Sea of Thieves News

Past and Present Collide in 'The Secret Wilds', Live Until Feb 2nd!

The festive season has come and gone, but while pirates across the waves were busy celebrating Grogmanay, the Order of Souls were hard at work. Hoping to cure Tasha the tavern keeper of a skeletal curse that’s consuming her, Madame Olivia has now recovered memories of Captain Briggsy – the notorious rogue who once searched far and wide for the rumoured restorative that would free her from her own fleshless fate.

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[h3]Memories of the Mask
[/h3]

Sea of Thieves’ previous Adventure, ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’, tasked pirates with recovering keepsakes hidden by Briggsy long ago, intended to train Tasha in pirate practices as she went about retrieving them (if you need to learn more about this quest, our latest Adventures Ahead article can fill in the blanks). Three of these gifts were successfully delivered to Madame Olivia at Plunder Outpost, but that was only the beginning of the story...

All too aware how dangerous it would be to place a Skeleton Lord’s spirit back into their waiting skull, Madame Olivia has accomplished an equally tricky task, imbuing Briggsy’s distinctive mask with the memories of its former owner. How close was Briggsy to locating the cure she so desperately sought? The only way to find out is for pirates to take up the mask, learn the truth from Briggsy herself and journey to The Wilds in her wake.

[h3]Star Power
[/h3]

Inquisitive crews will soon discover that Briggsy’s mask confers more than one advantage. Its jewelled eye is no mere gemstone; rather, it houses Ancient knowledge of secret starfields, each very different from the night sky to which pirates have become accustomed. When considered correctly, these constellations reveal a long-forgotten tale of duty and sacrifice that set Briggsy on her path to the cure, though all may not be quite as it seems...

Picking up the quest that Briggsy began so long ago is a considerable undertaking. Cunning and curiosity will be needed in equal measure if Tasha is to be saved, especially when The Wilds continue to bloom with strange, lush patches that suggest powerful forces are at work behind the scenes. To start your journey into ‘The Secret Wilds’, begin the Adventure by speaking with Larinna outside the tavern at any time between now and February 2.

[h3]Battle Boosts
[/h3]

Elsewhere on the waves, the Battle for the Sea of Thieves continues to rage between the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame. The team at Rare have been hard at work improving the PvP matchmaking feature set based on player feedback, with the aim of allowing Faction crews to seek out combat much more swiftly.

As detailed in the latest release notes, today’s content update not only delivers a new Adventure but includes a number of enhancements to these on-demand ship encounters, including same-Faction battles designed to boost the pool of viable opponents and get battle-hungry crews into the fray with a minimum of waiting.

[h3]Find Out More
[/h3]

For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. This update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game 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. Learn more about Sea of Thieves here, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 2.7.2

It’s a triple treat in this month’s content update as we point the way to a brand new time-limited Adventure, score a bullseye in the Pirate Emporium and deploy another set of improvements to the Battle for the Sea of Thieves! If you need a reminder of what everyone’s fighting about, rediscover the Season Eight trailer below...

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You can also look back on the release notes from Season Eight’s launch for the complete picture, but if you know full well what the state of play is on the seas these days, don’t let us keep you any longer from sifting through the spoils of this latest update!

[h3]Adventures[/h3]
Time is running out for Tasha the tavern keeper as her skeletal curse continues to spread, and Madame Olivia relies on the aid of adventurous pirates as she strives to find a cure. Will you retrace Briggsy's steps through the secrets of the past in this eleventh time-limited Adventure?

‘The Secret Wilds’ (January 19th – February 2nd)

To start the Adventure, talk to Larinna and be directed to Madame Olivia at Plunder Outpost. She will then explain the importance of retracing Briggsy’s steps to find a cure for Tasha.
To aid pirates in their quest, Madame Olivia will hand over Briggsy’s Mask that will allow them to view hidden starfields. Tasha will also provide one of her childhood storybooks that she hopes will aid in the search for a cure and the missing amulet fragments.
Pirates who fully complete the Adventure will earn an exclusive Title and a cosmetic reward to serve as a Memento of their quest.

[h3]The Battle for the Sea of Thieves[/h3]
From battles for honour within the same Faction to rebalanced rewards, another round of improvements have been made to on-demand ship combat in this update. Rejoin the Battle for the Sea of Thieves and rack up some Allegiance in the most balanced experience to date!

Same Faction Battles

Improvements to matchmaking now allow players the opportunity to battle against other crews from the same Faction in a battle for honour. These improvements will reduce matchmaking times for all pirates seeking battle!
Crews will vote on the War Map and begin searching for an opponent in a rival Faction as before. However, after a period of time when a rival has not been found, the search for crews will expand to include those from the same Faction.
These battles for honour within a Faction will play out in exactly the same way as a traditional battle, with Allegiance, Hourglass Value and Streaks all continuing to be earned. Most Commendations and Captaincy Milestones will also continue to progress, omitting those that specifically involve the opposing Faction.

Additional Battle Locations

Two crews travelling beneath the waves and resurfacing to fight will now find around 50 new battle locations have been added across the seas where an encounter can take place.
Many of these new locations will be only a stone’s throw away from a nearby Outpost, allowing the victors an opportunity to leave their Faction and claim their Hourglass value or restock before diving back beneath the waves.

Allegiance Balancing

Crews who are defeated in a Faction battle will now receive a slight increase to their Allegiance as compensation for their loss.
Crews fighting for the Servants of the Flame and flying a Reaper’s Emissary Flag will now earn increased reputation for The Reaper’s Bones upon winning a battle.
Crews who lose by being run out of the battle area will now receive a small amount of Allegiance as compensation for their loss.
In rare circumstances, crews may find they are not moved away from a server after sinking while in a Faction. In this scenario, crews will no longer receive Allegiance for repeatedly sinking the same ship in a server, preventing opportunities for crews to progress faster than intended.

Deterring Teaming in Battles

Improvements have been made to matchmaking rules to reduce the chance of crews encountering a battle with multiple opposing ships.
Crews who discover two Faction ships in a battle will no longer be rewarded with Allegiance, Streak increases or Hourglass value for joining the fight and sinking the Faction ships, as they are not part of the battle.

Update on Cross-Stamp Matchmaking

While we announced cross-stamp matchmaking in the January edition of SoT News, a critical issue was uncovered during final testing. To ensure the stability of our matchmaking as it stands, we've pulled this feature from today's release and will deliver it following further testing when we can implement it with greater confidence.

[h3]Pirate Emporium[/h3]
Get your head down for a new month of Emporium additions! The Labyrinth Looter collection leads the charge with a ship set, costume, weapons and drum. But there's an Oar-Inspiring new set of emotes too, and you'd need to have a heart of stone to ignore the Pocket Pebble Emote...

Season Eight Plunder Pass

Anyone wishing to take full advantage of Season Eight rewards can still buy the Plunder Pass. Any rewards unlocked will become available upon purchase, so players who have raised their Renown throughout Season Eight can instantly see their hard work rewarded before the Season ends.
This Season’s Plunder Pass offers early access to the complete Ravenwood Ship Collection and evolving Ravenwood Costume, and can be purchased at any time through the Pirate Log, Pirate Emporium, or Steam Item Store.

Labyrinth Looter Ship Collection

Reminisce over your near-mythical misadventures with this ancient ship livery. Collector’s Sails and Figurehead are available to purchase separately.
Players can also pick up just the core components of this set at a discount in the form of an Essential Ship Bundle.

Labyrinth Looter Costume

Start a beef in this outfit inspired by a hulking beast of myth! The mask might smell awful, but it’s worth it for the intimidation.
If an enemy gets too close, give them due warning with the built-in Charge Up Emote.

Labyrinth Looter Weapon Bundle

Adorned with trophies from your amazing adventures, these weapons let everyone know you're not to be trifled with.

Labyrinth Looter Drum

If a drum isn't enough for you, it doubles as a maze puzzle to keep you entertained on long nights at sea.

Oar-Inspiring Emote Bundle

Oars can be good for more than just rowing, as these inventive emotes allow you to demonstrate.

Pocket Pebble Emote

The seas can be lonely, but now there’s a handy pet rock to help keep you sane. It’s even got a little smiley face!

Freebie Come On Emote

Beckon other pirates over to face what’s coming with this freebie emote.

Time-Limited Lunar Festival Pet Outfits

Get your pet dancing like a dragon to celebrate the Lunar Festival in one of these striking pet outfits, back on sale for a limited time.

Amazing Adventurer Bundle (Store Only)

Why risk venturing into perplexing passageways, especially ones where legendary beasts roam freely, when there's a safer way to acquire treasures? The Amazing Adventurer Bundle contains the bullish Labyrinth Looter Costume, Weapon Bundle and Drum, as well as 550 Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium and a bonus haul of 25,000 gold. Head to the Steam Item Store to find out more.

[h3]Outpost Cosmetics [/h3]
Bristling Barnacle Cosmetics

Show off your love of the sea with the new Bristling Barnacle clothing pieces, ship set, weapons and equipment. All can be purchased for gold from the appropriate shopkeepers.

Wailing Barnacle Hairstyles

New hairstyles for this old favourite set are now available to purchase for gold from the Outpost clothing shops.

[h3]Updates[/h3]
Storage Crate Pricing

Storage Crates have now been reduced in price, and can now be purchased from the Merchant Alliance for 5,000 gold instead of the original 17,500 gold.

[h3]Events[/h3]
Twitch Drops

Continue to unlock even more cosmetics throughout Season Eight with Twitch Drops! Stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels to find out when Twitch Drops will be active for Partnered streamers, allowing players to earn Eastern Winds Sapphire items.
Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.

[h3]Fixed Issues[/h3]
Gameplay

Treasure can no longer be used around ships to reduce the damage taken from cannon fire.
Treasure held by a player will no longer float in the air after being harpooned.
Pirates will no longer be able to shoot through the wall underneath the stairs on the Sloop and damage players outside the ship.
Treasure collected from wrecks within the Sunken Graveyard during the Legend of the Veil Voyage should no longer disappear from a crew’s ship after finishing the Voyage.
Storage Crates acquired from Skeleton Ships can now be buried.
Cannonball Crates of the Damned released when completing Order of Souls Ghost Ship Voyages will now only reward a single Wraith Cannonball.
Athena’s Fortune artefacts found during the Legend of the Veil Voyage will now progress the Hider of Legendary Secrets Commendation when buried.
Animals will now take damage when caught in the blast of cannon fire, explosions and blunderbombs.
Ships can no longer be attacked by a Kraken while traversing the Tunnels of the Damned.
Shadow Skeletons in the Fort of the Damned will now be instantly stunned if they emerge into an area with the correct type of lighting.
If players shoot through a broken Rum Crate and hit a Gunpowder Barrel, the barrel will now explode as intended.
The Old Brinestone Fortress storeroom key will no longer be present in the lock after the Fort has cleared, allowing crews to gain access again in the future.
‘Dark Brethren’ – Collecting the Siren Heart from Jack while holding an item will now drop the held item on the ground and collect the Siren Heart.

The Battle for the Sea of Thieves

Ships that become beached and subsequently destroyed during a battle will now cause that crew to lose the encounter.
Crews should no longer experience the rare scenario where they surface for battle only to find another battle already taking place.
The Ghost Lord Commendation is now unlocked when meeting the requirements needed.
The Commendations entitled Risk It All, His Favourite Crew, In His Name, Running the Risk, Exemplary Captain and Pretty Good At This will now progress for Captains and crewmates alike when sailing on a Captained ship.
The Proven Your Worth Commendation has now been removed. The Guardian Ghost Spyglass and Guardian Ghost Speaking Trumpet can still be earned by earning the Quite the Collection Commendation.
Players will now need to earn the His Favourite Crew Commendation in order to unlock the Twin Pegs lower body cosmetic instead of the previously listed Commendation.
Players will now need to earn the Quite the Collection Commendation in order to unlock the Guardian Ghost Flag instead of the previously listed Commendation.
Sitting down or sleeping while below the waves waiting for another opponent will no longer cause the player to become stuck or removed from the ship, or for the player’s camera to become stuck in the environment when a rival is found.
If a crew’s ship is lost due to becoming beached on land, the ship will now retain its Faction status.
Quickly rotating the Hourglass of Fate and joining a Faction should now consistently display the correct Faction alignment.
When the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune or Ritual of the Flame cutscenes begin playing, only the players who are observing the cutscene will see the subtitles.
Crew members leaving during the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune or Ritual of the Flame cutscenes should no longer cause the cutscene to end.

Captains of Adventure

Captained ships with a large number of Captain’s Voyages in the Bookcase should no longer experience issues when purchasing ship supplies.
Completing A Commission of the Ancient Veil now updates the Milestone for ‘A Veteran Voyager’.
Players can now flip through the pages of a Ruined Logbook.
As the ship is sinking, the Captain’s Logbook interaction prompt now disappears.
When a crew member picks up their own Logbook from a wreck, their gamertag icon will now show that treasure is being carried.
Captains changing a Ship’s Banner should now see the new banner after leaving the Ship Customisation Chest.

Pirate Emporium

Players will now be able to repair the Soaring Oracle Wheel as normal.
Players’ hands no longer intersect with the top of the barrel when reloading the Soaring Oracle Eye of Reach.
Players can no longer equip belts over the top of the Soaring Oracle Costume.
Players can no longer equip an eyepatch while wearing the Soaring Oracle Costume which includes the blindfold.
The visual effects for the Soaring Oracle Costume emote have now been corrected for all body types.
The aurora effect on the Boreal Aurora Cannons and Capstan is now consistent all the time.
The Ravenwood Costume visual effects will now appear correctly when performing the emote while sailing on a ship.
Players’ hands will now appear correctly while wearing the Mandrake Costume.

Environment

The unfurled War Map no longer intersects with the Bone Crusher and Bilge Rat Captain’s Tables.
Players will no longer be able to swim away from the Shrine of Ancient Tears and appear beneath the sea bed.
It is no longer possible to swim onto the exit at the Shrine of the Coral Tomb.
Players will no longer appear to start swimming on a wall at the Shrine of Ocean’s Fortune.
There is no longer a hole deep underground at Wanderers Refuge.
The player camera will no longer intersect with the ground while sitting south-west of the tavern on Sanctuary Outpost.
Players will no longer intersect with Phantoms when sitting in the Tavern of the Damned.
Players sailing on a Galleon will no longer be able to sit on a barrel where pets may also sit.

User Interface

The fire and retract actions of the harpoon can once again be rebound within the Settings menu.

Visual and Audio

Pirates will no longer appear tiny if they emerge from a Rowboat cannon when returning to the ship via a mermaid.
The Ghostly Curse will now appear consistently when equipped by pirates of all body types.
Scooping audio will no longer play when using a bucket on a dry deck or island.
‘The Sunken Pearl’ and ‘Dark Brethren’ – Areas of rising and lowering water during the Tall Tales no longer display an incorrect texture.
‘Lords of the Sea’ – Jack Sparrow’s voice now stays in sync with his location throughout the Tale.

Text and Localisation

The Athena Shield, Is That All You’ve Got, Hunt Them Down and Righteous Victory Commendations all now have the correct requirements to unlock them listed within their descriptions.
The descriptions for rank 70 and 75 promotions for Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance and Order of Souls have now been corrected.
The text on Merchant Alliance quest parchments now appears correctly when the language is set to Russian.
Samuel in the Pirate Legend Hideout no longer has an error in one of his dialogue options.
The War Map tooltip for choosing to fight a larger foe is now a consistent size with other prompts.
‘The Legendary Storyteller’ – The Tall Tale book will no longer have overlapping or compressed sentences when the language is set to Thai.

Performance and Stability

Improvements have been made to reduce scenarios where players can experience extended black screen loading times when using a mermaid or returning from the Ferry of the Damned.
Reduced instances where players are being disconnected from their session when travelling through the underwater tunnels.
Ubebeard error message should no longer appear after rapidly changing tabs from within the crew selection screen when setting up a session.
Improved server stability to decrease the chances of players becoming disconnected from their session.
Improved client stability when interacting with the Captain’s Logbook while playing on Xbox One.

[h3]Known Issues[/h3]
Reduced Server Performance

Players may experience scenarios where they encounter ping spikes at random while playing, resulting in rubberbanding or client stutters. While improvements were most recently released in update 2.5.3, the team continue to work on further improvements for future updates.

Ranged and Melee Weapon Hit Detection

In areas of intense action, players may find themselves firing shots or landing strikes that do not cause damage to their targets. While small improvements continue to be delivered during our regular updates, we are continuing to investigate and identify further improvements to the player combat experience.

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: 8.1 GB

Adventures Ahead: ‘The Secret Wilds’

If there’s one thing that can travel across the waves faster than a Galleon at full billow, it’s gossip. Grog-houses across the Sea of Thieves continue to buzz with stories and speculation, discussing strange areas of lush growth and sapphire skies that have mysteriously appeared throughout the normally desolate region known as The Wilds.

Over at The Unicorn tavern, however, Tasha is in no mood to join in with rumourmongering as she continues to face a private peril of her own. Her last few weeks have been spent waiting impatiently for answers to arrive, however indirectly, from an old friend…

[h3]Testing Times[/h3]
There are many different kinds of transformative curses that can plague pirates going about their business, but not all of them are entirely unwelcome. Some crews will even go so far as to accept an affliction willingly as a sign of dedication to the likes of Captain Flameheart, while the Gold Hoarders consider a glittering finger or two nothing more than proof of a hard day’s work.

Tasha, on the other hand, never asked to be cursed, and while she remained oblivious to the root cause of her cadaverous conversion (discovered shortly before the events of ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’), she was not about to sit back and let it consume her without a fight. Recalling tales of a cure told by her friend and mentor, the notorious Captain Briggsy, Tasha set out for Plunder Outpost to confide in the Order of Souls, hoping that they’d be able to provide her with more concrete information.

Unfortunately for Tasha, Briggsy’s skull had been drained of its memories years ago, after her own skeletal transformation led to a fatal confrontation with pirates who knew little of Briggsy’s tragic past. This complication forced Madame Olivia to gather the knowledge she needed in a much more unorthodox fashion...

[h3]The Eye of the Beholder[/h3]
Briggsy had buried many keepsakes throughout The Wilds, intending them to be discovered by Tasha once she was old enough. Madame Olivia wisely recruited pirates who were willing to retrieve several of these guarded gifts on Tasha’s behalf, uniting the mementos with a paranormal process intended to extract memories of days long past. Much to Tasha’s relief, that ritual has finally been completed, granting Olivia fresh insight into Briggsy’s time in The Wilds – and setting the stage for another expedition to uncover the truth.

Unwilling to risk bestowing any kind of power upon the skull of a Skeleton Lord, Madame Olivia has instead chosen to transfer these memories into Briggsy’s distinctive mask, ready to be wielded by pirates prepared to undertake this Adventure. Whoever dons the mask will hear the wisdom and insights of the Cursed Rogue herself as they follow in her footsteps, scouring The Wilds on the hunt for a cure to Tasha’s curse.

And yet, as is always the case with the legends of Captain Briggsy, all is not as it seems. The distinctive jewel in Briggsy’s mask, which Madame Olivia once assumed to be little more than an ostentatious decoration, has proven to contain knowledge of its own. In fact, the gem is a star map created by the Ancients, and has been used to chart constellations that appear strangely different to the night skies today’s pirates have come to know.

[h3]Starring Roles[/h3]
As Sudds would explain at length if given the opportunity, the Ancients sought to preserve their folklore and so enshrined many of their most important legends in the heavens. Wherever these strange constellations may have originated, Briggsy clearly believed that the mythology behind them was closely tied to the curse that affected her and now attacks Tasha – and, perhaps, the means to reverse it.

If Tasha is to be saved, it will be up to pirates to complete Briggsy’s odyssey and decipher the meaning behind these strange stars, not to mention any connection the constellations might have to the recent revitalisation of The Wilds itself. Crews will get their chance to see the world through the eyes of a Legendary Storyteller when ‘The Secret Wilds’ launches on January 19th. What happens next is written in the stars…

[hr][/hr]
[h3]Previously: [/h3]
Adventures Ahead: ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’ Adventures Ahead: ‘Return of the Damned’ Adventures Ahead: ‘The Herald of the Flame’ Adventures Ahead: ‘The Sirens’ Prize’ Adventures Ahead: ‘A Hunter’s Cry’ Adventures Ahead: ‘The Forsaken Hunter’ Adventures Ahead: ‘Lost Sands’ Adventures Ahead: ‘The Shrouded Deep’ Adventures Ahead: ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ Adventures Ahead: ‘Shrouded Islands’

Sea of Thieves Round-Up: December 2022

It’s a brand new year, but we can’t leave the old one behind without a final round-up now, can we? So much happened in December that frankly it’s all a bit of a blur, but we’ve picked out a few highlights to share as we take a look back over the happenings of the final month in 2022…

[h3]Content Update[/h3]
The Festival of Giving is still fresh in our memory, but if you cast your mind even further back you’ll realise just how much was going on in December! The first major development came in the form of ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’, our tenth Adventure, which saw players joining the search for a cure to Tasha’s osteal ailment. Fortunately, following in Briggsy’s footsteps left Madame Olivia with the tools she needed to learn more.

Later in the month, we embraced the holiday spirit as December’s content update sent the Festival of Giving into full swing. From a Gifts & Glory Weekend and Twitch Drops to the annual challenges of Grogmanay, there was so much going on that honestly it’s a wonder anyone was able to keep track of it all. Although, on second thought, Grogmanay might have something to do with the hazy memories.

If you could drag your attention away from the festivities for long enough to buy a little seasonal treat for yourself, you might have popped over to the Pirate Emporium. Alongside some returning festive favourites, December’s update introduced the raptor-themed Soaring Oracle set, a new collection of rhythmic emotes and a trio of Trinkets drawing inspiration from familiar stories. Or for anyone watching their Ancient Coin purse, there was a free Tree Decorator Emote so you could raise a star of your own. There’s still time to grab any or all of these before the January update arrives!

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[h3]News and Features[/h3]
As is tradition, we couldn’t release an Adventure without first giving you a new Adventures Ahead article to bring you up to speed – this time on Briggsy and Tasha’s exploits. Over on the player side of things, we updated the Community Hub one last time for 2022 and shared a new Spotlight on a pillar of the UK community, CalamityKez, to hear how she got into Sea of Thieves and what her work with her SoTUK family looks like.

Looking ahead, we thought the final month of the year would be a good time to fill you in on some of the upcoming improvements to the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, following a lot of feedback on the challenges players have been facing during matchmaking. If you’re still sitting here wondering what stamps have to do with anything, fear not, the summary is this: we’ve heard your concerns and we’re working on getting those matchmaking times down. All you need to do is keep sinking ships.

With all that done, we saw off the year with the Festival of Giving celebrations and left you with a thorough article-based summary of everything that would be going on through the holiday period. But we didn’t neglect our out-of-game content either, filling in the backstory of everyone’s favourite Reaper in the latest Sea of Thieves: Origins comic, ‘The Servant’s Tale’. You can pick it up for free right here!

[h3]Videos and Streams[/h3]
After so much new content dropped with Season Eight in November, it was inevitable that some people would still have questions about how everything worked, but have no fear! We released a… unique video at the start of December to set the record straight. Then, when it was time for a new Adventure, we dropped a cinematic trailer and a launch trailer to fill you in on Tasha’s situation and set you up for the arrival of ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’.

With the year’s last Adventure safely underway, we turned our attention to the Festival of Giving, throwing in a jam-packed episode of Sea of Thieves News to discuss December’s imminent update. Then we kicked off the Festival proper with a livestream to switch on the holiday decorations and share our best memories of 2022 – only to find the festivities interrupted by a surprise spherical visitor! Over the course of the next few days, the Orb shared mysterious visions of the future and hinted at what might be coming soon for the Sea of Thieves…

Of course, no Festival of Giving would be complete without a suitable song. To ensure that we were all able to really get into the spirit of things, the livestream debuted the ‘On Yule Tides’ shanty. To cater to all tastes, the ‘Sleighbell Selects’ collection offered a more traditional take on the music of the season so that everyone could enjoy the Festival with a jingle or two.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Social Channels[/h3]
As you might expect from the end of the year, December on our social channels was awash with looking back on the year and celebrating everything we’ve not only done ourselves but watched our incredible players pull off. Pirates from across the sea shared tales and wrote poems, while others offered their aid to new sailors taking to the seas for the first time.

The community also got creative with names, while elsewhere a visit from a special kitty threw the Doubloon economy into turmoil. Meanwhile the final #SoTShot contests of the year brought us Brawling Boats, celebrating some truly spectacular naval combat, and then a good old Pirate Party.

As always, December offered an opportunity to explore Your Story So Far with a series of personalised stats from, well… your Sea of Thieves story so far. And following a whistle-stop tour of New Golden Sands and a heartfelt wish for Happy Holidays all round, when it was finally time to close the year out, we threw in one final caption challenge to carry you through the New Year.

Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 2.7.1

While the Factions continue to clash as we breach the second month of Season Eight, a growing spark of camaraderie can be found in the taverns as the annual Festival of Giving returns – although crews fully focused on the Battle for the Sea of Thieves will also find improvements and adjustments made to the flow of battle this month. If you’re not sure what all this talk of Factions is about, take a dive back into the Season Eight launch trailer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The Season Eight launch release notes are a crucial port of call for anyone needing the specifics, while early December’s release notes have more information on the ongoing Adventure! Now find out what’s new in the year’s climactic content update...

[h3]Gameplay Improvements[/h3]
Since Season Eight unleashed the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, the waves have churned with crews clashing in on-demand ship combat. A range of balancing improvements have now arrived to level the playing field not only within the Battle, but encounters throughout the shared world.

Blunderbomb Impact Balancing

Blunderbombs fired from a cannon now have a reduced area of effect range when exploding, and players caught in the blast will no longer be propelled so far into the air, preventing them from being so easily sent overboard.
Blunderbombs fired from a cannon to hit a ship’s hull now deal reduced damage to players caught in the blast inside the ship.

Reduced Blunderbomb Availability

Blunderbombs are now discovered slightly less frequently in island barrels, and fewer are collected at once.
Captains restocking at the shipwright will find the throwables supply now contains fewer throwables and has been reduced in price accordingly.
The number of throwables found during the ‘Captains of the Damned’ Tall Tale has now been significantly reduced.
Crates found during the ‘Dark Brethren’ Tall Tale now contain fewer blunderbombs.

Jettisoning Ship Supplies

When a ship sinks, the resources held within its barrels now float to the surface in the barrels to be easily collected. Sinking another ship now offers simpler restocking options after a battle, while also giving crews who sink due to emergent encounters a chance to retrieve their hard-earned supplies!

Starting Ship Supplies

All ships will now start a session with additional cannonballs per barrel, increasing the Sloop stock to 80, with the Brigantine and Galleon stocking 90.
Ship defensive stocks have been increased with additional wooden planks, with the Sloop and Brigantine now holding 35 planks and the Galleon holding 40.
Ships will now find more plentiful food stocks, as all ships now hold 16 coconuts in addition to their existing banana supply.

Battle for the Sea of Thieves – Restocking after Defeat

Crews who are thwarted by an enemy in battle and become another sinking wreck for the graveyard will now appear on the new server at an Outpost, allowing them to quickly restock and get back into the fight!

Battle for the Sea of Thieves – Emissary Flags

Collected Emissary Flags will now be brought with the ship when diving below the waves, allowing crews to chain battles back-to-back before returning to an Outpost to cash them in.

Barrels of Plenty Balancing

The number of floating barrels that appear in a group has now been reduced. However, the likelihood of finding a rare items in these has now been increased.

[h3]Pirate Emporium[/h3]
It's a dashing end to the year in the Emporium as the Soaring Oracle collection takes flight. The Boreal Aurora ship set is back too, alongside new Nautical Dance emotes, more Rare-themed Trinkets, a big Holiday Sale and the latest chance to grab some Festival of Giving classics...

Season Eight Plunder Pass

Anyone wishing to take full advantage of Season Eight rewards can still buy the Plunder Pass. Any rewards unlocked will become available upon purchase, so players who have raised their Renown throughout Season Eight can instantly see their hard work rewarded before the Season ends.
This Season’s Plunder Pass offers early access to the complete Ravenwood Ship Collection and evolving Ravenwood Costume, and can be purchased at any time through the Pirate Log, Pirate Emporium or Steam Item Store.

Soaring Oracle Ship Collection

Amid a sea of more ostentatious liveries, this set may appeal to those who prefer things of a more understated, refined nature. The Soaring Oracle Collector’s Figurehead and Sails are available to buy separately from the main Ship Bundle.
Players can also pick up just the core components of this set at a discount in the form of an Essential Ship Bundle.

Soaring Oracle Costume

Some pirates think the cost of seeing the future is never seeing the present. Others remember to take off the blindfold.
While wearing the Soaring Oracle Costume, players can perform the Pensive Piccolo Emote.

Soaring Oracle Weapons

Become a predator of the night with weapons carved by your own hands, adorned with the scavenged bounty of the sea.

Soaring Oracle Banjo

Pieced together from shoreline nests and beach debris, this banjo always smells faintly of the sea.

Boreal Aurora Ship Collection

Previously featured in the Season Five Plunder Pass, the Boreal Aurora ship set is now available to purchase from the Pirate Emporium.

Gold Curse Inu

Being made of solid gold isn’t going to be enough to slow this excitable pup down.

Rare Goods Trinket Bundle

Players wanting to show off their love of classic Rare titles can continue to do so with another three Trinkets made to match fan-favourite cosmetic sets. Pick up the Fightin’ Frogs, Huntress and Night Wulf Trinkets in this new bundle!

Nautical Dance Emote Bundle

Borrowing some choreography from unexpected sources, these dances let you continue sailing even when you're on land.

Freebie Tree Decorator Emote

A tiny piece of sky! Now if only you could find a palm tree to perch it on.

Time-Limited Bonechiller Costume

Back to help you bring the fear to your foes is the terrifying Bonechiller Costume, which can be worn with or without the ‘jolly’ beard – available to purchase for a limited time.

Time-Limited Festival of Giving Collection

Express your love for this time of year through the Festival of Giving weapons and pet outfits, back on sale for a limited time.

Seer’s Gear Bundle (Store Only)

Some pirates may mistake your inner calm for a reluctance to defend yourself – but you always come prepared. The Seer's Gear Bundle contains the Soaring Oracle Costume, Weapon Bundle and Banjo, along with 550 Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium and a free bonus of 25,000 gold. Head to the Steam Item Store to find out more.

Pirate Emporium Holiday Sale

Fabulous discounts are available on a range of Pirate Emporium items from December 23rd to January 3rd. Pirates will be able to pick up festive deals on a range of pets, ship sets, weapons, emotes and more!

[h3]Events[/h3]
Time again for the Festival of Giving and all it contains – which is a lot this year! The traditional lights switch-on becomes a shared community moment, while Gifts & Glory and Grogmanay await later in the holidays. Get the full Festival overview in our launch article!

Grand Festival of Giving Switch-On (December 16th)

Join the livestream on Sea of Thieves’ Twitch channel at 6:15pm UTC on December 16th to celebrate the community, look back over the past year, and most importantly switch on the festive in-game decorations! There may be a few other surprises lying in wait too…
Crews sailing the seas while the stream is underway can gather at the tavern on New Golden Sands Outpost to watch the switch-on happen live!
With the seasonal decorations on, pirates can find an appropriately festive firework to claim for free from a Merchant Alliance representative on any Outpost.

Gifts & Glory Weekend (December 23rd – December 26th)

Gather your crew and set sail during this Gold & Glory Weekend with a Festival of Giving twist! Pirates will earn boosted gold, reputation and Seasonal Renown for their exploits throughout the weekend.
Crews taking part in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves will also be able to gain boosted Allegiance for their chosen Faction.
As a festive treat, all pirates sailing the seas this weekend will find a free Gilded Treasure Voyage added to their inventories. Better yet, existing and fresh Pirate Legends will also receive the gift of a Gilded Legendary Voyage.

Grogmanay (December 30th – January 2nd)

End the year with the clink of tankards as Grogmanay returns! Complete a grog-fuelled Challenge to earn the Grogmanay Flag.
Complete two Challenges to unlock the Bilge Rat Celebration Firework Crate and grab it for free from the Merchant Alliance to end the night with a bang!
Complete four or more Challenges to earn the Grogmanay Annual Tankard, or a noteworthy new notch on your existing Tankard if this isn’t your first time taking on the Grogmanay Event.

Twitch Drops (December 19th – January 2nd)

Continue to unlock even more cosmetics throughout Season Eight with Twitch Drops! The final Drops of the year will be active for all participating streamers in batches throughout the holiday period stated above, allowing players to pick up a wide selection of Frozen Horizon clothing items.
Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.

[h3]Outpost Cosmetics [/h3]
Frostbite Equipment, Weapons and Ship Set

The remaining parts of the Frostbite set, including the equipment, weapons and ship parts, are now available from Outpost stores. These new items are locked behind the existing Humble Giving and Generous Giving Commendations.

[h3]Updates[/h3]
Pendragon’s Sacrifice

Loyal followers of Flameheart can now revel in their victory by posing next to a new painting hung proudly in The Reaper’s Hideout.

Season Notifications

When performing multiple actions that award Seasonal Renown, players will now see fewer notifications.