Sea of Thieves News

After a month-long parade of riddles, enigmatic clues and listening really hard to a parrot, The Hoarder’s Hunt has reached its conclusion. With a real-life golden skull, silver keys and Reaper’s Mark medallions up for grabs, the competition to outwit the mysterious ‘H’ was certainly fierce, but things didn’t always unfurl exactly how the puppet-master intended – so let’s take a look back at exactly how Sea of Thieves’ second Mystery reached its end…

[h3]Stage One: Skin of Gold[/h3]
The Mystery began with a taunt from ‘H’ to the Gold Hoarders, warning them not to let pirates get involved in what was to come (as if). Several words in the message were capitalised, and the note was accompanied by a post on Instagram showing a banana, precisely bruised to show an image of the Gold Hoarder.

This cryptic story pushed players through to the Instagram account of Banana Bruiser who, as their name suggests, had plenty more edible art on display. One image in particular showed the creation of the Gold Hoarder banana, and thirteen mysterious symbols.

Some cursory cryptology and the note from ‘H’ revealed these symbols were intended to be decoded with a Pigpen cipher, and once translated they read ‘bitlysotfruit’ – a shortened internet URL that led to five images, each with more Pigpen symbols, a symbol of a fruit found in-game and an intriguing Spotify logo.

The angle at which a Pigpen symbol should be rotated is critical, and pirates were able to glean that information by aligning the fruits with an image posted on the Sea of Thieves Twitter account, giving a total of 16 scrambled letters. Pirates began to speculate that these should be decoded via a Vigenère cipher, which shifts letters ahead in the alphabet according to a keyword.

Where was that keyword? Scouring the canvases in the Sea of Thieves Spotify account soon revealed six more hidden letters spelling out ‘BOUNTY’, but the order of the original 16 still needed to be taken into consideration. Here, most pirates seemingly missed another clue available via Spotify – this time, the #BeMorePirate playlist, which had recently received a sneaky shuffle.

Now fittingly headlined with New Order, the first letter of each remaining song in the playlist spelled out ‘POM’, ‘COC’, ‘MAN’, ‘BAN’, ‘PIN’, hinting at the order in which the letters associated with each fruit should be entered into the Vigenère cipher. Even so, with only so many possible combinations to work through, the community cleverly put the undecoded clues in alphabetical order and soon decrypted the phrase ‘ZEROUTCFOURFIVET’ – or, when written another way, 0UTC45T – the first keyword to enter back on the Sea of Thieves website.

With this accomplished, pirates raced to grab their Voyages for Larinna and set sail with the clues from ‘H’ in hand, ultimately digging up the Plated Silver Key from beneath the tallest tree at Lone Cove. Then it was time for a well-deserved rest before the next stage of the Mystery began…


[h3]Stage Two: A Feathered Fortune[/h3]
When a second note from ‘H’ arrived, they seemed to have birds on the brain. As soon as Stage Two began, ‘A Message from ‘H’’ began to broadcast on the official Sea of Thieves Twitch channel, showing a pair of parrots in the tavern squawking various, apparently random words.

During the stream, one of the birds took a fancy to a rather bruised banana, revealing another series of Pigpen symbols – by now, pirates immediately knew to translate them to ‘WHATTHREEWORDS’, suggesting that only a couple of the screeched phrases would be needed.

Oddly, though, the YouTube video of the stream seemed to be sending players to Google Maps instead of a more understandable location… In fact, what3words.com is a website that converts three-word phrases into map coordinates, so the true trick was to work out which three phrases resulted in locations that would mean something to pirates.

There were a lot of combinations to try, but by working together the community divined that ‘TURKEY GOAT LIVES’ equated to the Cutty Sark – once a British tea clipper, now a maritime museum. Exploring the community’s uploaded photos of the surrounding area via Google Street View revealed a perched parrot, a Gold Hoarder symbol and more Pigpen, which was promptly decoded into another shortened URL.

Things now took a musical turn, as a parchment covered in parrot prints turned out to be a cuneiform cipher hiding the lyrics of Sea of Thieves shanty ‘We Shall Sail Together’, albeit viewed through a purely phonetic lens. The last line of the parchment, however, was entirely new and read ‘Xbox Wire marks the spot’.

That Xbox news site had recently published an article about The Hoarder’s Hunt, and a thorough examination of the accompanying artwork revealed that not all was as it should be. A miniscule X was distorting the picture, and examining it in an image editor showed its true colours – in this case, the hexadecimal colour value ‘#2FACED’. Like 0UTC45T before it, this could also be read as another veiled insult from ‘H’, and 2FACED was duly confirmed to be the second of the Mystery’s keywords.

The hunt for the Argent Silver Key could now begin, with the musings of ‘H’ guiding pirates to Plunder Valley. Their interference in a game meant for the Gold Hoarders was not going to go unnoticed much longer…


[h3]Stage Three: Portrait of Plunder[/h3]
In this third stage, ‘H’ revealed previously unseen artistic talent which he used to further his schemes. The newest note was accompanied by images of Gold Hoarder portraits, some of which had been scuffed with unusual scratch marks.

There were dozens of these to discover; some on social channels, others in videos or developers’ tweets. Pirates gathered up the portraits, once again turned to the Pigpen cipher and realised that many of these scratches were the parrots’ words from the last stage of the Mystery. What hidden value did they still possess?

Quite a lot, as it happens. Correctly combined by pairing parchments, these phrases were determined to be the identities of Twitter accounts – @WashedRobot, @frost_locker and @rockeddiet, each of which had posted a painting of a crew playing cards, titled ‘A Pirate Hand’. These images appeared identical at first glance, but it didn’t take long for players to spot a key difference in each painting (specifically, unique Roman numerals), nor to notice that the accounts’ profiles seemed to be teasing a new website address. However, one key piece was still missing…

Following the remaining Pigpen clues took pirates to Instagram, where a striking 3D image containing a skull and cannonball with a blue bird atop them clued artistic admirers into the existence of a fourth Twitter account. @SkullCannonball possessed not only a fourth version of ‘A Pirate Hand’, but the information in their profile allowed for the completion of the partial web address. Pirates flocked to ‘youareapiratepuppet.com’ in earnest, but there was still more to uncover.

Studying the cards being held in each painting variation unearthed the word ‘HEARTLESS’, which certainly seemed like the kind of term ‘H’ would use. Appending it to the newly discovered URL gave ‘youareapiratepuppet.com/heartless’, a page which held an abstract kind of map, first glimpsed alongside the parrots, and a new riddle to solve.

Applying some keen anagramming skills to the capitalised words in the riddle to form Sea of Thieves phrases and places, then pairing those with their co-ordinates on the adjacent map, led to the sequence ‘B07R1SSGJ5’. When searched for online, results included Amazon’s ASIN for the Sea of Thieves: Origins comic ‘The Price of Gold’, a sure sign pirates were on the right track.

Next, by treating certain suspect details in the paintings and map image as inputs for an Arnold cipher (historically used to pull specific terms from larger volumes of text), pirates were able to focus on a particular page, panel and word – ‘grudge’. Appending this to the piratepuppet.com URL just as they had with ‘heartless’, a new webpage and the final keyword, 3DGURG, were located.

In-game, the Sterling Silver Key was retrieved from Kraken’s Fall and returned to the Gold Hoarders. With all three keys found, the chest was opened at last – only to reveal another, smaller chest! ‘H’ was clearly not to be trusted, and this meant that the final stage of The Hoarder’s Hunt would be what revealed both the final key and the true treasure.


[h3]Stage Four: The Crowning Glory[/h3]
As the last stage began and another note from ‘H’ berated pirates for interfering in his scheme, the Sea of Thieves account tweeted out a short, Pigpen-dotted addendum from ‘H’ bidding pirates to find him, and a mysterious chest decked out with seafaring symbols.

Meanwhile, @SkullCannonball and the other accounts that had previously hosted paintings revealed themselves to be under the control of ‘H’, then unleashed fresh puzzles of their own: a riddle, a star chart, a word grid and a story full of jumbled words.

As if that wasn’t enough, each of the accounts now guided players to a map fragment covered in markings, which when pieced together correctly made an ‘H’ in the centre. The remaining markings could be overlaid with the original treasure chest image – a fact that would become important later…

Not content with dispensing map fragments, revised profiles on these four accounts also clued pirates into the need for a Foursquare cipher, populating it with the three Voyage-unlocking keywords discovered in the prior stages, and the standard alphabet in the fourth square.

One by one, three of the accounts’ puzzles fell to pirate ingenuity, revealing the phrases ‘Monarch’, ‘Eagle’ and ‘Snake’. Writing these out in sequence and plucking eight appropriate letters (indicated via the Pigpen) revealed a new pirate phrase in the making, and although pirates didn’t yet have all the pieces they needed, they were confident enough to head back to Twitter in search of ‘H’.

Sure enough, a new @HSeesAll account held a lengthy riddle surrounded by coins that left everyone stumped for a while, at least until a second note surfaced with suspiciously similar traits. This proved that players were on the right track, while also confirming that the word grid puzzle still held a crucial piece of information.

At this point, the cunning ‘H’ almost got the best of our pirates. Each of the clues that players had uncovered corresponded to a symbol on or around the chest image, with the fourth symbol being hinted at by a new phrase, ‘AFORECLOUD’, that had already been found in the word grid. That same word grid now needed to be treated as a word search.

Hidden within the heart of the grid’s many recognisable words was a seemingly meaningless sequence, ‘LOSSURRIC’. Words in word searches can be laid out in any direction, and immediately before ‘cirrus’, the cloud, was ‘Sol’, the sun. If pirates had located all four symbols around the chest – the Monarch, the Eagle, the Snake and the Sun – and drawn an X between them, they would have spied their starting point on the overlaid map: Booty Isle.

But even though they didn’t have a clear origin for a journey, nothing will keep a pirate from forging into the unknown. By returning to @HSeesAll’s riddle, treating the first letter of each line as a compass bearing and the number of words in each line as squares on the Sea of Thieves map, pirates soon found themselves aiming for Tribute Peak.

One last, spoken message from ‘H’ now confirmed the significance of the coins surrounding their riddle. By counting the cash piles and taking the appropriate letters from the phrase TRIBUTEPEAK, pirates were able to spell out ‘bait’, ‘trap’, ‘break’ and ‘retake’, a lengthy phrase that served as the keyword for the final Voyage.

Heading out onto the open waves, players saw the final clues fall one by one as they took a whirlwind tour of many of the game’s iconic landmarks. The Hoarder’s Hunt was complete at last, although ‘H’ – finally unmasking himself as the embittered outcast Hogarth, once of the Gold Hoarders and last seen in their Sea of Thieves: Origins comic miniseries mentioned above – remains at large.

Congratulations to our lucky winners, and thanks to all to set sail and joined The Hoarder’s Hunt!

It’s been just over five years since Sea of Thieves set sail and, in this time, we have always striven to maintain a safe, inclusive and fair environment for our players. This includes consistently allocating resources to combat both cheating and toxic behaviour.

[h3]Cheating and Hacking[/h3]
In recent months we’ve seen an increase in player reports around cheating, and we wanted to take this opportunity to offer an honest and transparent view into our efforts in this space.

To paraphrase the Sea of Thieves Code of Conduct, Rare has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of in-game hacking or cheating, and any transgression can result in permanent enforcement action. Your reports alone have resulted in the termination of over 7,000 accounts in the last 12 months, with nearly 5,000 bans in the last six months of players confirmed to be cheating in-game.

Further to this, our security team have issued permanent bans to an additional 8,000 accounts in the last 12 months as a result of internal cheat detection and anti-tampering measures.

In addition to enforcement action, we also work diligently behind the scenes to detect and block newly developed and evolving cheats. This includes (but is not limited to) the cheats/hacks listed below:

• A hack that allowed players to move at an incredibly high rate of speed. Often used to evade attacks, chase down ships or transport items.
  
• A hack that allowed players to grab loot from a greater distance than intended.
  
• The ability to grant items to a player’s account without the prerequisites to do so – this also resulted in the termination of 4,500 accounts that were detected to be using this exploit.
  
• A cheat that enabled the ability to bucket water from your own ship directly into the hull of another ship.
  
• Blocking exploits used to earn gold in order to earn inordinately high scores within the Emissary Ledger.

[h3]Toxic Behaviour[/h3]
We have always been clear around what we expect from our community, and we take reports of in-game toxicity incredibly seriously. Our moderation teams work tirelessly in this area to ensure that Sea of Thieves remains a welcoming and inclusive place.

In the past 12 months as a response to player reports, we have manually issued over 8,500 suspensions to accounts that have demonstrated negative behaviours towards fellow players. In addition to general rules around bad behaviour and non-discriminatory language, we have enabled more stringent action around the use of discriminatory language. For example, the use of hate speech will result in players receiving our harshest suspension and an immediate final warning.

We also run regular sweeps of both pet names and ship names that do not meet our community standards to issue enforcement action to players. In order to streamline this process, we recently added an in-game reporting feature (see May’s release notes) which allows players to report the gamertag, ship name or pet name of any player they come into contact with. These reports are then reviewed by our moderation team who can take any necessary action.

The items mentioned in this update are just a small selection of the actions and improvements our security and moderation teams regularly make. Rest assured, we are always listening to your invaluable feedback and will continue to use this to guide our efforts to bring meaningful change.

While stamping out cheating and toxicity remains a top priority within Rare, the overwhelming majority of the millions of players within our community help to maintain the safe and inclusive environment of which we are so proud, and to this majority we say thank you. We will never stop striving to maintain the integrity of the game you care so passionately about.

See you on the seas.

– The Sea of Thieves Security Team

The Sea of Thieves has seen a fragile sort of peace emerge over recent months, but something sinister is once again starting to make waves. The only instruction Larinna has to share is that someone urgently needs to speak with you. To find out what’s really going on, you’ll need to join this emerging cause and dive into Sea of Thieves’ latest Adventure, ‘A Dark Deception’.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]The Story So Far[/h3]
As recapped in our latest Adventures Ahead article, previous story-driven Adventures have sent players all across the Sea of Thieves, pitting them against skeletons, Sirens and fellow sailors alike. They’ve rallied to the defence of Golden Sands Outpost and its inhabitants, rescued a fallen hero, witnessed the return of one of the most notorious pirates the sea has ever known, and, most recently, set out in search of a cure for a skeletal curse.

These time-limited experiences have fundamentally changed the world of Sea of Thieves. Golden Sands has grown into the majestic Port Merrick. Some allies have been lost, with Pendragon facing a sombre fate in the Sea of the Damned, while Merrick, Flameheart and Briggsy have all made a successful return from the abyss. The seas have been left in a precarious state of balance: the Dark Brethren have vanished in search of an Ancient Temple, while the forces of the Pirate Lord and Captain Flameheart keep one another in check by engaging in ship-to-ship battles out at sea.

[h3]Secrets Abound[/h3]
Now, however, a new disturbance is causing ripples across the waves. Larinna is dispatching pirates to a mysterious meeting on an island chain so remote it doesn’t even have a name. The only thing known for sure is that something vitally important is about to end up in the clutches of evil, and you and your crew are needed to help put together the pieces of this mission.

From now until July 6, experience a twisting Adventure that will test friendships and face you with uncomfortable choices as you try to unpick the truth of this latest threat. To manage it, you’ll need to rely on the help of your friends in the Order of Souls, no matter what it takes. But be very careful; not everything is as it seems...


[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. The 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!

It’s been a while since Sea of Thieves last presented pirates with a time-limited, narrative-focused escapade, and as crews have been busy lately tussling over Chests of Fortune, investigating the intrigue of The Hoarder’s Hunt and acquiring new and shiny trinkets for their Captained ships, it’s entirely possible that the notion of Adventures as a whole is new to you.

If that’s the case, allow us to raise a lantern on Adventures past, present and future, bringing you up to speed in anticipation of ‘A Dark Deception’, the next instalment launching on June 22nd! Be sure to fill your tankard before diving in – you’ll need something to wash down all that lore…

[h3]I Have a Favour to Ask![/h3]
Each Adventure to date has been largely focused on driving the Sea of Thieves story forward – sometimes this has meant events unfolding that pirates were powerless to prevent, while on other occasions it was the decisions of player crews around the world that determined the Adventure’s ultimate outcome.

Generally speaking, it’s Larinna who serves as the gateway to each new Adventure, beckoning pirates over with her usual blunt approach to life and slipping them a Mysterious Note to springboard players into the story. While many expeditions are a single ship’s business, there have also been Adventures encouraging cooperation with other crews, and a few that pitted pirates head-to-head as they sought to succeed.

Pirates who see an Adventure through to its conclusion will generally be rewarded with a suitable memento – Stitcher Jim’s jacket and a portrait of Merrick are two notable examples from past excursions. Additionally, Adventures offer a number of objectives known as Deeds; successfully completing all of these usually involves some extra legwork or sleuthing, and a unique in-game Title is your reward.


[h3]Shroud Negotiators[/h3]
Adventures began in earnest with ‘Shrouded Islands’, when – as the name rather implies – an ominous fog began to cloak several prominent locations across the Sea of Thieves. The most significant of these blighted isles was Golden Sands Outpost, whose residents vanished almost overnight.

While beloved luminaries like Cecil and Sharon were eventually rescued from Captain Flameheart’s prison during the second Adventure ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, Golden Sands itself remained fogbound and abandoned. Pirates were left to mourn the loss of a perfectly good drinking den while wondering if the place would ever be the same.

Grizzled old salt Merrick, meanwhile, was lured out of shark-hunting retirement by a visit from the enigmatic Belle, a powerful ally with extensive knowledge of the Sea of the Damned. With pirates’ assistance, the pair were able to summon forth the Shrouded Ghost from its otherworldly stomping grounds and, from the belly of the beast, recover the Veil of the Ancients – a relic that can be used to reach the Sea of the Damned.

[h3]Baited Brethren[/h3]
All that excitement relit a fight in Merrick’s Meg-filled belly, and he decided to strike out for the Shores of Plenty, taking command of an effort to rebuild Golden Sands and free it from its perpetual miasma. With your help, naturally. In response, the Servant of the Flame stepped out from the shadows, confirming that elite Reapers had attacked the Outpost on Flameheart’s orders, and entreating pirates to let Golden Sands wither and die.

This dilemma formed the basis for both the ‘Lost Sands’ Adventure and a community-driven choice that saw Golden Sands Outpost not just restored, but ultimately transformed into the prosperous Port Merrick. Unfortunately, the town’s namesake had attracted too much of the wrong kind of attention, and soon a blade flashed in the night…

Though they had been trapped in the Sea of the Damned since their last attempt to disrupt all things piratical, the Dark Brethren had not been idle. Having lured Amaranta to their cause, the group first claimed Merrick’s life and then his immortal soul in ‘The Forsaken Hunter’, spiriting his spirit away to their headquarters for interrogation. Though crews were successful in rescuing the defiant Merrick during ‘A Hunter’s Cry’, he remains under the protection of the Pirate Lord until the day the Dark Brethren are dealt with once and for all.


[h3]Relight My Fire[/h3]
Still smarting from the Reapers’ defeat at Golden Sands, the Servant of the Flame turned to a prophecy that spoke of a nearing Time of Resurrection. This fated event was one that Belle was keen to nip in the bud by acquiring Ancient allies in ‘The Sirens’ Prize’. Thanks to pirate crews’ strenuous efforts, the remains of the Ancients’ Great Warrior were recovered from Siren strongholds, securing some much-needed kinship against a growing roster of foes.

Nonetheless, having sensed the opportunity to save his father from eternity as a meme and establish Captain Flameheart as the destructive force he was destined to be, the Servant pressed on with his scheme and went to great pains to regain the loyalty of Stitcher Jim – or more accurately, if the prophecy was to be believed, the Herald of the Flame…

Jim, however, found himself seriously stitched up when Pendragon intervened, eager to settle a score after the events of ‘Heart of Fire’. (That’s the Tall Tale, not the novel, do try and keep up at the back.) Sir Arthur led a successful charge against the Herald at Molten Sands Fortress, and it looked as though Team Ramsey had finally ended the threat of Flameheart once and for all.

For about five minutes, anyway. With Flameheart’s body finally restored and ready to accept his essence, ‘Return of the Damned’ saw the beleaguered Pendragon wager his soul directly against Flameheart’s own.

Regrettably for Blackwyche enthusiasts, with a second community-driven choice deciding the outcome of the struggle, the Reapers refused to lose two-nil and the way was opened for Flameheart to return to the living world in all his fuming, fiery glory. This tumultuous turn of events immediately caused conflict to arise between two new Factional forces, the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame, with Flameheart himself bestowing a skeletal ‘reward’ upon his faithful followers.


[h3]Out of Memory[/h3]
With bloodthirsty battles underway all across the waves, it would have been easy to overlook the wellbeing of one individual. That’s why Tasha, suddenly cursed with an unwanted skeletal makeover (despite a total disinterest in PvP diving), had no choice but to confide in Madame Olivia and sympathetic pirate crews, thus beginning ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’.

Through a supernatural set of circumstances, pirates seeking Tasha’s cure not only instigated the return of Captain Briggsy at the end of subsequent Adventure ‘The Secret Wilds’, but also the re-emergence of the Dark Brethren and the formation of an uneasy alliance between them – as if the seas weren’t chaotic enough already. For now, the whereabouts of Briggsy and the Brethren remain unknown, and curious crews will have to wait a while longer to learn more about the Ancient Temple they’re seeking.

All of which which brings us to ‘A Dark Deception’, and a new top-secret mission bequeathed by Larinna. It seems as though an individual who wishes to keep their identity and movements a secret for now (but no prizes for guessing) is seeking assistance at an island chain so remote it doesn’t even have a name. All Larinna knows for sure is that something of significance is no longer where it should be…

And so, a quest to recover a powerful and dangerous treasure is about to unfold as you seek out the lair of the villains who’ve absconded with a prize belonging to the Pirate Lord. To do that you’ll need to acquire an enchanted compass, and such a thing will have to be crafted, somewhat reluctantly, by the Order of Souls.

Now, if all that sounds like a walk in the pirate park compared to the likes of Megalodon summoning and Ancient prophecies, be warned – there’s a reason this upcoming Adventure isn’t called ‘A Straightforward Sail’. Needless to say, all is not as meets the eye…


[h3]Storied Times Ahead[/h3]
Well, there we have it: a potted history of all the ways the Sea of Thieves world has been transformed by Adventures so far. And as for the future? Well, Adventures themselves are soon due to undergo a metamorphosis of their own, as teased by Lead Designer Chris Davies in a recent episode of SoT News giving a little more context to the slowed-down schedule.

Here and now, though, you’ll be able to enjoy the twists and turns of ‘A Dark Deception’ for yourself when the Adventure launches on June 22nd. And if it stokes your appetite for even more story-centric shenanigans, remember that the first of three Tall Tales comprising Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, our recent Xbox Showcase reveal and upcoming collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, is mere weeks away…
[hr][/hr][h3]Previously: [/h3]
Adventures Ahead: ‘The Secret Wilds’ 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’

Following a recent revisit to Sea of Thieves’ Captaincy system and changes made to streamline player progression (which we encourage you to read about in more detail), we thought it’d be well worth recapping the reasons why you might want to buy your own ship and set sail as a Captain in the first place. So here’s a handy reminder of the perks available to our Captains of Adventure!

[h3]A Home on the Seas[/h3]
Say goodbye to rentals – your ship is now your own, purchased with hard-earned gold and gaining its own history and reputation as you sail upon it. There’s a certain amount of pride that comes with adventuring on something that’s been by your side through naval battles and Kraken attacks, rather than something you set foot on for the very first time that day.

Conversely, the sweet sorrow of sinking is so much more painful when it’s your own vessel descending into the murky depths, the battle scars that persist across your ship’s hull when it’s hauled back to the surface serving as a sharp reminder of your defeat. However…

[h3]Battle Scars, Begone[/h3]
If the hull of your ship looks like a slice of Swiss cheese and you’d rather it was as smooth as the skin of a freshly picked banana, being a Captain can help with that too. Visit a shipwright at any Outpost and they’ll be able to make your ship look box-fresh and beautiful again!

[h3]A Ship By Any Other Name…[/h3]
“A good name is rather to be chosen than riches,” as they say, and as Captain you get to bestow the name of your choice upon your ship. Provided it meets the criteria, the Pirate Lord himself will officially recognise your chosen name, engraving it on the Ship’s Crest and stern the first time you set foot on deck.

Even better, other pirates who spy your ship from across the sea will be presented with a Ship’s Banner letting them know your ship’s name, and the name of the Captain at its helm. Will you choose a name that strikes fear into the heart of all who see it? One that taunts other pirates into attack? Or will you take the opportunity to make a joke so daft that those who see it are rendered helpless with laughter? That’s the great thing about being a Captain – the choice is yours.


[h3]Deck-orate Your Own Ship[/h3]
Speaking of choice, Captain status also brings far greater control over how your ship looks. Channel your inner designer as you customise your chair, bed, table and more to create the Captain’s cabin of your dreams. Then you can further decorate your ship with Trinkets, be they knick-knacks purchased from the shipwright or Trophies unlocked via your daring deeds.

So that you don’t have to spend your precious plunder procurement time fiddling around in the Ship Customisation Chest, you can save the inner and outer customisations so that your ship looks ship-shape, shiny and ready to go at the start of each and every session.

[h3]Say Ahoy to the Sovereigns[/h3]
Being a Captain comes with a certain amount of prestige, and you may find that people who ignored you before are now very interested in hearing what you have to say – and sell. The Sovereigns have set up their fancy marquees at every Outpost, and they’re so keen to make friends with pirate Captains that they’ll deliver your treasure to the Trading Companies on your behalf. They’ve even installed Rowboat docks and harpoons to make unloading treasure easy for anyone sailing on a Captained ship.

No more separating your Castaway’s Chests from your Coral Skulls and Cannonball Crates – hand it all in to your local Sovereign, then kick back and enjoy the view as the gold and reputation come rolling in.

[h3]Oar-inspiring Perks[/h3]
It’s not just the Sovereigns, though. Being a Captain unlocks other bonus services that were previously unavailable to you. Instead of having to scour an Outpost’s barrels for supplies and lug anything you find across the island, onto your ship and below deck for storage, a quick visit to the shipwright’s shop (and a palm full of gold to sweeten the deal, of course) can see your barrels stocked up with cannonballs, meat, fruit, wood, bait and even throwables like firebombs and blunderbombs.

The shipwrights also sell special Captain’s Voyages to keep on the bookcase on your ship ¬– these span a variety of Trading Companies and give you more control over what your Voyage will entail and how long it will take you to complete.



And that wraps up our whistle-stop tour of Captaincy benefits! We hope it was enlightening to all those fresh-faced pirates who’ve taken their maiden voyage since Captaincy arrived back in Season Seven, and reinvigorating to any Captains who’ve already dabbled but still have much more to explore. As recent changes have made the rewards more achievable than ever, now’s the perfect time to do it!