchen bookshelf. Not convinced? Maybe Daryl’s own cooking adventures will be enough to sway your opinion…

Elsewhere, it was time for another round of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks, this time offering subscribed players a chance to get their hands on the Ebon Flintlock Pistol, Obsidian Flag and an Onyx Tankard that’s perfect for the Golden Smoothie we’d just learned how to make.

And as always, we couldn’t let a full month go by without taking some time to celebrate the wonderful members of our community, and this time around that meant a Community Spotlight catching up with KeepinitTwisted! From a careful selection of panda-based ship names to the admirable and exhausting climbing of fifty-three floors to raise money for charity, the interview is a whirlwind adventure worth checking out.

[h3]Videos and Streams[/h3]
Since we, for once, weren’t poised to deliver a series of content trailers, May seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Video team to try out something different. Enter our Sea of Thieves Explained video series, answering new players’ vital questions such as what is Sea of Thieves, how is Sea of Thieves and even why is Sea of Thieves? Even the most weathered of sea dogs might find a few new tips and tricks tucked away in these whistle-stop tours of the pirate life, so they’re definitely worth a look no matter your experience level.

One tradition we weren’t about to weasel out of though was Sea of Thieves News, which arrived mid-month to bring everyone up to speed on recent and upcoming changes to the game and various surrounding activities. Please be sure to enjoy the implementation of some top-of-the-range scarf animation while you watch.

Not to be outdone, the team over in Audio wanted to share some more of their own creations and released the ‘Warriors of the Waves’ track for all you music lovers. Buckle up, buccaneers, we’ve got battles to fight.

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[h3]Social Channels[/h3]
Back at the beginning of May, we were still delighting over the recent addition of owls and desperately wanted to hear what everyone had called their new feathered friends. Of course, owls weren’t the only thing added with Season 12 and we continued to explore the new features throughout May, such as experimenting with running speeds and finding out where all these windy horns keep coming from.

As always, there were several rounds of prizes to be dished out. Over in the world of screenshots, we took some time to reflect on the beauty of nature with a Stunning Sunsets round of #SoTShot. Fans of the colour orange were having a particularly excellent time. We were enjoying everyone’s pictures so much, in fact, that we threw a new round of Community Hub picks into the mix as well.

The community’s collective creativity was as inspiring as ever, and our social team decided to carry it on with a little creativity of their own – with… mixed results. Recognising that our artistic powers were simply too strong, we moved along to admiring the knife skills of dextrous pirates and musing on avian crimes. In between that and peering into the near future, we didn’t even have time for a quick nap. Maybe if our crew would give us a hand it wouldn’t be so bad…

And that was May! A mid-Season month so a little quieter than what went before, but still plenty to be getting on with, wouldn’t you agree? Let us know! You can, as ever, find us in all of the usual social places: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. Otherwise, it’s time we were getting back to work. After all, we’ve got places to be! No time to hang around…
[hr][/hr][h3]Previously in 2024: [/h3]
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

Season 12 Community Weekend Welcomes Everyone on June 15th

It’s been just over a month since Sea of Thieves launched globally on PlayStation®5 – and wow, what a rollercoaster it’s been. We’ve been inspired, entertained and truly heartwarmed by the way our community has embraced the new, blue pirates who’ve set sail on our waters of late. Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of Sea of Thieves’ journey since Season 12 kicked off – it’s been such a special time here in the studio, and we can’t wait to continue this wild ride with such a spirited and united community on board.

[h3]A New Dawn[/h3]
And unite, you all did – we can’t quite believe how many of you have come together to indulge in the camaraderie of crossplay. Since we launched on PS5®, a whopping 1,797,963 crossplay crew sessions have taken place, adding up to an outrageous amount of seafaring shenanigans – with 7,283,307 hours of playtime covered in these sessions. That’s the equivalent of 831 years – you could only just finish all of Grey’s Anatomy in that time!

If you like numbers, don’t worry, we have more for you: an incredible 49.8% of all PlayStation 5 pirates have played with someone on a different platform, with so many old salts being wonderful enough to show their new pals the ropes. It’s been a beautiful thing to watch old players and new come together like this. And if you want stats on how many of our lovely new players have been sunk? We couldn’t possibly comment, but if there were any, then we’re sure they’ve learned their lesson.

We have no doubt that with the expertise of our storied and seasoned sailors, many of our brand new swabbies will make it to Pirate Legend in no time. We know that 39,431 PlayStation-based corsairs have already hit Legend status, and we’re looking forward to seeing many more join the fabled ranks of Athena’s Fortune. Of course, you know what’d help everyone grasp their goals a little more quickly, right? A big ol’ Community Weekend, with absolute stonks on offer? Well, on that note, have we got news for you. Drum roll please!

[h3]Season 12 Community Weekend[/h3]
For those of you new here, Community Weekend is something we take super-seriously on Sea of Thieves. It’s a once-a-Season extravaganza of all things community, where we take a full 48 hours to reward and celebrate you all for being the kindest, quirkiest set of pirates to sail the gaming seas. We do this with generous multipliers, a smorgasbord of freebies, time-limited Pop-Up Plunder and tons more – all of which you can expect between 11am UTC on Saturday, June 15th and 11am UTC on Monday, June 17th.

So without any further ado, let’s get into exactly what you can expect during this 48-hour frenzy of fun…

[h3]Full Stream Ahead[/h3]
To raise the Community Emissary Grade, players will once again be tasked with tuning in to Twitch to level up the generosity of our active multiplier, with the total watch time powering Grade progress. It’s simple: all you need to do to help raise the Emissary Grade – and thus increase in-game rewards – is watch any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category between 11am UTC on Saturday, June 15th and 11am UTC on Monday, June 17th. We’ll also be hosting a very special stream on our own Sea of Thieves Twitch channel – but more on that soon…

Every time the Community Emissary Grade levels up, so does the boost to gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation for everyone – with the top Grade offering two-and-a-half times the rewards for your work. These multipliers affect High Seas sailors only, so make sure you plan accordingly (and keep an eye on the horizon during your Community Weekend sessions for fellow pirates looking to steal your fortune).

Of course, we also have a range of Twitch Drops for folks tuning in, with the Stormy Sea Dog Concertina, Eastern Winds Sapphire Silken Gloves, Sage Sea Dog Bucket and Eastern Winds Sapphire Padded Belt all on offer to those who spend a chunk of time watching Sea of Thieves creators over the weekend. The special Drop that will be unlocked after the magic goal of 100,000 Voyages dived to and completed will be the Obsidian Captain’s Bed – another brand new Obsidian item debuting with this special Event.

More goodies await you when you play for the first time during Community Weekend: during the Event period, pirates logging in to Sea of Thieves will swipe a blue-and-green Community Weekend Flag (matching the Picture Walls present at every Outpost!) and the impossibly cute Performing Pup Emote. We can heartily recommend pairing your brand new flag with your New Dawn Sails – a commemorative set of sails available to all who play during Season 12, with a very complementary colour palette.

[h3]Dive Right In[/h3]
We’re also bringing a new dynamic to Community Weekend, letting newer players taste the freedom of diving to more World Events! While many of these are usually locked behind Trading Company progression, for this window only we’re letting all players, of any standing, dive to Skeleton Forts for all core Trading Companies. And even better: during the course of the weekend, players will be able to undertake these as many times as they want. For Pirate Legends of any level, Skeleton Forts for Athena’s Fortune will be unlocked and repeatable too. Result.

Everyone regardless of Pirate Legend status will also be given the option to undertake a single Legend of the Veil Voyage, so newer players can get a taste of the daring and high-value Voyages that await those who cross the threshold (legitimately) into the Pirate Legend Hideout. So, not only is there lots more gold on offer this weekend, there are also a lot more ways to go about making it!

[h3]Pop-Up Plunder Powers On[/h3]
Our time-limited, social media-based loot roulette shenanigans are back for Season 12 Community Weekend! Stay tuned to our social channels for clues on where we’ve tucked away some tantalising treasures on every single High Seas server. Each dig spot will be live for one hour only, so you’ll be racing against time and other crews to make sure you’re first to the loot location.

Good luck, pirates – may your compasses point true and your spades strike our stashes swiftly.

[h3]Tell It to My Hat[/h3]
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. We’ll be watching!

[h3]A Multi-Platform Party[/h3]
We’re so excited to be throwing this Event for new players and old, whatever their choice of platform. Our PlayStation pirates are yet to experience the always-welcoming, sometimes-chaotic wholesome good vibes that come with our Community Weekends, and we hope every single sailor is anticipating what an adventure this first true multi-platform Event will prove to be. It’s set to be a very special event – one where you can reconnect with old friends, make new ones and then maybe sink them if you’re feeling spicy.

Either way, we hope to see you all on the seas – and if you do, please be kind to us. We’re friendly!

PlayStation 5 и эксклюзивы Sony лидируют в американском чарте за апрель, продажи Sea of Thieves и Fallout 4 взлетели

PlayStation 5 и эксклюзивы Sony стали лидерами продаж апреля в США, сообщила компания Circana в месячном отчете. Stellar Blade дебютировала с первой строчки игрового чарта, а кооперативный шутер Helldivers 2 остался на второй — он же является на данный момент самым кассовым релизом 2024 года.

Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.0.1

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[h3]Pirate Emporium[/h3]
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!

Deadlock Jailer Ship Collection
Deadlock Jailer Costume
Deadlock Jailer Weapon Bundle
Deadlock Jailer Double Barrel Pistol and Throwing Knives
Deadlock Jailer Trinket
Crimson Crypt, Lodestar and Dark Warsmith Double Barrel Pistols
Shark’s Bane Ship’s Crest
Captain’s Head Ship’s Crest
Stormfish Chaser Weapon Bundle
Stormfish Chaser Ship Collection (returning from Season Ten Plunder Pass)
Forest’s Blessing Costume Set (returning from Season Six Plunder Pass)
Creeping Cold Costume Set (returning from Season Five Plunder Pass)
Presentation Emote Bundle
In for the Kill Emote (free!)

Emporium Post-Purchase Recommendations

Players purchasing items from the Pirate Emporium will now be shown a recommendation, suggesting similar items they may enjoy and allowing them to fast-track to the suggested offer.

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

The Outpost weapon shops now stock a further range of Heavy Swords and Rapiers from the Seared Forsaken Ashes, Scorched Forsaken Ashes, Parrot, Sunshine Parrot and Nightshine Parrot sets, locked behind their associated Commendations.
The Avian Courtly Jacket is also available from the Outpost clothing shops for gold.

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3]
Gameplay

Players joining a crew in progress near a World Event will no longer find themselves appearing on the Ferry of the Damned, and should now arrive as intended at their crew’s ship.
Players are no longer able to use a fishing rod while travelling through the air to modify their trajectory.
Crews retrieving treasure from on board Skeleton Ships within a Fleet encounter will no longer find those items reappear when a ship resurfaces.
Crews clearing out a Siren Shrine or Treasury will now find the rewards are randomised when the location refreshes, preventing players from farming specific items.
Players rolling a 20 with the Roll a D20 Emote will now unlock the Critical Roll Commendation.
Burying a depleted Ashen Winds Skull will no longer replenish its power when uncovered.
Crews defeated in an Hourglass battle will no longer see a low-quality scene before being sent to the Tunnels of the Damned.
Captains should no longer be able to place multiple Scourge of the Sea Trinkets aboard their ship.
The Captain's Logbook will now consistently appear in the wreckage of a ship defeated in an Hourglass battle.
Crews raiding the Treasury Vault of an emergent Sea Fort will no longer find a suite of Order of Souls treasure, and will instead find a more balanced mix.
The Eye of Reach now deals the intended amount of damage to Ocean Crawlers in vulnerable or shielded states.
Players who have purchased the Parakeet Sea Dog Outfit for their parrot will now see it present in the Pet Chest.
‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Time spent playing the Monkey Island Shanty will now be counted in Milestone statistics.

The War Chest

Crew members will now unlock progress towards the Title Fight Commendation when a Skeleton Lord is defeated by another member of the crew.
Crew members will now unlock progress towards the Rib Roast Commendation when an Ashen Lord is defeated by another member of the crew.

Throwing Knives

Throwing knives hitting a capstan, Ammo Box or Armoury will now disappear and not block player interaction with the object.
After throwing a knife, players should now consistently be able to sprint freely without being impeded.
Players aiming a throwing knife should no longer feel a stutter when moving.
Players will no longer be able to perform a heavy attack and then throw a knife in quick succession when using the throwing knives.
Players stowing their throwing knives while charging a heavy attack will no longer retain the charged state when equipping the weapon again.
Throwing knives now deal the intended amount of damage to Kraken tentacles.
Throwing knives will now behave correctly when dropped off a ship into the water.
Throwing a knife and quickly switching weapons should no longer display a knife attached to the player’s hand.
Throwing a knife into water now displays the full splash visual effect.
Throwing knives lodged in the environment will now glint smoothly when observed while moving around.
Throwing knives stuck in the environment will now fade out smoothly when they expire.

Bone Caller

Bone Caller Skeletons will no longer appear on a sinking ship, and as a ship sinks any remaining skeletons will be destroyed.
During a Kraken encounter, Bone Caller Skeletons will now wait patiently for a threat they can reach.
While inside a Siren Treasury, any skeletons remaining when the water level rises will now be destroyed.
Bone Caller Skeletons can no longer be summoned in the Pirate Legend Hideout.
Bone Caller Skeletons summoned in the Sunken Kingdom will now attack threats on sight and will not wait to be attacked first.

Double Barrel Pistol

Players are now able to queue up a charged shot while reloading, so that once the reload is finished the shot begins charging.
Players can now consistently reload from Ammo Crates/Pouches after using the Double Barrel Pistol.
The Aim Down Sights camera speed is no longer retained after firing a charged shot.
Players who are killed while charging a shot will no longer fire the shot upon death.
Switching equipment after firing an aimed shot with the Double Barrel Pistol will no longer cause the item to appear in its secondary use state.
The Double Barrel Pistol now deals the intended amount of damage to Kraken tentacles and Gold Hoarder Skeletons.
The Double Barrel Pistol now deals the intended amount of damage to Ocean Crawlers in vulnerable or shielded states.
Firing a charged shot while inside a ship will now play the full firing visual effect.

Horn of Fair Winds

The Horn of Fair Winds can now be sold to all Trading Companies for the correct price even when fully depleted.
Players standing at the front of a Rowboat can now be pushed back by the Horn of Fair Winds.
Burying a depleted Horn of Fair Winds will no longer replenish its power when uncovered.
Crews should no longer be able to obtain additional Horns of Fair Winds from the same Sunken Kingdom location in short periods of time.

Pirate Emporium

The Toe Reach Emote has now had its price corrected from 249 to 149 Ancient Coins. Players who purchased the emote at the incorrect price will be reimbursed 100 Ancient Coins.
The Cutler Beckett Costume Set has now had its price corrected from 599 to 999 Ancient Coins.

Environment

Players should no longer be able to see into the environment within The Reaper’s Lair.
Volcano eruptions on Devil’s Roar islands should no longer create visual effect issues on the ground.
Skeletons will no longer become trapped under the stairs at Keel Haul Fort.
Coral Skeletons will no longer become trapped in the scenery in the Shrine of Ancient Tears.
Players should no longer find pockets of water missing within the Shrine of the Coral Tomb.

User Interface

After transitioning a Guild to a new owner, the Guild leader will now be able to begin making changes and not be required to restart the game.
Renown level notifications now display the appropriate Season 12 iconography.
The summary details shown in the Reputation tab for each Trading Company now correctly display the number of Titles unlocked.
Navigating the Report a Player menus with a mouse and keyboard or controller is now a consistent experience.
Tall Tale rewards now correctly fit within their frames when browsing the Quest Table.
‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Dialogue options shown during Insult Sword Fighting are now much more responsive.
Map markers for completed Tall Tales will now correctly display as unlocked on the ship’s map once completed.

Visual and Audio

Players swimming down into the Sunken Kingdom after diving for a Voyage or Hourglass battle will now see the correct atmospheric conditions on their descent.
Shooting a ship’s harpoon no longer displays a white hit marker.
Looking up at a nearby ship while underwater no longer displays a moving shadow effect on the water’s surface.
Several keys have been reduced in size to be consistent and fit properly in players’ hands.
When wielding the Stormfish Chaser Blunderbuss, players’ hands will now rest correctly on the weapon.

Text and Localisation

Small increase made to text sizes to improve accessibility within the My Ships flow on the front end.
Improvements to text sizes within the Tall Tales section of the Quest Table to resolve overlapping text in non-English languages.
The Infinite Depths Weapon Pose Emote now fits neatly within the Emote Radial.

Performance and Stability

PC players adjusting resolution scaling will now see a warning that game performance will be affected.
Reduced scenarios where players may receive a Hazelnutbeard error following migration to a new server.
Further improvements made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game or become disconnected from their session.

[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]Download and Installation[/h3]
Download Size:

Steam: 4.4 GB

Sea of Thieves Spotlight Showcase #7

Well, it’s been a while since we last sat down to put together a Spotlight Showcase! Worry not though, we haven’t forgotten anyone during the intervening months, and now we’re here to bring you a bumper crop of all the Spotlights you might have missed since we last checked in. Let’s go!

First on our list from back in the mists of July is a Community Spotlight with renowned sail scrapbooker Captain Butterfinger! Alongside his efforts to catalogue the wonderful and varied sails of the Sea of Thieves, he took the opportunity to tell us about his favourite moments from playing the game and his excursions into a certain series of simian-themed ’90s point-and-click adventures.

For our first Creator Spotlight of this batch, we decided it was our turn to dig into the details with notorious nitpicker and quirky content creator, TheGeeNee. He ran us through some of his crazier stories in trademark chaotic style, from pig heists to hidden images, interspersed with some genuine advice and notes on the importance of criticism. Also doonaggles, whatever they are.

In August we followed up with another Creator Spotlight, this time with lore aficionado AShinyRay! Known in the community for his story musings and unwavering love of Captain Flameheart, he guided us through his journey from playing Spyro the Dragon on the PlayStation to producing Gears 5 content, all the way to becoming a quality-focused player in the Sea of Thieves community.

For our next Community Spotlight, we chatted with renowned pirate Sally the Swishing Slasher – or, more accurately, the shoutcaster behind Sally, Woodrow Jenkins! It was great to hear more about his history of Rare gaming, his Hide and Seek adventures and his tremendous passion for music. We didn’t even have to bribe him with extra shark content to talk to us. How lucky we are!

Next on the list was a coveted Legend Spotlight as we checked back in with the subject of our first ever Community Spotlight: IOnEI_Falcon! As one of the first people to play Sea of Thieves, he had lots of stories to share about his time on the waves and how he grew into the role of a trusted Deckhand for players worldwide. Not to mention those apparently stellar Guitar Hero skills…

Our next participant as we continued through September also landed a Legend Spotlight, as we caught up with crafty connoisseur Lizalaroo. One of the driving forces behind the ever-popular SoTFest convention, Liz recounted tales of her journey to Pirate Legend, her joyful discovery that the Legendary set matched her colour scheme and, of course, some of her phenomenal creations!

October beckoned and by this point it had been a little while since we hosted a Creator Spotlight, so we raced to catch up with famed speedster YooKay to fill the gap. A record holder for the fastest race to Pirate Legend – under five hours! – and creator of an array of video guides, he was kind enough to take a break from dispensing helpful hints and tackle some of our questions instead.

For our final Community Spotlight on this list, we wanted to go out in style, so who better to talk to than competitive legend PeiRei? Surprisingly for a winner in both the Notorious Arena League and Sea of Champions, he maintained that his fondest Sea of Thieves memory was buying the deeds to Mermaid’s Hideaway and Imperial Crown Fortress. Our estate agent isn’t quite so sure.

Our penultimate entry of this catch-up batch is the Creator Spotlight for real-life fisherman and PvP veteran, CJShiz! From starting out in the Closed Beta by sinking everyone else he came across, to catching some real-life Treacherous Plunder, his Spotlight walked us through his journey to becoming a Sea of Thieves Partner and offered tips for anyone thinking of following in his footsteps.

Taking us into December and the final Spotlight of 2023 was a Creator Spotlight on one of our newer Partners: Toxie Sinclaire. A meme queen and menace on the seas, she explained her approach to the ‘wild ride’ of content creation and the importance of being inventive, but our biggest question remained unanswered: what on earth is going on in that picture with Pendragon?

[hr][/hr]
And we’ll leave it there for now! We hadn’t meant to leave you hanging for quite so long, and the eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that there are a few more recent Spotlights not on this list. Never fear, we haven’t forgotten anyone: the next Showcase will include all the remaining interviews as well as a few yet to come. No one will be left behind!

In the meantime, why not pick some of the interviews above and click through for a complete read? Or, if you’ve already made it through the whole lot, you can check out all our historic Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights via the News page, or of course the previous Showcase round-up. There are always more sides to see of the incredible Sea of Thieves community – delve in and find out!