Sea of Thieves News

Spring is just starting to bloom here at Rare HQ, which means it’s time we got around to the brisk business of rounding up February’s developments! It was a briskly busy month that boasted some extremely exciting announcements, so let’s jump right into the recap…

[h3]Content Update[/h3]
As always, we had a monthly update ready to go, this time integrating Sea of Thieves with the latest Xbox Game Development Kit, making some visual and technical tweaks to various systems – and, most importantly, introducing the first Collector’s Pet fox as the Reaper’s Heart set expanded again in the month of love. For a full rundown of all February’s changes and additions, or just to find out what on earth GDK integration actually means, stop by the relevant release notes and have a read.

With the update behind us, we found ourselves squaring up to another Season’s Community Weekend! That meant encouraging all you fine folks to take to Twitch and watch Sea of Thieves streams, getting that shared Community Emissary Grade up before setting sail and reaping all those increased rewards. At the same time, new Pop-Up Plunder maps had pirates racing to uncover valuable treasures across the seas! All you had to do was find it…

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[h3]News and Features[/h3]
One specific piece of Sea of Thieves news somewhat eclipsed the rest this month, but before that, we had to make sure everyone was fully prepared for Season 11 Community Weekend! Early in the month, our Head of Comms Christina stopped by with all the details and a peek at the goodies on offer for anyone who took part.

Then it was time for the big reveal: Sea of Thieves is coming to PlayStation®5 this April, bringing countless more players in to join the crowds merrily playing on our current platforms! This momentous news obviously raised a lot of questions – namely when we can expect this flood of fresh-faced sailors to arrive – so we made sure there was a full article with all the info ready to unleash following the announcement.

Even with all this going on, our regularly scheduled programming continued with fresh Spotlight features: a Creator Spotlight with Jon Bardcore, digging into his journey from a two-year-old with a NES to a fully-fledged content creator, and a Community Spotlight on Captain McGuffin, Head of Forensics at Ancient Isles University and contributor to the Sea of Thieves Portugal community. Give them a read!


[h3]Videos and Streams[/h3]
Getting into the business of the regular content update and Seasonal Community Weekend early in the month, the video team fired off February’s instalment of Sea of Thieves News to get everyone up to speed. Not long after that, the update made its debut and we got to delight in some of the new cosmetics arriving on the seas.

Bringing Sea of Thieves to a whole new platform is extremely exciting news for all of us, so of course we were going to have a little fun with the announcement videos. That meant finally responding to some historic player-submitted messages, before bringing various team members together to share their thoughts on this new chapter for our favourite pirate playground.

With that news out in the world, it was time for our Season 11 Community Weekend, and with it a Community team Twitch stream! As well as offering another option for watching and contributing to the Community Emissary Grade, the stream also let us support our friends over at SpecialEffect and raise money for the wonderful GameBlast24. Thank you to everyone who joined us and for all the amazing donations, helping us to raise over £40,000 for a fantastic charity!

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[h3]Social Channels[/h3]
Picture-loving pirates had another two rounds of #SoTShot to enjoy in February: firstly sharing some love for their favourite stories outside the Sea of Thieves with creative costuming for the Cosplay Corsairs theme, then, after the Trading Companies complained about being left out, competing to represent their favourite Company in increasingly elaborate ways. Not to be outdone, the Community Hub also featured a fresh line-up, celebrating everything from a perfect loot steal to the friends we really did make along the way.

Player creations weren’t the only things earning some appreciation: we kicked off February by asking everyone to spend a couple of minutes enjoying the majesty of Season 11’s title screen music (while expanding the repertoire of our official soundtrack on all the usual streaming platforms), before getting sidetracked by that same screen’s troublesome bowsprit. At least nobody had time to get too upset about that before being further derailed by discussions of which Shipmate Trinket is the best Shipmate Trinket (the answer is that they’re all the best Shipmate Trinket, don’t listen to that tweet).

All that debate was exhausting, but it didn’t take long to get into another conversation about which island is the best island to run around. Fortunately, by that point Community Weekend was imminent and Picture Wall selfies were providing ample distraction. So much so, in fact, that we got a little too excited when trying to take our own… no matter. The end of the month was fast approaching, so we capped things off with a few tasty jellybeans.


And that was February! Shortest month of the year it may be, but we all managed to get plenty done, don’t you think? Remember, if you want to share your thoughts or keep up with the news as it happens, check in with us on all the usual social channels: Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and the official Forums and Discord. Otherwise, we’ll be over here trying to find a better word than ‘sink’. Bye!
[hr][/hr][h3]Previously: [/h3]
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2024

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[h3]Game Improvements[/h3]
GDK Integration

• Sea of Thieves now operates on the latest Xbox GDK (Game Development Kit). Players on PC are encouraged to update to the latest graphics drivers to ensure the best compatibility and performance.
  
• Sea of Thieves now supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 where supported by the hardware. While the title will now auto-detect and optimise the experience, players can also choose within the game settings.
  
• General client performance improvements should be seen throughout the experience, with PC players seeing the largest improvements.

[h3]Updates[/h3]
Improved Athena’s Fortune Voyages

• The Voyage of Legends and Ashen Voyage of Legends have now been refreshed, providing a shorter session experience and consistently delivering rewards for the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company.

Improved Raid Voyage Rewards

• While diving to a Raid Voyage will continue to reward crews with a concentrated number of high-value items, making the spoils easier to carry than numerous lower-value items, the total quantity and value of items awarded and their visual impact have now been slightly increased following player feedback.
  
• Crews completing Raid Voyages for the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company will now find that only Athena’s Fortune treasure is awarded.

Skull of Siren Song Guild Reputation

• Guild Reputation will now be earned by taking part in the Skull of Siren Song Voyage when this is active on the server.
  
• Crews can earn a modest amount of Guild Reputation when selling an empty Chest of Siren Song, and a significant boost to Guild Reputation when handing in the Skull of Siren Song to Briggsy. The existing gold and Renown earned from these rewards remains unchanged.

Emissary Voyage Improvements

• Players starting an Athena’s Fortune Emissary Voyage in The Devil’s Roar will now be further rewarded with an Ashen Chest of Legends upon completion.

Ashen Winds Skull Value

• The Ashen Winds Skull no longer loses value by being used. Fire away, pirates!

Access to Tall Tales

• All Tall Tales across the Shores of Gold arc, Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and the recently released Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island are now unlocked and can be played freely in any order.

Water Visual Improvements

• Could the water look any better? When viewed from a distance, the surface of the water now appears smoother, improving its appearance.

[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 page to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Reaper's Heart Fox
  
• Reaper’s Heart Instrument Bundle
  
• Reaper’s Heart Lantern Bundle
  
• Reaper’s Heart Equipment Bundle
  
• Islehopper Outlaw Big Bundle
  
• Infinite Depths Big Bundle
  
• Wailing Barnacle Pet Outfits
  
• Toe Reach Emote (free!)
  
• Reaper’s Reserve Bundle (Steam Store)

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

• The Outpost equipment shops have received a new shipment of instruments from the Maestro set!
  
• Players can also pick up the fetching Low Bun Hair from the clothing shops.

[h3]Events[/h3]
Season 11 Community Weekend

• From Saturday, February 24th to Monday, February 26th (11am UTC), all pirates are welcome to set sail and join in our latest Community Weekend with free gifts to snap up, Twitch Drops to claim, player stories to share and more glorious Pop-Up Plunder!
  
• As always, raising the Community Emissary Grade (by tuning in to streamers within the Sea of Thieves category on Twitch) will unlock gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation boosts for all players.
  
• Find out everything you need to know in our Season 11 Community Weekend news article.

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3]
Gameplay

• Crews purchasing Supply Crates from the Merchant Alliance should find that if a player is unable to retrieve a crate, a crate is now provided on the next attempt.
  
• Pirate Legends speaking to the Pirate Lord should now consistently be able to access the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company shop.
  
• Crews diving to a Voyage should no longer find other crews already taking part in the encounter on arrival.
  
• Crews diving to a Raid Voyage and then cancelling the Voyage will no longer gain rewards in addition to those the Voyage would usually offer.
  
• The Legendary Herald Costume now unlocks at the intended level, Athena’s Fortune 100.
  
• Players completing the Trading Company Tutorial Voyages will now earn the intended reputation for the Company.
  
• Tridents will no longer grant Emissary Grade progression when brought on board a ship.
  
• Players speaking to the Servant of the Flame after reaching Allegiance level 100 will no longer incorrectly unlock the Become Pirate Legend achievement.
  
• Completing Medley Voyages will now increase the relevant Captaincy Milestones.
  
• Treasure sold from within a Collector’s Chest will now consistently progress associated Commendations.
  
• Grade 5 Emissary Voyages from The Devil’s Roar will now consistently provide locations within The Devil’s Roar.
  
• Players will once again discover Gold Pouches and the elusive Store Room Key within Sea Forts prior to defeating the Captain.
  
• Diving to a Sea Fort on behalf of a Trading Company will now award the correct number of treasure items within the Treasury and Store Room.
  
• The correct treasure types will now appear in Skeleton Fleet and Athena’s Fortune Sea Fort Raid Voyages.
  
• The Golden Voyager Commendation will now progress when finishing the Gold Hoarders Tutorial Voyage.
  
• Players taking on the Trading Company Tutorial Voyages with other players will now find that tutorial notifications progress for all crew members.
  
• The Commendations for earning a Company Distinction will now be earned at the correct level.
  
• Skeletons inhabiting Siren Shrines will now take the correct number of hits to defeat.
  
• The Ashen Mariner of Guilds Commendation now increases when completing Ashen Voyages and meeting the required criteria.
  
• ‘Shores of Gold’ – Crews who do not take the Gold Hoarder’s Coin from the Compass Vault will no longer become stuck when the door eventually closes, and are able to interact with the medallions and reopen the door.
  
• ‘The Cursed Rogue’ – It is no longer possible to sell the Skeleton Key to the Gold Hoarders.
  
• ‘Heart of Fire’ – Emergent encounters with enemies will continue to occur after starting the Tall Tale.

Environment

• The Shrine of the Coral Tomb should no longer have pockets of water missing.
  
• Skeletons defending Shark Fin Camp should no longer become stuck on platforms.
  
• Players can now manoeuvre a Cannon Rowboat underneath the gate at Shark Fin Camp.
  
• Players will no longer intersect with the coffins near the Bonesmith in The Reaper’s Lair.
  
• Players will no longer be able to pass through the environment within the Shrine of the Coral Tomb.
  
• Skeletons will no longer be seen floating at Molten Sands Fortress.
  
• Sloops will no longer collide unnaturally with the Sovereigns’ jetty at Dagger Tooth Outpost.
  
• Players should no longer find themselves returned to their ship when attempting to use the lift in The Reaper’s Lair.
  
• Players will no longer become stuck within the environment in areas of the Shrine of Hungering.
  
• Players will no longer find themselves getting stuck on the trees near the fish statue at Shark Bait Cove.
  
• The Vault door at Kraken's Fall now descends all the way into the ground.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players will no longer intersect with the statues on Monkey Island.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players will no longer find themselves launched into the air when walking near the rock ladders by the stockade on Monkey Island.

User Interface

• Crew members taking damage will now show the correct Crew Status icon in their nameplate.
  
• The Sunken Kingdom Voyage now correctly displays the appropriate icons to indicate the Voyage length.
  
• Visual improvements have been made to Company-specific notifications when diving below the waves to take on a Trading Company Voyage.
  
• Improved background imagery is now used when a Trading Company promotion is available.
  
• Approaching a Sea Fort will now display the appropriate banners.
  
• When progressing from level 100 to Distinction 1 within a Trading Company, the UI animation will now appear correctly.
  
• References to Old Boot Fort have been removed from maps within the Emissary Tutorial.

Visual and Audio

• The correct battle music will now be heard during the battle while on the Order of Souls Tutorial voyage.
  
• Players should no longer see their hands moving inside the Paradise Garden Eye of Reach while reloading.
  
• The Sailor Figurehead should now change colour to match the selected hull.
  
• The Swashbuckling Story Emote should no longer cause larger players’ arms to bend unnaturally when performed.
  
• During Trading Company Tutorial Voyages, the Voyage completion music should no longer overlap with the outro music.
  
• The Boarhunter Cannons should no longer pop backwards when fired.
  
• Players of all sizes should now see their thumb correctly gripping the handle of the Boarhunter Blunderbuss.
  
• The Scrolls of Charted Waters should no longer intersect when placed on the ground.
  
• The Scrolls of Shrouded Waters should no longer intersect with a Collector’s Chest when placed inside.
  
• Crews uncovering the treasure during an Order of Souls Siren Treasury Raid Voyage will now find the skulls arranged in the correct direction.
  
• Players interacting with the map in the Chronicler’s room of the Pirate Legend Hideout should now stand on the ground correctly.
  
• ‘Dark Brethren’ – Captain Jack Sparrow will now be facing the correct direction when players talk to him.
  
• Monkeys wearing the Outfit of Plenty will no longer experience issues where the outfit intersects with parts of the body.
  
• When aiming the Cronch Pistol, shots fired now more accurately line up with the barrel.
  
• Players should no longer see their hands moving inside the Sawbones Blunderbuss.
  
• The Graveyard Grim Whippet no longer has a noticeable seam around its neck.
  
• The Hoarder Reliquary will no longer intersect with the player’s hand when held.
  
• The Golden Sailor Blunderbuss will no longer push into the camera when fired.
  
• The Piranha Poodle now has the correct eyes and amended tongue animation.
  
• If players place down more than one proposal on the Quest Table, the second proposal no longer overlaps with the Hourglass of Fate.

Text and Localisation

• A sweep across all non-English languages has been completed to address inconsistencies with terminology used across a range of items, locations and characters. Some incorrectly localised location names and types have now been returned to English for consistency.
  
• Instances of overlapping and truncated text have been addressed in Quest Books across a range of Tall Tales and Bounty Maps issued by the Order of Souls in non-English languages.
  
• The Saviour of Siren Song Commendation no longer displays placeholder text within the Pirate Log.
  
• The Captain's Voyage Storage section has now been removed from Info & Tips.
  
• The description for the Lord of Gold Commendation should now display the correct unlock requirements.
  
• The Merchant Alliance Company shop should now display correctly in non-English languages.
  
• The Crate of Elegant Cloth no longer appears with placeholder text in the name.
  
• Crates of Luxurious Cloth are now correctly labelled.
  
• Rag & Bone Crates no longer appear with care instructions.
  
• The description for The Legendary Guardian Title now states the correct Pirate Alignment.
  
• The description for the My Booming Bones Commendation now appears correctly after unlocking it.

Performance and Stability

• Crews leaving the game while diving to an experience should no longer cause server instability.
  
• Improved game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game.
  
• Improved server stability to avoid instances where players are 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: 10.49 GB

The first month of 2024 is officially over, which means it’s once again time for us to huddle close around our lanterns and rake over the latest gossip on what’s been happening across the seas. Settle in and brace yourselves…

[h3]Content Update[/h3]
After the back-to-back content updates of Season Ten throughout the tail end of 2023, you might have expected a quiet few months while we recovered. But no! It was back into the fray upon our return to the office, hustling to deliver an entirely new Season straight out of the gate.

Season 11 swept in with a complete overhaul to how you choose your adventures, complementing the new Quest Table with a rework of reputation and loot across the game. Trying to break down all the changes involved would take too long for this quick round-up, so have a flick through the release notes for the full story. If nothing else, remember possibly the most important detail of Season 11: the rock that has definitely always been there.

The new Season also brought in a fresh Plunder Pass packed with stylish cosmetics to unlock alongside all the other new additions to the Pirate Emporium, plus a variety of wonderful items available to earn via the regular Renown track. All that on top of the new treasure types, new Trading Company costumes and even new Trinket space…

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[h3]News and Features[/h3]
As always, a new Season necessitated a new launch article to help direct readers to the most important information as smoothly as possible. We even tried out a bit of an extended format this time to make sure you had all the vital nuggets of information in one place. You’re welcome!

We also took the opportunity to add to the ever-growing collection of Spotlights. This time, that meant coaxing Dead-Eye Dray onto the stage and grilling them on their experiences as a writer within the community. Ever wondered what goes into supporting fan-run resources like Merfolk’s Lullaby or Golden Sands Blogpost? This’ll give you some idea!

If you’re more into reading than writing, the very end of the month saw the release of the second chapter in the Sea Dog’s Search comic miniseries, continuing Lesedi’s determined hunt for her brother’s soul. Downloading the comic is free, so what are you waiting for?

As a side note for news fans, newsletter subscribers get reminders of all the cool stuff going on in Sea of Thieves and we’ve sent out dozens of issues of the handy Pirate Times email round-up too, so if you haven’t already…


[h3]Videos and Streams[/h3]
The video team are always busy bees when we have a new Season to get out, and January was no different. The latest schedule kicked into gear with the first proper look at what everyone could expect from Season 11 in the form of a Content Update video, followed by a much more detailed Deep Dive in which the dev team were subjected to ruthless questioning about what they’ve been up to.

Once our pirate audience was firmly in the anticipatory spirit, it was time to push the update out and release the third and fourth parts of the video puzzle: the Season 11 Launch Trailer and January’s Pirate Emporium update! Just listen to that rousing music and try to pretend you don’t feel a desperate desire to set sail.

And on the subject of rousing music, January’s streamable addition to the Sea of Thieves soundtrack collection was the phenomenal ‘Becalmed –Shores of Gold’. Listen to that chorus swell! Perfection.

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[h3]Social Channels[/h3]
Over on our social channels, we wanted to start the year with the big questions: what’s the most satisfying sound on the Sea of Thieves, which dig spot should we pick and, most importantly of all, who is eating all these burnt grubs? Seriously, we just want to talk. Once everyone was put off their lunch, we continued to probe public opinion with musings on top-tier title screens and just how many skeletons have fallen victim to you over your long pirating careers.

To lighten that slightly morbid mood, we rapidly moved onto something a little more celebratory: a Community Hub update! For double the delight, we even threw in a second Hub update later in the month, spreading the intense love for the new Fog-Piercing Frog Lantern. Photographic pioneers weren’t left out either, as a #SoTShot competition delighted us with countless Calm Captures embracing the quieter side of the pirate life.

Of course, things never stay quiet for long around here and it was hardly any time at all before we had you representing your ships with GIFs and singing the praises of the Sea of Thieves’ wonderful geology. That vibe continued with a salute to everyone’s favourite rock right after we checked in on how pirates were doing with the newly expanded Company reputation levels. Have you earned your first precious Distinction Rings yet?


All of which neatly delivers us to February and whatever new excitements are in store for the rest of the month. We hope you’ve had a wonderful start to the new year – and the new Season! As always, if you want to keep up to date with all the latest developments as they happen, drop by and see us on all the usual social channels: Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and the official Forums and Discord. For now, we’ve got to dash before the shipwright catches up with us. Go chase that horizon!
[hr][/hr][h3]Previously: [/h3]
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: December 2023

Hello sailors! With a new Season comes a new Community Weekend – and February’s event is jam-packed, ready to entertain you with lots of in-game and stream-based antics across the world wide web. If that sounds good to you, then congratulations, you are correct: it’s excellent news, and we’re here to tell you exactly what to expect from the latest 48-hour shindig we’re throwing in honour of you, our wonderful community.

But before we get into everything involved with this Season’s community-oriented shenanigans, we need to share the most crucial bit: the date and times of proceedings! Season 11’s Community Weekend will start on Saturday, February 24th 2024 at 11am UTC and will finish at the same time on Monday, February 26th – giving you two full days to collect your Twitch Drops, maximise your gold, rep and Renown gains and swipe some shiny treasures via Pop-Up Plunder.

The event also conveniently falls across GameBlast 2024, so we’ll be focusing a lot of our efforts on amplifying and raising money for the wonderful folks over at SpecialEffect. The Sea of Thieves Twitch channel will be alive and ready to shine a light on so many of our amazing community and creator heroes, so make sure you’re following over there to join in the fun.


[h3]Watch Twitch, Get Rich[/h3]
Season 11’s Community Weekend is another promising piratical party providing a plethora of profitable prospects for players heading online during the period. Let’s get into what you can expect…

For those of you who are new here or haven’t participated in a Community Weekend before, let us quickly give you the lowdown on how these Events work. Simply put: this is where we put the power to affect in-game rewards into the hands of you, our players.

To raise the Community Emissary Grade (and the associated in-game reward multiplier), our community are tasked with tuning in to Twitch to level up the generosity, with the total watch time powering Grade progress. So all you need to do to help raise the Emissary Grade is watch any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category while the Event is live. We can heartily recommend tuning in to our special GameBlast24 Community Stream Team or browsing our Partner Directory if you’re stuck for folks to watch!

Every time the Community Emissary Grade levels up, so does the boost to gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation – with the top Grade offering two-and-a-half times the rewards for your work. However, it’s crucial to note that these bumper-sized bonuses will only be available to pirates sailing on High Seas, not Safer Seas. Community Weekends are designed to be super-social affairs, so to enjoy all the benefits they bring, make sure you hop onto those shared servers – and remember to keep an eye on the horizon!


[h3]Yo Dawg, We Heard You Like Free Stuff[/h3]
So would you like some free items to go with your free boosts? Excellent. All players setting sail during this Event can score the latest Community Weekend Flag in beautiful white and red to adorn the top of their masts, while also finding the very silly, very sweet Paw Wave Emote popping into their Vanity Chests.

And that’s not all, as it wouldn’t be Community Weekend with shiny new Twitch Drops to snag – and there are some stunning pieces on offer over this Event! Watching Sea of Thieves streams during Community Weekend will help you unlock four special Drops: the Scarlet Sailor Hurdy-Gurdy, Eastern Winds Ruby Silken Gloves, Hurdy-Gurdy Show-Off Emote and Eastern Winds Ruby Short Jacket.

There’s a brand new bonus goal in town too, which is dive-focused in celebration of Season 11. If players can collectively dive to 100,000 Voyages from their Quest Tables over the course of the weekend, the Obsidian Captain’s Drapes will be unlocked as a bonus fifth Twitch Drop to earn! We’ll be keeping you all informed on how you’re tracking against this additional Community Spirit goal on social media channels, so stay tuned during the Event for updates. We’ll be cheering you on.


[h3]Pop-Up Plunder Returns Again[/h3]
Everyone’s favourite game of dig spot roulette returns for Season 11 Community Weekend with a whole host of loot on offer, plus a brand new set of social media clues. Every few hours we’ll drop a map on Sea of Thieves channels such as Twitter/X and Instagram to persuade you to seek out and swipe some time-limited treasure. As always, our maps will vary in difficulty – so if you’re having trouble solving them, you’re welcome to swing by our Discord server to discuss the clues.

Even when you’ve solved the relevant map-based conundrum, the fun doesn’t stop there – if someone else on your server has worked out where the treasure lies, you might have a scrap on your hands once the loot’s been located. We find it's best to have both shovel and sword at the ready, just in case. Or, perhaps, you can flip for it – one of the more ingenious uses of the Coin Toss Emote.

As with previous Events, there are no guarantees for what loot lies at the end of your journey! So if you want to find out what’s on offer, you’re going to have put in the work (or steal the stash once someone else has done it).

[h3]Death by a Thousand Hats (Sailor’s Version)[/h3]
Hopefully you all know by now that over a Community Weekend, we love to sing the praises of our unsung community heroes – and the way we do that is by handing out the very special Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame at an accelerated rate to some of the wonderful pirates we see in and around our social spaces.

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, we’ll be taking nominations all the way up to and during the Event. This is something you can get involved in starting from now – 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 (the more info the better) using the #BeMorePirate hashtag!


[h3]Come Together, Right Now, On the Sea[/h3]
As Sea of Thieves continues to evolve alongside you, our glorious community of corsairs, we want to take a moment to once again thank you for making our seas such a splendid place to be. February is set to be a big month for pirates, both on our own shores and slightly more distant ones. There’s never been a better time to be of the pirating persuasion, but there’s something special about those of you who specifically sail the Sea of Thieves. This Community Weekend, let’s show them all how it’s done; let’s not just Be More Pirate, but Be Most Pirate!

A new Season arrives on the shores of the Sea of Thieves! On January 23rd, Season 11 introduces
some exciting changes and improvements to how you sail the seas, enabling you to dive into adventure faster than ever before while vastly expanding the rewards and progression pathways on offer.

In this latest free update, multiple systems have been refreshed to streamline your experience as you sail or dive swiftly from one Voyage, Event or Tall Tale to the next. Onboarding has also been expanded with new in-game tutorials featuring the Pirate Lord, removing some of the hurdles for newer players seeking to get to grips with life on the seas!

[h3]Fundamental Improvements[/h3]
The primary feature of Season 11 is the revamp of the traditional Voyage loop, and that starts with the Quest Table. Rather than having to return to an Outpost to buy new Voyages from the Trading Companies, you’ll now be able to access all available Voyages and Tall Tales directly from your ship. Using the redesigned Discover Tab, you can see what activities are on offer and browse suggested Voyages suited to your personal stage of progression!

Once a choice is made, you now have the option to take the plunge and dive to your destination, throwing you straight into the action. As always, loot can’t be carried with you during a dive, but rewards are no longer fully tied to handing in your treasure; instead, a small amount of Company reputation will now be awarded immediately on completion of a Voyage. You’ll still need to cash in your loot if you want the full payout, but all is not lost if you can’t make it to an Outpost!

Of course, diving to your destination might speed up how much you’re able to get done, but setting sail across the Sea of Thieves in the traditional way is perfectly valid, and there are still plenty of reasons to do so. Rewards for completing discoverable events like a shipwreck or Message in a Bottle have been reworked and rebalanced across the board, guaranteeing there’s always something worth finding as you explore.

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[h3]Earn Your Reputation[/h3]
Trading Company representatives may no longer be the source of new Voyages, but you’ll still want to stop by from time to time. Promotions will only be accessible directly from the relevant representatives, for instance. They’re also where you’ll find a revamped cosmetics shop, allowing you to browse all Trading Company clothing and items in a single place.

At the same time, the Trading Companies have undergone a major expansion to allow even established players to continue progressing with their Company of choice, as reputation now increases up to level 100 for all Companies apart from The Hunter’s Call. Reach that momentous milestone and you’ll earn one of five new Distinctions, resetting your reputation with that Company while unlocking a prestigious Distinction Ring for your pirate to wear!

To help you in this pursuit, Raid Voyages have been added to the Quest Table and will become available as you climb the Trading Company ranks, offering a twist on familiar World Events. Rather than the randomised loot selection from these Events when encountered emergently, Raid Voyages come in Company-themed flavours. Choose to undertake these Events and you can work towards a high-value loot pool of items specific to your chosen Company, and the reputation boost that comes with it.

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[h3]New Year, New Styles [/h3]
With a new Season underway, a fresh 100 levels of Seasonal Renown are ready to be climbed by dedicated sailors. As always, that means a wealth of gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins to be earned, as well as a range of clothing, ship and item cosmetics to be claimed as you advance. And, of course, Plunder Pass purchasers can enjoy extra goodies in the form of 750 more Ancient Coins and the complete Well-Travelled Trader collection including Collector’s items.

The Pirate Emporium and Outpost shops are expanding their wares too! The imposing Boarhunter collection has entered the Emporium, containing a ship set, weapon bundle and clothing bundle for pirates with an interest in porcine pursuits. Over in the Outpost stores, the Maestro clothing set might be of interest if you’re a melodic marauder, to ensure your outfit elicits a fanfare everywhere you go.

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[h3]Find Out More[/h3]
For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season 11 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 start playing.

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. Learn more about the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!