Sea of Thieves News

The next bumper crop of Spotlight shenanigans is here! After our last instalment packed in a recap of 10 whole Spotlight articles, bringing us closer to catching up with the current day, we’re now back with the all the more recent entries we couldn’t quite cram in there. It’s going to be a whirlwind to get through them, so everyone take a deep breath. Got it? Let’s go!


First up on our list, we’re jumping back to freezing memories of January and our Community Spotlight with roving writer Dead-Eye Dray. A keen contributor to Golden Sands Blogpost, Ancient Isles University and Merfolk’s Lullaby, it’s amazing that Dray found a spare second to chat with us at all, let alone walk us through their long and storied history in the Sea of Thieves community.


For our first Creator Spotlight of 2024 and this Showcase alike, we dropped by the deck of renowned banana cruncher Jon Bardcore! From his origins as an oldest child being distracted by a NES all the way through to slamming bananas while dropping knowledge and becoming a familiar face in the YouTube guide community, he was full of insights into the world of content creation.


For our next instalment we caught up with another name in the Ancient Isles University roster, Captain McGuffin. A researcher through and through, it’s perhaps little wonder they came to Sea of Thieves as an Alpha tester. Since then, serving as Head of Forensics at the University and a prominent member of Sea of Thieves Portugal has made them a testament to the community.


In March, not long after our Partner Programme welcomed in a host of new faces, we used our next Creator Spotlight to catch up with one of them: Pufferson! Best known for her endeavours as a solo Sloop skirmisher, she walked us through subjects as wide-ranging as how she fell into content creation, normalising discussions of mental health and her real-life sailing experiences.


Halfway through the list now, and we move on to Cap’n Axe! This artwork aficionado shared some details of a background in graphic design and production design, and how it’s helped to shape their experiences producing phenomenal pieces of loot art. They even revealed that they’d worked on an Oscar-nominated film! And that they hate mint. Equally character-defining fun facts.


The Community Spotlights continued with our next instalment and a deep dive into KeepinitTwisted’s whirlwind adventures. Between her own deep dives into Sea of Thieves lore, fierce victories in PvP battles and a coveted #SoTShot win, she’s made a name for herself in almost every corner of the community. We’d expect nothing else from someone who races up 53 floors every year.


Next in line, we turned to a pirate perhaps best known for his striking fashion sense: the Barnacled Buccaneer Fishhook Cook! The conversation, of course, delved into his well-documented love of crustacean-cover clothing, but also took in his favourite in-game moments, achievements and real-life Sea of Thieves events, before closing out on the details of an actual pirate connection.


For the penultimate Spotlight of this Showcase, we concluded our Pride Month celebrations by sitting down with Boatswain and Diversity & Inclusion advocate, Div_And_Inc! Despite admitting to the crime of maining Oddjob in GoldenEye 007, they quickly redeemed themselves with a discussion of all their work to make the Sea of Thieves community a more welcoming place for all.


And, finally, we catch up to our most recent Spotlight victim– uh, participant: Gosfather! As a founding member of our Community Stream Team alongside fellow creators like Div_And_Inc, this spirited streamer had plenty to say about Sea of Thieves, content creation, being a mentor and the correct technique for eating a scone. Answers to all the important questions, really.

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All of which, at long last, brings us up to date! We have plenty more Spotlights in the works to highlight many of the wonderful people who make up this brilliant pirate community, so watch this space to catch more interviews as they happen.

Until then, don’t forget you can always check out previous Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights from the Sea of Thieves News page. Or, if you’d rather take a whistle-stop tour through them in this format, be sure to stop by our previous Showcase and those that came before!

Something is afoot in The Devil's Roar! From August 8th to August 15th (10am UTC), you'll be able to discover mysterious new Ashen Message in a Bottle Voyages throughout this fiery region, leading the way to valuable Ashen treasures.

As an added bonus, all Ashen loot handed in during the Event will earn you increased rewards and help raise your Emissary Grade, to make finding those Bottles even more enticing...

Meanwhile, the forecast for volcanic activity in the Roar suggests things will be surprisingly quiet during these Ashen Expeditions, allowing you to hunt down Ashen Message in a Bottle Voyages and their spoils in relative peace - and pursue the rumours of a unique unlockable reward for doing so. Good luck!

Get additional gold and Renown by completing Daily Deeds from August 2nd-4th. Check the Events tab in the Pirate Log for more information!

The time has come: the resurrected Captain Flameheart is making moves to seize control of the Sea of Thieves. He’s returned from his long banishment with a plan, and his sights are set on retrieving long-forgotten Ancient secrets. Two of the most powerful tools at his disposal as this mission begins are his monstrous flagship, the Burning Blade... and you!

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[h3]Turn Towards the Dark[/h3]
Yes, not only can the Burning Blade be found roaming the seas with fire in its belly and Obsidian Skeletons swarming its decks, Season 13 allows you to board it and declare yourself its new crew once you’ve dulled its fury with a suitable show of strength.

This means pledging yourself to Flameheart’s service, but the rewards are tempting. With ten cannons, a skeletal support crew, Obsidian Ashen Winds Skulls in the hold and the Ashen Roar fireball launcher at the bow, it’s a vessel capable of transforming a rough-and-ready pirate band into a marauding boss battle.

Serving Flameheart, for as long as you wish to do so, involves sailing the Burning Blade to Skeleton Camps found on islands across the map. These are built over Ancient Temples, sites of the lost knowledge that Flameheart craves. Solve the constellation puzzle in any of these Temples to enter the Crypt where an Ancient lies entombed, then complete the Ritual to transfer Ancient secrets to the Burning Blade. The more Rituals performed, the greater the ship’s value when you finally return it to Flameheart at The Reaper’s Hideout for your reward!

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[h3]Stay Within the Light[/h3]
But there is another option. Overcome the Burning Blade and you can choose not to take the wheel and sail in Flameheart’s name, but sink the ship and claim the spoils. The unique reward for doing so is the Blade of Souls, not just a coveted treasure item (with value measured by the Rituals performed before the Burning Blade was sunk), but a fully wieldable melee weapon with the power to set your enemies on fire!

There’s also a reason to visit the Ancient Temples beneath the Skeleton Camps even when you’re not pledged to Captain Flameheart. Battle your way through devout Obsidian Skeletons, solve the constellation puzzle and reach the Crypt – then instead of completing the Ritual within, sabotage it by escaping with the precious Orb of Secrets, ready to be sold to the nearest Trading Company representative who shows an interest...

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[h3]Capture Those Cosmetics[/h3]
In addition to a cache of Commendations and rewards earnable as you explore Season 13’s features in different ways, the new Season brings 100 fresh levels of Seasonal Renown to be climbed. Unique cosmetics along with gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins are all up for grabs as you progress, and an optional Plunder Pass adds more prizes to the pool: for Season 13 this includes the eerie Eclipse ship set complete with Collector’s items, plus the Eclipse Hat, Jacket and Gloves for your pirate and 750 unlockable Ancient Coins to help you recoup the price of the Pass itself.

Over in the Pirate Emporium, the owl pets from Season 12 already have some competition in the form of five fabulous varieties of tropical toucan to share in your adventures. Also new in stock are the Radiant Comet cosmetic set with a stained glass motif, so far including a ship livery, a lantern and a clutch of well-crafted weapons, while the Runway Emote Bundle should satisfy pirates who adore both fashion and drama!

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[h3]Find Out More[/h3]
For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season 13 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 www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

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[h3]The Flame Rises[/h3]
Captain Flameheart has returned, but the real star of Season 13 is his fiery flagship, awaiting crews who have what it takes to claim it for themselves! For an overview of this new Season’s headline features, head to our dedicated Season 13 page.

The Burning Blade

• Ready your crew and take on the Burning Blade World Event! Easily spotted from afar with its telltale burning braziers and skyward beacon, this infernal ten-cannon warship will take a seasoned crew to take it on.
  
• Players who subdue the ship’s Obsidian Skeleton crew can choose to pledge service to the notorious Captain Flameheart and take control of the Burning Blade for themselves. Once in control, the crew will be assisted by Flameheart’s skeletal followers and have access to its weaponry, including Obsidian Ashen Winds Skulls to help repel boarders and the devastating Ashen Roar fired from the bow of the ship.
  
• Loyal Guardians can instead choose to completely sink the Burning Blade and claim its sizeable bounty from the wreckage. This includes the Blade of Souls, a fiery new melee weapon capable of setting foes ablaze!

Skeleton Camps

• Flameheart’s forces have constructed Skeleton Camps across the Sea of Thieves, built over the Ancient Temples hidden below the surface. Crews can discover these camps naturally on islands or dive straight to them from the Quest Table.
  
• Descending into an Ancient Temple, players must unravel the mysteries of the constellations by solving puzzles to unlock access to the Crypt Vault. There, those who oppose Flameheart can put a stop to the Ritual, snatch the Orb of Secrets and deliver it to the Trading Companies for a reward.
  
• Crews who have pledged service to Captain Flameheart and taken command of the Burning Blade, however, should complete the Rituals within the Ancient Temples to gather the lost knowledge that Flameheart seeks.
  
• As crews complete Rituals, Flameheart’s power grows, rewarding pledged pirates accordingly when they return the Burning Blade to him at The Reaper’s Hideout. Crews who instead destroy the Burning Blade and retrieve the Blade of Souls can sell it for a value depending on the Rituals performed before the ship was defeated!

Commendations and Rewards

• Crews choosing to side with the Pirate Lord and sink the Burning Blade will unlock access to items from the Obsidian Bone Crusher set, with ship parts, clothing items and weapons all available to earn.
  
• Those instead choosing to pledge to Flameheart and sail the devastating Burning Blade can unlock the Burning Blade Reborn ship set, and Servants of the Flame who have already drunk from Flameheart’s chalice can unlock new skeleton cosmetics and bone colours when crewing the Burning Blade as skeletons.
  
• Players taking the Orbs from the Temples can unlock the Cracked Orb Lantern, and those seeking to steal the Orbs from unsuspecting crews can earn the Reaper’s Bones Shattered Mask.
  
• Descending deep into the Ancient Temples below the Skeleton Camps to unravel their mysteries will unlock access to new tattoos for your troubles.

[h3]Season 13[/h3]
Another Season means 100 new levels to climb by raising your Renown, with racks full of rewards to snag along the way – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more. Emissaries aren't forgotten either, with the latest Company-themed cosmetics for qualifying Ledger performances!

Season 13 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 13 will reward players with Bloodstone Dragon cosmetics alongside other time-limited Seasonal specials. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
• Pick up the latest Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Eclipse set, including a full ship set plus the Jacket, Hat and Gloves, all available to earn by raising your Renown. Purchase a Pass in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, via the Pirate Emporium webpage or the Steam Item Store.

Season 13 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘Secrets of the Ancient Flame’ Painting, Dark Hand of Fate Ornament and Guild of Fiery Spirits Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  
• The Trading Company Emissary Ledgers have been refreshed this month with the previously lost Pocket Watches. Players can therefore now earn the Tribute Peak, Relic of Darkness, Merchant Ambassador, Masked Renegade and Magpie’s Glory Pocket Watches when reaching the top tier of the Ledgers. Players who have previously unlocked all rewards within the Ledgers will find these new Pocket Watches already in their Equipment Chests!

Chest of Fortune

• The Chest of Fortune has now been locked away in the belly of the Burning Blade, challenging crews to sink this formidable ship to claim its prize.
  
• Crews who retrieve Chests of Fortune can now earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation, unlocking access to the Fates of Fortune Fishing Rod, Shovel, Pocket Watch, Tankard and Speaking Trumpet.
  
• An additional reward has been retroactively added to Grade II of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation, which now contains the Fates of Fortune Gloves. Players who already earned Grade II prior to this update will be able to purchase the gloves from the Outpost clothing shops straight away.

Reaper’s Chests

• Crews chasing down the telltale beacon of the Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty can earn the next Grade of the Reaper’s Riches Commendation, and start unlocking access to the Fates of Fortune Hurdy-Gurdy, Concertina and Scar.

[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!

• Radiant Comet Ship Collection
  
• Radiant Comet Weapon Bundle
  
• Radiant Comet Lantern
  
• Cloudburst, Treetop, Brightbill, Seaspray and Sugarspun Toucan pets
  
• Runway Emote Bundle
  
• Mayhem Ship Bundle
  
• Sting Tide Cutlass (free!)

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

• Outpost clothing shops have received a shipment of brand new items and now offer the Proud Plume clothing set, available for gold.
  
• The Cephalopod Courtly Jacket, Whalebone Tattoo and Tentacled Terror Tattoo are all available from the Outpost clothing shops for those with enough gold to spare.
  
• Outpost weapon shops now carry a range of armaments from the hand-carved Carpenter’s weapon set.
  
• Outpost weapon shops also stock a selection of heavy swords and rapiers from the Kraken, Inky Kraken and Venomous Kraken sets, locked behind their associated Commendations.

New Throwing Knives

• The Outpost weaponsmiths now stock a choice of new throwing knives, all locked behind lofty accomplishments.
  
• The Cartographer Throwing Knives are unlocked upon completion of the Triple Threat Thrower Commendation, the Guardians of Fortune Throwing Knives unlock at Allegiance level 50 with the Guardians of Fortune, and the Servants of the Flame Throwing Knives unlock at Allegiance level 50 with the Servants of the Flame.

Season Six Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Six have arrived in Outpost shops and can now be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Players can now purchase the Naval Commander clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items that were available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also pick up Belle’s Hat and Stranger’s Cutlass.
  
• The time-limited Dark Relics items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Six.

[h3]Gameplay Improvements[/h3]
Post-Defeat Ship Sinking

• Once a ship is destroyed, the time taken for it to sink and release its cargo has been reduced, allowing the sunk crew to interact with the mermaid and head to their new location more quickly.
  
• While each ship previously had a unique sinking time, this update brings them to consistently shorter post-defeat sinking times.

Bone Caller Skeleton Improvements

• Summoned Bone Caller Skeletons will no longer uncover players using a hide emote to hide in plain sight.
  
• Players being chased by Bone Caller Skeletons will now be able to hide if they are able to lose line of sight and complete the hide emote before being found.
  
• Players can now lure Bone Caller Skeletons to a location by firing a weapon and hiding again, causing the skeletons to patrol the location of the sound.

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3]
Gameplay

• When boarding a ship from the sea, players can no longer silence the boarding audio effects by grabbing the ladder while repeatedly holding out items, ensuring nearby players will always hear the signs that someone is boarding from the water.
  
• Players can once again summon text chat after rebinding it to either the C key on the keyboard or R3 button on PlayStation®5.
  
• Crews diving for an Hourglass battle as a Grade 1 Emissary, and earning enough following a win to skip straight to Grade 3, will now correctly progress Commendations that required Grade 2 status to unlock.
  
• Crews are no longer able to vote down an Emissary Flag in the short window after the sinking death knell is heard and before the ship is destroyed.
  
• The Gold Hoarders Boots can now be found in the correct shop at Outposts.
  
• Players using a mermaid to leave a stormy area and return to their ship should no longer find themselves sometimes unfortunately struck by lightning when arriving back on their ship.
  
• Snakes caught inside crates will now attack players when held and stationary.

Performance and Stability

• Players should no longer experience scenarios where the sea becomes frozen or reduced to moving slowly, significantly affecting gameplay.
  
• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

The War Chest

• The Twin Shot Target Commendation is now visible in the War Chest when progress has not yet been made.
  
• Bone Caller Skeletons roaming a ship now offer a short grace period before attacking players returning from the Ferry of the Damned.
  
• Throwing a knife at a blocking player will now display the correct visual effects.
  
• Players can now retrieve Deadlock Jailer Throwing Knives embedded in the environment without having throwing knives in their loadout.
  
• When a charged shot is fired from a Double Barrel Pistol, the animation no longer shows the hammer being primed before reloading, allowing the weapon to now reload more quickly.

Visual and Audio

• When a player boards a ship, the audio cue is now only heard around the vicinity of the ladder and not from further away.
  
• Battle music during Faction Battles will now continue to be heard after a player has died and returned from the Ferry of the Damned.
  
• Several wheels have been improved to prevent players’ hands from intersecting with the handles when turning.
  
• Pigs caught in a Pig Crate will now appear at the correct size.
  
• Transitioning from a Sleep or Sit Emote to any other emote now updates the camera zoom point correctly.
  
• When wielding a pocket watch, players will now flick the watch open.
  
• Improvements have been made to the blade textures of the Gold Leaf Cutlass.
  
• Performing the Scrappy Weapon Pose Emote no longer causes players' hands to intersect with throwing knives.
  
• When a player is observed using a spyglass, the item should no longer intersect with their head when looking towards the ground.
  
• The grog inside the Evening Tide Tankard now appears correctly.
  
• The Legendary Spirit Pistol should now fire in line with the pistol’s centre point when aiming.
  
• Larger pirates wearing the Paradise Garden Costume should now fit snugly without visible seams.
  
• The colour of the Frozen Horizon Frigid Hair tips is now maintained when a headband is equipped.
  
• Placing the Scrivener’s Writing Set on a ship now results in it sitting neatly in place.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – The skull that Guybrush finds in the catacombs now sits in his hands while animating.
  
• ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ – When unlocking the Summon the Beast shanty, the notification now shows the correct iconography.

Environment

• A visible hole in the Vault wall at Fetcher’s Rest has been filled.
  
• Improvements have been made to the shorelines at Plunder Valley and Sailors’ Bounty to ensure the waves crash smoothly onto the beaches.
  
• Treasure dropped near the Vault doors on Sailor’s Knot Stronghold will no longer fall beneath ground level.
  
• Pets will no longer be automatically removed from hangout spots within the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• Floating items in the Shrine of Ocean’s Fortune have been removed.
  
• Players can now smoothly pass through a gap under one of the platforms on the eastern side of Skull Keep without getting stuck.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Portrait Trinkets now only fit on certain hanging spots around the ships to prevent them from intersecting with other items.

User Interface

• When attempting to invite players to a Guild, the invite menu should now consistently show all available friends.
  
• After navigating from the Discover tab on the Quest Table, returning to the Discover tab will retain focus on the previously selected option.
  
• Players diving to an encounter and receiving an extended wait in the Tunnels of the Damned will once again be shown notifications that the search is still in progress.

Accessibility

• Players on PC using the ‘Toggle Radial Menus’ accessibility setting will no longer find that pressing the Q and E keys together causes the Game Options menu to become stuck on screen.

Text and Localisation

• Players using French localisation will now find that the Seaposts have reverted to their English names as used previously.
  
• ‘The Fate of the Morningstar’ – Improvements have been made to the Tall Tale Quest Books to resolve a range of text issues when playing in Japanese.

[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: 6.62 GB