Sea of Thieves News

With Season Six underway, the team have been working on additional fixes based on feedback from the community. We’re introducing more of these fixes in today’s release, update 2.5.0.1.

For a refresher on all the new features that arrived in Season Six, check out the full-length release notes!

[h2]Adventures
[/h2]



The second of Sea of Thieves’ time-limited Adventures kicks off on March 24th. Prepare to chart a course for Phantom-filled Sea Forts and free the captives kept inside – formerly the residents of Golden Sands Outpost!

[h3]‘Forts of the Forgotten’ (March 24th – April 7th)
[/h3]

• During the events of ‘Shrouded Islands’, pirates became the unwitting catalyst in a scheme to further weaken the barrier between the Sea of Thieves and the Sea of the Damned.
  
• Larinna awaits pirates at the Outpost, beckoning them over for an urgent task – the missing Golden Sands inhabitants have been located! Speak to Larinna to begin the ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ Adventure, then set sail to learn more.
  
• Pirates who complete the daring rescue mission to Flameheart’s strongholds during this time-limited Adventure will earn an exclusive Title and cosmetic reward to serve as a Memento of their quest.

[h2]Fixed Issues
[/h2]
[h3]Gameplay[/h3]

• Crews will now find a steady rotation of World Events taking place across the seas.
  
• The ominous ship cloud in the sky signifying an encounter with a Skeleton Fleet has been returned to the rotation of World Events.
  
• After the ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ Adventure has passed, crews exploring the Sea Forts will no longer be required to locate the Prison Cell Key to gain access to the cell.

[h3]Visual and Audio[/h3]

• When approaching a Skeleton Fort, players should now hear the appropriate music.
  
• Players fighting Phantoms and performing actions on the lower floor of the Sea Forts should no longer hear those audio effects on the floor above them.

[h3]Pirate Emporium[/h3]

• Purchases of the Season Six Plunder Pass and Boisterous Brigands Bundle from the Microsoft Store will now correctly display the Game Pass discount when purchased.

[h3]Performance and Stability[/h3]

• Following the introduction of Sea Forts, improvements to server performance have been implemented.
  
• Improvements made to general client performance on lower-spec hardware.

[h2]Known Issues
[/h2]
[h3]Reduced Server Performance[/h3]

• Players may experience scenarios where they encounter ping spikes at random while playing, resulting in rubberbanding or client stutters.

[h3]Steam Achievement Unlocking Issues[/h3]

• Some Steam players may find that after an achievement is unlocked in the game, it is not unlocked within Steam.

[h3]Ranged and Melee Weapon Hit Detection[/h3]

• 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.

[h2]Download and Installation
[/h2]
[h3]Download size:
[/h3]

Steam: 4.9 GB

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Looking For Crew?
[/h2]
Looking for new crewmates? We've got a bunch of places you can visit to seek out like-minded pirates, so sail on over to these official Sea of Thieves hangouts:

Forums
Verified Discord

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Time to stage a daring prison break as Sea of Thieves’ second story-driven Adventure, ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, goes live! Rally your crew, rendezvous with Belle and set sail for the Sea Forts pulled through from the Sea of the Damned by Captain Flameheart. Expect heavy resistance from a Phantom phalanx as you battle through these ghostly fortifications to rescue the missing inhabitants of Golden Sands Outpost!

Sea of Thieves’ plans for 2022, including this suite of new Adventures designed to let players take part in an ever-evolving story within the world, were laid out in our Preview Event earlier this year. As with the first Adventure, ‘Shrouded Islands’, we offered a look at the cinematic trailer for ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ ahead of time, teeing up the action that’s set to unfold over the course of this two-week in-game event.

[h3]Spare a Fort…
[/h3]
During the events of ‘Shrouded Islands’, the defeat of the Soulflame Captains weakened the barrier between the living world and the Sea of the Damned, allowing Flameheart to summon Sea Forts – initially insubstantial, now very real – into the Sea of Thieves. Meanwhile, despite the sinister fog around the islands starting to recede, Golden Sands Outpost still lies in ruin. Luckily, Belle has a lead on the location of its inhabitants, but it’ll take some brave crews to set them free…

If you want a full breakdown of the state of play before jumping into ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, don’t forget that we have a dedicated story primer on the Sea of Thieves website – ideal for those who may have missed out on taking part in ‘Shrouded Islands’! Each Adventure will be preceded by one of these primers, so you’ll always have a way to brush up on the story so far before heading out on your mission.



Ready for action? Raise your anchor and assail the ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ today! Expect more exciting Adventures throughout 2022, and keep your eye on the horizon for Legend of the Veil – the story-focused, Pirate Legend-exclusive Voyage arriving later in Season Six!

[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 Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. 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 and pick up some 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 at www.xbox.com/seaofthieves, 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!

The latest Season is upon us, with brand new content set to drop throughout! Season Six solidifies six new Sea Forts for on-demand combat encounters, offers another time-limited Adventure to embark upon and sets expectations for an upcoming Voyage exclusive to Pirate Legends. Get a first look at it all in action in the official Season Six trailer!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Ready for more detail on Season Six’s launch features, along with the closure of The Arena and the latest quality of life tweaks, accessibility additions and fixed issues? Good. Because here we go...

[h2]Adventures
[/h2]
The second of Sea of Thieves’ time-limited Adventures kicks off on March 24th. Prepare to chart a course for Phantom-filled Sea Forts and free the captives kept inside – formerly the residents of Golden Sands Outpost!

[h3]‘Forts of the Forgotten’ (March 24th – April 7th)
[/h3]

• During the events of ‘Shrouded Islands’, pirates became the unwitting catalyst in a scheme to further weaken the barrier between the Sea of Thieves and the Sea of the Damned.
  
• Larinna awaits pirates at the Outpost, beckoning them over for an urgent task – the missing Golden Sands inhabitants have been located! Speak to Larinna to begin the ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ Adventure, then set sail to learn more.
  
• Pirates who complete the daring rescue mission to Flameheart’s strongholds during this time-limited Adventure will earn an exclusive Title and cosmetic reward to serve as a Memento of their quest.

[h2]Sea Forts
[/h2]The ghostly memories of Spanish naval Sea Forts sighted in the wake of ‘Shrouded Islands’ have now fully manifested within the Sea of Thieves. Pirates and their crews are welcome to approach, enter and – if they can – clear a path to the loot inside!

[h3]Sea Fort Gameplay
[/h3]

• Six explorable Sea Forts can now be found across the seas, with those of each region having a unique visual style. These Sea Forts provide a short on-demand encounter for players, with difficulty scaling dynamically based on the crew size approaching.
  
• When a Sea Fort is located, the raised flag and ghostly lights signify that it is active and defended. On approach, players will hear a warning bell toll as Phantoms take aim with the Fort’s cannons.
  
• Players will face off against waves of Phantoms as they enter and explore. Before a Sea Fort is cleared, a Captain will appear reinforced by Phantoms in one last attempt to force intruders back to the sea. Players who defeat this Captain and his army will be awarded the Treasury Key to access the Fort Treasury and retrieve the spoils.
  
• Players who take the time to search through crates, cupboards and drawers may discover secret stashes of treasure left behind by the Phantoms, and may even find a hidden key to the locked storage room.

[h3]Claiming a Sea Fort
[/h3]

• When a Sea Fort is cleared, you can treat it as your own for as long as the successful crew resides at the Fort. Crews can use these new structures as a homestead, complete with beds and cooking amenities and even an interactive map of the Sea of Thieves for planning their next adventure!
  
• Crews looking to protect their newly claimed domain can opt to hold the Fort and defend it from incoming threats using the mounted cannons and a healthy stash of resources within the Sea Fort’s barrels.

[h3]Sea Fort Commendations and Achievements
[/h3]

• Within the Bilge Rats Reputation tab, new Commendations have been added for players seeking to explore these new Sea Fort structures pulled through from the Sea of the Damned.
  
• New Xbox and Steam achievements can be unlocked by progressing through the new in-game Commendations. A total of 65 gamerscore is available to earn from this update, and these achievements will remain in the game indefinitely.
  
• What’s Yours Is Mine [15G]
  
• Master Burglar [20G]
  
• From Whence They Came [30G]

[h2]Season Six
[/h2]
In addition to the emergence of Sea Forts, Season Six launches with another 100 levels of Renown-based progression and stacks of rewards to earn as you go. Emissary Ledger rewards aren’t forgotten either, and the new Plunder Pass is not just packed but neatly themed!

[h3]Season Six Progression and Rewards
[/h3]

• Season Six offers a refreshed progression path with Trials and Deeds for new and experienced pirates alike. Weekly, monthly and Seasonal goals all reward players for exploring the Sea of Thieves.
  
• Players can capitalise on the introduction of Sea Forts this Season to earn Renown. Visiting Sea Forts, defeating Phantom threats and opening Sea Fort Treasuries all award Renown!
  
• Making progress through the 100 levels of this Season will reward pirates with the Naval Commander clothing set, new to Season Six along with time-limited Dark Relics cosmetics.
  
• Legendary pirates or those who become a Pirate Legend during Season Six can also earn Belle’s Hat and the Stranger’s Cutlass.
  
• Completing tiers of Seasonal progression will also award unique Dark Relics Titles, allowing players to display their success for all to see.

[h3]Season Six Plunder Pass
[/h3]

• Purchase Season Six’s Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of unlockable, never-before-seen rewards, all available to earn by climbing the levels of Seasonal progression.
  
• Plunder Pass purchasers this season can earn the full Spring Blossom Ship Collection, including Collector’s variants.
  For those looking to truly transform themselves, the Forest’s Blessing Costume can also be earned, evolving as players progress through the Season. Those looking for a more subtle customisation can unlock the Forest’s Blessing Tattoo.
  Unable to fully upgrade the costume before the Season ends? Upgrades will still be available through in-game activities in a later Season.
• The Season Six Plunder Pass is available to purchase in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, from the Microsoft Store or Steam Item Store.

[h3]Season Six Emissary Ledger Rewards
[/h3]

• Representing the Gold Hoarders in their Emissary Ledger can now earn players the Tribute Peak Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach.
  
• Players seeking out the secrets of the Order of Souls can earn the Relic of Darkness Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach through their Ledger performance.
  
• The Merchant Alliance honour their high-performing Ledger representatives with the Merchant Ambassador Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach.
  
• Flying the flag of The Reaper’s Bones and earning a high rank in their Ledger can earn players the Masked Renegade Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach.
  
• Legendary pirates representing Athena’s Fortune in their Ledger can earn the Magpie’s Glory Cannons, Sails and Flag to show their allegiance to the Pirate Lord.

[h2]Closing The Arena
[/h2]Also taking place at the start of Season Six is the closure of The Arena. From March 10th 2022, this mode will no longer be available in Sea of Thieves. Find out more below, and get the full story behind this decision in our Saying Goodbye to The Arena news post.

[h3]Sea Dogs Reputation
[/h3]

• The Sea Dogs Reputation pane in the Pirate’s Log will now only be visible for players who have earned a Sea Dogs Commendation, celebrating players’ accomplishments while hiding Commendations that can no longer be obtained.
  
• For players who can access this Reputation pane, the previous Company progress summary has now been repurposed into a Battle Record, representing accomplishments within The Arena. Within the Battle Record, players will now only see Commendations that have been completed. Any Commendations not yet started or completed will no longer be visible.
  
• Within the Athena’s Fortune Reputation pane, the Legendary Sea Dog Commendation will be visible for players who have earned it while remaining hidden for players who have not met those criteria.

[h3]Sea Dogs Rewards[/h3]

• Although The Arena has been closed, players will retain all unlocked Titles tied to level progress within the Sea Dogs Trading Company, along with any unlocked cosmetics.
  
• Players who reached Sea Dogs rank 5 prior to the announcement of the closure will find themselves gifted the Azure Scout, Flaming Jackal, Golden Chaser, Lucky Rover and Regal Hound ship cosmetics for general use. Sea Dog veterans who reached rank 50 will also be able to equip the Good Boy ship cosmetics from the Shipwright’s Chest.
  
• Players who achieved the necessary criteria to purchase Sea Dogs Titles and cosmetics have not yet missed their chance to collect them. The Outpost stores now hold all the Sea Dogs Company rewards, and players will find them collectable if they met the necessary unlock requirements before the announcement of The Arena’s closure.
  Players with multiple promotions and rewards to purchase may need to exit and re-enter the shop after purchasing a promotion before the next rank’s items become visible.

[h3]Sea Dogs Achievements[/h3]

• Xbox and Steam achievements for the Sea Dogs Trading Company are no longer earnable. Players on Xbox will see these achievements now marked as Legacy, while players on Steam will no longer find these achievements visible.
  
• The Master of the Arena and Glorious Sea Dog achievements are still unlockable by players who obtained the necessary ranks prior to The Arena’s closure. After logging in, eligible players can collect the required promotions and items and unlock these two achievements.

[h2]Pirate Emporium
[/h2]
In contrast to the peaceful Plunder Pass it’s rowdy in the Emporium this month, with the Islehopper Outlaw theme encompassing a ship set, costume, weapons and even a banjo. New emotes arrive to suit your posturing needs too, and there’s one for free as always!

[h3]Islehopper Outlaw Ship Collection
[/h3]

• Watch other ships turn tail and flee when you rock the new Islehopper Outlaw ship cosmetics! In addition to the main Islehopper Outlaw Ship Bundle, a flaming spectral Collector’s Figurehead and Collector’s Sails can be purchased separately.
  
• An Islehopper Outlaw Essential Ship Bundle is also on offer, including just the core ship cosmetics at a discount.

[h3]Islehopper Outlaw Costume[/h3]

• Nothing says “Hello, we’re here to rob you!” quite like glow-in-the-dark goggles, bandana and fishbone mohawk.

[h3]Islehopper Outlaw Weapons[/h3]

• Add some rockstar chic to your next fracas with these four new glow-in-the-dark weapons!

[h3]Islehopper Outlaw Banjo[/h3]

• Unleash musical mayhem with this brutal banjo.

[h3]Bunch of Posers Emotes[/h3]

• Strike a selection of supremely confident poses with these four extra-cool emotes.

[h3]Ruby Splashtail Cannon Flare[/h3]

• A Cannon Flare is now available for a fan-favourite Pirate Emporium ship set – check out the cloud of bubbles and fishy confetti fired with the new Ruby Splashtail Cannon Flare!
  
• Players who already own all items in the Ruby Splashtail Ship Bundle will soon find the Cannon Flare added to their inventory as a little gift from the Emporium owners.

[h3]Freebie Jolly Jiggle Emote[/h3]

• Perform this spirited dance to seek entrance to your crew’s alleged clubhouse.
  Boisterous Brigands Bundle (Store Only)
  
• Available only from the Steam Stores, this bundle contains the Islehopper Outlaw Costume, Weapon Bundle and Banjo, 550 Ancient Coins and a free 25,000 gold bonus for use in the Outpost shops! Head to the Steam Item Store to find out more.

[h2]Events
[/h2]
[h3]Twitch Drops[/h3]

• Continue to unlock even more cosmetics throughout Season Six 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 more items from the Twilight Hunter set. Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.

[h2]Gameplay Improvements
[/h2]
[h3]Quick Cycle Map
[/h3]

• Players can now quickly cycle through maps or Mysterious Notes within the Quest Radial. When holding a map or note in hand, use the ‘A’ or ‘D’ keys or Left/Right on the controller D-pad to cycle through all those available.
  
• These keybinds share the same controls as turning Tall Tale Quest Book pages, and can be re-bound within the game settings.

[h3]Scuttle Ship Reminder[/h3]

• Players who are defeated by another crew three times in quick succession will now be shown a reminder of the option to scuttle the ship and move to a safer location. Pressing the Menu button then leads directly to the Crew Management menu to begin the vote to scuttle.

[h3]Emergent Threat Balancing[/h3]

• Throwing water at Gold Skeletons to rust them now makes them vulnerable for longer. While rusted, these skeletons will also take additional damage from all ranged weapons and explosives!
  
• Shadow Skeletons exposed to light are now made vulnerable for longer, allowing crews to capitalise on their weakness.
  
• Siren Leaders and Siren grunts below the waves should now use ranged attacks more frequently than their melee scratch attack.

[h3]Skeleton Ship Battle Locations[/h3]

• With the arrival of new Sea Forts in each region, Skeleton Ship World Events have now been consolidated and these World Event battles will now only appear in a single location near the centre of the world.

[h2]Outpost Cosmetics
[/h2]
[h3]Sandy Corsair Sea Dog Set[/h3]

• The Outpost clothing shops now stock the Sandy Corsair Sea Dog clothing set, available to purchase for gold.

[h3]Past Season Gameplay Emotes[/h3]

• Larinna now offers two previously Season-locked emotes for purchase with Doubloons. Players willing to part with a large number of Doubloons can purchase the Barrel Disguise and Rolling Dice emotes!

[h2]Accessibility
[/h2]
[h3]Visible Fish Names
[/h3]

• When players are fishing, the names of any fish rising to the surface to take a nibble of bait are now displayed for easy identification. While this feature is enabled by default to improve accessibility for all players, it can be disabled by adjusting ‘Show Nameplates Above Fish’ in the Settings menu.

[h3]Shop Narration[/h3]

• When ‘Let Games Read to Me’ is enabled, navigating through shops will now also narrate the player’s wallet balance to improve ease of purchasing.

[h2]Fixed Issues
[/h2]
[h3]Gameplay[/h3]

• When progressing through Tall Tales or Siren Shrines, players approaching mechanisms previously used by other players will now see them in the correct location and position.
  
• When players sit in a Rowboat, interaction prompts for nearby seats and objects are no longer shown as they cannot be interacted with until the player stands.
  
• When players holding a Cargo Crate attempt to hand it in to the incorrect character, the tooltip now emphasises the correct hand-in location.
  
• Players who have been vomited on twice are no longer immune to fire damage.
  
• The achievements entitled A Rare Delicacy and Night Bite should now unlock when completing the required criteria.
  
• New pirates equipping a shovel for the first time will now be shown the Burying Items tutorial.
  
• Players can now redeem purchased commodities with the Merchant Alliance representative at Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
  
• Within the Settings menu, the ‘Swim Up’ controller binding should no longer display within the keyboard binding area.

[h3]Sunken Kingdom[/h3]

• Players disconnecting and rejoining the game with treasure stored in a Sunken Merfolk Statue will now once again be able to retrieve it from the surface.
  
• Players searching for the Breath of the Sea will no longer find that it disappears if they take an extended amount of time to complete the Voyage.
  
• Retrieving treasure from a Sunken Merfolk Statue within the Treasury of Sunken Shores should no longer place items where players cannot retrieve them.
  
• Players should no longer find areas within the Treasury of the Lost Ancients where they can clip into the geometry and fall under the world.
  
• Players can no longer step through a small gap in the environment within the Treasury of the Lost Ancients to access the Vault early.

[h3]Environment [/h3]

• The lantern hanging above the Sloop’s map table should no longer be accidentally used when players are attempting to interact with the map table.
  
• Players can now freely explore the ruined tavern at Golden Sands Outpost without becoming stuck on debris.
  
• Pirate Emporium audio effects can no longer be heard at Golden Sands Outpost.
  
• Graymarrow should no longer become stuck in a tree while navigating the Fort of the Damned.
  
• Skeletons should no longer become stuck in the geometry on Shark Fin Camp.
  
• Ashen Lords using lunge attacks should no longer be prone to getting stuck inside rocks.
  
• Players moving around the Sea Dog Tavern should no longer find themselves jittering on certain areas of flooring and stairs.
  
• Pets should now be able to move freely around the Pirate Legend Hideout without becoming blocked.
  
• Players should no longer be safe-teleported on Mermaid’s Hideaway when jumping into the environment.
  
• Improvements have been made to skeleton navigation on Keel Haul Fort to prevent skeletons becoming stuck within the environment.
  
• Grass should no longer be seen mysteriously poking through the floor and walls of various Outpost taverns.
  
• Players should no longer become stuck inside ruined trees on Morrow's Peak Outpost or Ashen Reaches.
  
• Players opening Glitterbeard’s Hideout should no longer be snagged by the environment when moving inside.
  
• Swimming at various locations around Golden Sands Outpost should no longer cause players to intersect with geometry and be flung into the air.
  
• ‘A Pirate’s Life’ – Players should no longer be able to bypass the sidequest to reach the locked ship and rewards inside.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – Players following Captain Jack Sparrow through the village should no longer find themselves jittering when standing near him during his speech.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – Players should no longer find locations around the Spanish Fort in Chapter Two where they can become stuck.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – Players can no longer become trapped between the roots of a tree in the Bayou.
  
• ‘Dark Brethren’ – Players can no longer avoid the battle with the Ocean Crawlers by navigating over the coral structures in Chapter 4.

[h3]Visual and Audio[/h3]

• Players equipping the Ashen Curse should now find that their eyes correctly display the effects of this fiery curse.
  
• When players perform actions that can earn Seasonal Renown repeatedly, the UI notifications should no longer become stuck within the notification window.
  
• Pets no longer stop dancing if one musician in a band stops playing.
  
• Players will no longer experience rubberbanding when attempting to move diagonally with a keyboard while afflicted by a limp.
  
• When the Skeleton Fort at Shark Fin Camp is active, crews descending to the Shrine of Hungering should no longer hear overlapping music within the Shrine.
  
• The shop and vanity chest icons for the Eyepatch of the Silent Barnacle now better match the item’s colour scheme.
  
• Players of all body sizes holding a reversed speaking trumpet should now appear visually correct when observed by other players.
  
• After climbing inside the Notorious Reaper Cannons, other players should now see the player nestled snugly in the cannon.
  
• Siren Leaders in Siren Treasuries now play their death animation effects when defeated.
  
• ‘The Sunken Pearl’ – The stone face waterfalls no longer have water visual effects pouring out of the side of the statues.

[h3]Accessibility[/h3]

• When using ‘Let Games Read to Me’, the start screen should now be fully narrated.

[h3]Performance and Stability[/h3]

• Server stability has been improved, reducing scenarios where crews are removed from a game session.

[h2]Known Issues
[/h2]
[h3]Ranged and Melee Weapon Hit Detection
[/h3]

• 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.

[h2]Download and Installation
[/h2]
Download size:
Steam: 9.2 GB

The open ocean has always been a dangerous place to navigate thanks to the ever-present threat of sea monsters and skeleton ships, but things have gotten even more treacherous in recent days. This is thanks largely to the sudden arrival of six new Sea Forts – imposing bastions packed with Phantoms eager to take pot-shots at passing pirates.

The arrival of these ghostly garrisons was foreshadowed in the events of ‘Shrouded Islands’, Sea of Thieves’ first story-driven Adventure. Before we explore what these Sea Forts might mean for Flameheart’s future, it’s worth recalling how they came to be…

[h3]Give Us a Belle
[/h3]
The sudden onset of an ominous fog across the Sea of Thieves was bound to draw comment sooner rather than later – particularly from visitors to Golden Sands Outpost, who learned that the once-tranquil trading point had been laid waste and its residents were nowhere to be seen.

This supernatural smog also drew the attention of a long-awaited arrival on the seas: Belle, known to many as a Legend of the Deep, arrived on the scene soon after. As someone with unfathomable knowledge of the Sea of the Damned, Belle is determined to prevent the likes of Captain Flameheart from using that ethereal realm for their own ends.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Misty Misdeeds
[/h3]
Pirates dispatched by Belle to investigate these shrouded islands found themselves at Shipwreck Bay, a landmark that’s gloomy enough at the best of times. Lanterns furnished with the Flame of Souls revealed moments from the past – more specifically, an occult ritual by masked Phantoms loyal to The Reaper’s Bones.

Leading these renegades was none other than the Servant of the Flame, confessing a familial tie to Flameheart (and putting an end to some long-standing arguments in the process). While they’ve always stood firmly against the established Trading Companies, the Reapers have now begun moving to more actively assist Flameheart in his plans for conquest. Like father, like son, it would seem.

[h3]Heart and Soul
[/h3]
The purpose of the Reapers’ rituals became clear when crews ignited an oversized brazier at Shipwreck Bay, summoning forth a Soulflame Captain – a figure thought by most to be nothing more than a myth. Pirates were all too eager to take up arms against this new threat, which unfortunately proved to be rather foolhardy…

The Soulflame Captain was intended to be a sacrifice rather than a soldier; its destruction released energies that briefly bridged the divide between two worlds. Flameheart took full advantage of this event to bring forth his Sea Forts, created from the memories of those who dwell within the Sea of the Damned, and manifest them permanently in the land of the living.



[h3]I Fort the Lore
[/h3]
With the Sea Forts in place and their soldiers pledging allegiance to Flameheart, the fog cloaking those afflicted islands has mostly vanished, although Golden Sands remains as stubbornly shrouded as ever. Unwilling to leave the Outpost’s denizens to an unknown fate, Belle has continued her search and has an idea of their location at last.

Pirates will soon have reasons other than riches to face the Phantom hordes, for it’s in the newly manifested Sea Forts that the hapless captives have been imprisoned. If they’re not saved from the intimidating Phantom Jailor and those he serves, Wonda and her neighbours are sure to face a sticky end before too long.

Pirate crews looking to enact a daring rescue (not to mention earn an exclusive Memento from this Adventure) should sharpen their swords and prepare themselves to lay siege in ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, running from March 24th to April 7th. After all, who knows what useful information Flameheart’s prisoners might have gathered during their time in captivity…?

[hr][/hr]
Previously
Adventures Ahead: ‘Shrouded Islands’

Season Six is here, and we hope you’re all enjoying taking on Sea Forts and uncovering the secrets stashed within! As is now the tradition around the launch of a new Seasonal release, we’re entering the diving bell and heading beneath the waves for a deeper dive into its headline features – and Sea Forts are the main attraction this time with their unique soundscapes, Phantom guards and exciting architecture for pirates to marvel at, when they aren’t busy stealing anything that isn’t nailed down.

Acting as your guides for this latest video sortie are an intrepid crew covering the disciplines of design, music and art, all eager to add detail to what you can expect when firing up this Season. Give it a watch!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
With the aim of Sea Forts being to add a new, on-demand experience that helps those seeking snappier Sea of Thieves activities, the goal was to fill these derelict fortifications with as much stuff as possible in order to make each visit compelling. Some bonus background insights? Let’s do it. Senior Designer George Orton puts it best:

“Pulled through from the Sea of the Damned, our new Sea Forts offered us a chance to freshen up the sandbox a bit. We were particularly excited to build these encounters with a shorter experience in mind. Creating a ‘snackable’ combat encounter that still rewards players with a healthy amount of loot makes these Sea Forts a natural first objective at the start of a longer session, or a truly tempting proposition when you’re sailing past on your way to another adventure.”

But how do you make these spaces interesting? Tons of interactables! From opening creaky cupboards to find loot or using the Fort’s lifts to transport treasure, there’s plenty to mess around with once you exorcise the Phantom inhabitants:

“Creating environments filled with interactivity was always at the heart of the design. We’re excited to see players truly embrace the raiding of these Forts by rummaging through cupboards, crates and chests as they search for the inhabitants’ well-hidden treasures! We made sure that each Fort has a wide spread of hidden stash locations, as well as making each Fort’s placement unique, so that every raid feels fresh and every storage space is filled with potential.”



Sea Forts also provide a new sonic space for pirates, with each Fort having its own soundscape for players to get lost in. With bugs buzzing, doors creaking and the ethereal sound of each Fort’s bell, they’re great playgrounds for experimenting with new sounds, as Senior Sound Designer Katie Tarrant attests:

“Season Six has been great fun to work on – I always love adding new areas to explore in Sea of Thieves and taking those from a silent space to an environment that’s brimming with new sounds to listen to. The Forts have a very different vibe to them when they’re riddled with Phantoms compared to when the Phantoms have been vanquished, and I’ve loved adding in plenty of little details so that every time you visit one of these Forts, you’ll notice something a bit different.

“I’m hoping that players will enjoy the Forts both as a replayable combat experience and as a new social space where they can spend time together with their crew. I’d love players to have a listen to the different ambiences and ear snacks throughout the Forts, and take a guess at the audio source we used for each one!”

And who could forget the new music? With these Sea Forts having their origins in the Spanish Navy, it was only natural that the soundtrack should have a distinctly Spanish flavour, with flamenco guitars and that bright trumpet sound. Talking to Robin Beanland, Music Director and composer of the Season Six music, we found out that it wasn’t actually a trumpet that was used…

“I really, really enjoyed writing the music for this update. Not just because it uses one of the best sounds in the world (a snare drum with the snare off) but I also got to have a bit of a rinse on my Flumpet… yes, you read that correctly, it’s actually a Flumpet – a hybrid of a flugelhorn and a trumpet. But seriously, it was really nice to be able to introduce some different flavour and instrumentation to the Sea of Thieves soundtrack, while keeping it bedded in the Sea of Thieves universe.”



With Phantoms staffing the six Sea Forts, there also needed to be some keen consideration to making these highly mobile enemies fun to fight in enclosed spaces. As George explains, it took some jiggerypokery to get the combat experience to a sweet spot that’s challenging but not overwhelming:

“Balancing our Phantom enemies was an interesting challenge for this new encounter. We always aimed for these to be ‘new player friendly’, which meant making some changes to their spectral behaviour and slightly reducing their health. This has had a wicked effect on the feel of combat as players are now able to crunch through individual Phantoms like popcorn, making each victory extremely satisfying.

“We also had to be very careful with introducing Phantom encounters in such a tight and claustrophobic environment. This required careful tweaks to their teleport behaviour to ensure the right balance between being an understandable and readable enemy, and the player not feeling overwhelmed by too many rapidly approaching angry ghosts.

“We learned a lot from making these changes, and will be looking to expand them to the Phantoms out there in the wider world in some form in the future!”

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Thanks to everyone for those additional insights! Season Six is out now, with an in-depth set of release notes and a heaping helping of new items in the Pirate Emporium – including a brand new Plunder Pass. If you want to know what other exciting additions are coming this Season, make sure you watch the Sea of Thieves social channels: that’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and the official Forums and Discord server. See you out on the seas, pirates!