Sea of Thieves News

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As Season Seven continues, the team have been working on the next time-limited Adventure along with additional fixes based on feedback from the community. We’re introducing more of this content to the game in today’s release, update 2.6.3.1.

For a rundown of the most recent Pirate Emporium additions and October’s set of improvements and fixes, see the previous release notes. For more information on all the new content that arrived in Season Seven, check out the launch release notes!

[h3]Adventures
[/h3]

Although the Herald of the Flame was vanquished by the efforts of pirate crews, the Time of Resurrection has not yet been averted. With the future of the Sea of Thieves on the line, where will those who sail upon it place their allegiance in our ninth time-limited Adventure?

‘Return of the Damned’ (November 3rd – November 17th)

• Speak to Larinna to begin this Adventure and join the fray, with the souls of two powerful pirates hanging in the balance! Will you be #TeamFlameheart or #TeamPendragon?
  
• Either choose to save Pendragon from his noble sacrifice by allying with Belle at Shipwreck Bay as they subvert the Reapers’ ritual, seeking to banish Flameheart’s spirit to the Sea of the Damned for good...
  
• Or choose loyalty to the The Reaper's Bones and protect their ritual at all costs! The Servant of the Flame is channelling dark powers to resurrect his infamous father, summoning those loyal to the cause to join him at The Reaper’s Hideout.
  
• Whatever their allegiance, crews will clash at the Sea Forts spread around the Sea of Thieves during this Adventure. Forts can be claimed for either side by raising the appropriate flag.
  
• When as many Forts as possible are under the control of their chosen side, pirates should seek to recover the Dark Relics known as Bewitching Dolls found within the Forts, returning them to either Belle or the Servant of the Flame.
  
• If enchanted by the energy of a defeated Soulflame Captain, these Relics will carry even greater power!
  
• Join in the global community effort to determine which side amasses the greatest strength for its ritual, determining the fates of Pendragon, Captain Flameheart and the world as we know it.
  
• Participating players can earn rewards as Mementos of the time they helped decide the fate of the Sea of Thieves. An exclusive Title can also be earned for completing all Deeds in this Adventure.

[h3]Fixed Issues
[/h3]

Gameplay

• Players exploring The Devil’s Roar should no longer experience continual volcanic eruptions and earthquakes while traversing islands.
  
• Players should no longer encounter multiple active World Events at the same time.

Pirate Emporium

• The Collector’s Lodestar Figurehead is now purchasable at the correct price in all locations within the Emporium.

Environment

• Players exploring the Shrine of Tribute will no longer discover a placeholder environment asset.

Visual and Audio

• Players wielding weapons and equipment will now hear the intended audio effects.
  
• Players should now hear the appropriate waterfall sounds when exploring various islands.

[h3]Known Issues
[/h3]

‘Return of the Damned’ Early Completion

• Crews who are skilled enough to return an enchanted Bewitching Doll to Belle or the Servant of Flame while all Sea Forts are claimed for their chosen side will find the Adventure completes abruptly, removing their Quest Items and showing the final sequence. They are then offered the chance to repeat the Adventure to amass further strength for their chosen side.

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: 4.81 GB

The clock is counting down towards the Festival of the Damned, but there are those on the waves who have no time to indulge in revelry. After all, thanks to the Servant of the Flame and his loyal Reapers, the return of Captain Flameheart is imminent – so long as their plan succeeds, that is. Belle and her allies, meanwhile, are risking everything to ensure that Flameheart’s resurrection is thwarted and the notorious Skeleton Lord never reclaims his physical form.

Battle lines are being drawn and it’s almost certain that pirates will find themselves caught up in the brewing conflict. But before you pick a side, here’s a seaworthy summary of how all this came to pass…

[h3]Damned if You Do
[/h3]
When it comes to reviving their infamous leader, Captain Flameheart’s followers have clearly been playing the long game. Even before The Reaper’s Hideout was completed, Dark Relics were being gathered and the island known as Old Boot Fort repurposed as a ritual site – one intended to perfect the practice of summoning spirits back from the Sea of the Damned.

Once his soul had been unleashed by an unwitting Captain Pendragon, Flameheart wasted little time in deploying dangerous Ashen Lords and marshalling Ghost Ship armadas to menace the Sea of Thieves, but he himself was little more than a spectral onlooker in these encounters. Trapped beyond the veil, there was only so much influence Captain Flameheart could exert.

Now, though, the pieces are in place to empower a ritual that will restore Flameheart to physical form. This would potentially allow him to take charge of The Reaper’s Bones, although the devious warmonger may well have other ambitions in mind of which not even the Servant of the Flame is aware…

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[h3]How to Get a Head in Business
[/h3]
Said physical form, as it turned out, was being meticulously restored by Stitcher Jim, having returned to the Reapers to fulfil his role as the Herald of the Flame. Once Jim’s involvement was confirmed and his work forced him out of hiding, it was these preternatural preparations that gave the Pirate Lord’s allies their opportunity to strike.

A desperate assault on Molten Sands Fortress led to the defeat of Stitcher Jim and, courtesy of a triumphant Pendragon and his Sword of Souls, destruction of the skull that would have completed Flameheart’s body. Belle was convinced that this victory had put paid to any chance of Flameheart’s revival – but even in death, the Herald of the Flame had one last part to play…

With Flameheart’s remains and Stitcher Jim’s skull recovered from the aftermath of Molten Sands, the Reapers have used every last trick at their disposal to ensure the prophesised Time of Resurrection proceeds as planned. Should they succeed, their ragtag assembly of bones and brimstone will be transformed into a fully formed Skeleton Lord: Captain Flameheart, just as he appeared in his prime.

[h3]Painted into a Corner
[/h3]
There’s no longer any chance to prevent the Reapers’ ritual from taking place, but as the old pirate saying goes: “If you can’t beat ‘em…” At Shipwreck Bay, Belle and Pendragon are readying their own version of the ceremony and will attempt to summon Flameheart themselves, drawing him away from his waiting body so that his spirit can be cast into exile instead.

Unfortunately for Pendragon, participating in this desperate scheme has placed his own soul in jeopardy. If the Reapers succeed and Flameheart is reborn, it will be Sir Arthur who finds himself marooned in the furthest reaches of the Sea of the Damned, beyond even Belle’s ability to aid him.

Twin rituals. The fates of two powerful pirates hanging in the balance. Each side equally determined to secure their preferred future for the Sea of Thieves. Both Belle and the Servant of the Flame are calling for aid, and this is where pirates come in…




[h3]Pole to Pole with Maniacal Sailin’
[/h3]
The key to success lies in controlling Flameheart’s Sea Forts, which now burn with the six Flames of Fate – effectively transforming the entire Sea of Thieves into one gigantic Fort of the Damned rite. Within these Forts lie a multitude of Bewitching Dolls: powerful Dark Relics that can aid both Belle and the Servant in their respective rituals, depending on who pirates choose to deliver them to.

There is a catch, however – the Dolls draw their power from the Forts that house them, which means that the more Sea Forts are under a side’s direct control, the more effective the Relics will be. To that end, both Belle and the Servant are preparing special flags for those who are willing to join their cause. Acquiring one is as simple as playing (or replaying) the Adventure and speaking to the representative of your chosen side.

These flags can then be flown at conquered Sea Forts, capturing them for that side and increasing the power of Bewitching Dolls handed in (and causing the Forts to be defended by loyal Ancient or Reaper Phantoms, depending on who’s currently in charge). Since flags can be lowered at any time by passing pirates looking to sabotage their enemies, even if they’re not undertaking the Adventure, the stage is set for a frantic battle of strength and cunning that will span every region of the sea.




[h3]Soul Survivor
[/h3]
As if things weren’t deadly enough, vicious Soulflame Captains are being drawn to the Sea of Thieves in Flameheart’s wake. There’s no telling if and when they might make their presence known at a Sea Fort, but if one is encountered and defeated, its essence can be used to enchant a Bewitching Doll, further increasing the Dark Relic’s usefulness when handed in at Shipwreck Bay or The Reaper’s Hideout.

Whether it’s tearing across the map to claim several Sea Forts at once, viciously defending those bastions they’ve already conquered or lying in wait to snatch Bewitching Dolls from the clutches of pirates who let their guard down, different crews will approach the impending battle in different ways – and ultimately, their actions will determine whether it’s Flameheart or Pendragon who’ll be standing tall on the Sea of Thieves in the months ahead.

Which side will you stand with? You have until November 3rd to make your decision, for that’s when ‘Return of the Damned’ launches, with the two-week battle reaching its crescendo on November 17th and the winning side being declared shortly after. Choose carefully, pirates – the future of the Sea of Thieves lies with you…

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[h3]Previously:
[/h3]
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’

Content updates wait for no-one, so here we are delivering a fresh batch of fixes, event details and dark Emporium delights even as the latest time-limited Adventure drives Sea of Thieves’ story forward. If you're just joining us, see the trailer below to catch up on this Season’s initial content drop from a couple of months back...

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Season Seven’s launch may seem like a distant memory to many pirates as Season Eight’s time draws near, but there’s still time to go back and catch up on those launch release notes too. Then read on for the latest updates!

[h3]Pirate Emporium
[/h3]
It’s another month of dark and brooding Emporium vibes as the Graveyard Gladiator confronts you with a ship set, costume, weapon bundle and drum. Hear that cackling? The killer Spinal Costume is now in stock too! Evildoer Emotes and a spooky sale seal the deal...

Season Seven Plunder Pass

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

Halloween Emporium Sale

• Fabulous discounts are available on a range of Pirate Emporium items from October 28th to November 1st (10:00 UTC). Pirates will be able to pick up wicked deals under the Halloween tab including spooky costumes, pets, weapons and a wide range of emotes.
  
• To celebrate the sinister season, skeleton pets are also back for a limited time too: head to the Emporium and make a killer saving on the Skeleton Pet Bundles!

Spinal Costume

• Pay tribute to a savage skeletal warrior who personifies the killer instinct!
  
• Players can perform the Victory Cackle Emote with this costume equipped – the shrill, triumphant laugh that inspired a generation of scrappy skeletons.

Graveyard Gladiator Ship Collection

• Carry your challenge far and wide in a great chariot of the seas. Premium items such as the Collector’s Figurehead and Sails are separate purchases outside the main Ship Bundle.
  
• Players who only want the core components of this ship set can purchase the Graveyard Gladiator Essential Ship Bundle at a lower cost.

Graveyard Gladiator Costume

• Not just born for battle but reborn for it too, this undead champion will never stop seeking challengers.
  
• Players can perform the Dust to Dust Emote while wearing this costume, giving their adversaries a moment to understand that this will be the place where they fall.

Graveyard Gladiator Weapons

• Four weapons of a seasoned champion, each one a combination of battle tool and trophy.

Graveyard Gladiator Drum

• A battle drum passed down through generations of people who savour the sensation of hitting things.

Evildoer Emote Bundle

• Undertake or at least plan some pantomime villainy with this set of nefarious emotes.

Freebie Juggling Pumpkins Emote

• Beginner level: coconuts. Intermediate level: pumpkins. Advanced level: blunderbombs.

Chosen Champion Bundle (Store Only)

• Available from the Steam Store, the Chosen Champion Bundle contains the Graveyard Gladiator Costume, Weapon Bundle and Drum, 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.

[h3]Events
[/h3]
Some traditions transcend time and place, as you can see from the Tricksters and Treaters Event getting ready to go on the last weekend of the month! There’ll also be more Twitch Drops before Season Seven retreats into the mists of history...

Tricksters and Treaters (October 28th – November 1st)

• This year, Sea of Thieves marks the spooky season in a new way: with a Tricksters and Treaters in-game Event that asks pirates to enable generous treats or undertake dastardly tricks!
  
• Tricksters and Treaters compete to raise enough points to meet their own cumulative Community Goals, with bespoke rewards and a Title on offer to those who play their part.
  
• Keep an eye on Sea of Thieves social channels for updates as this Event approaches, and check the Events Hub for a link to all the info when it's live!

Twitch Drops

• Continue to unlock even more cosmetics throughout Season Seven 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]Adventures
[/h3]
‘The Herald of the Flame’ (October 13th – October 27th)

• With The Devil’s Roar fallen silent, Belle fears a prophecy could be coming true, heralding a dark ritual soon to take place. Her allies set off to scour the region, uncover the truth and face the fallout in this eighth time-limited Adventure!
  
• ‘The Herald of the Flame’ Adventure will remain available to play until October 27th. Speak to Larinna with your whole crew present to begin the Adventure.

[h3]Outpost Cosmetics
[/h3]
Seared Forsaken Ashes Equipment and Weapons

• The Outpost equipment and weapon shops now offer the Seared Forsaken Ashes items for purchase with gold.

[h3]Fixed Issues
[/h3]
Gameplay

• The ominous ship cloud in the sky signifying an encounter with a Skeleton Fleet has returned to the rotation of world events.
  
• Players taking on a Skeleton Fort should no longer find that skeleton waves halt, preventing the encounter from progressing.
  
• Handing Devil’s Roar Cargo Run Crates in on time and in perfect condition will now update the following Commendations correctly: Merchant of Forsaken Silk, Merchant of Forsaken Flora and Merchant of Forsaken Rum.

Captains of Adventure

• Players who start a solo Captained session should no longer see a notification that the Captain has left.
  
• Players swapping Trinkets in quick succession will now find the correct Trinkets remain applied when starting the next game session.
  
• Players discarding Captain’s Voyages in quick succession will now find the correct Voyages in the Captain’s Bookshelf when starting the next game session.
  
• Players enabling ‘Replace Gamertag on Ship’s Banners’ will now find this setting persists across sessions.
  
• Players enabling ‘Replace Ship Names’ will now find all ship names are replaced when browsing owned ships in the Ship’s Log.
  
• A customised Captain’s Logbook will now retain its customisation when dropped on the ground.
  
• The Ancient Chain ornament no longer moves strangely when the ship is moving.
  
• When clicking on locked Captaincy items in the Ship Customisation Chest and Flag Box, players will now hear the correct audio effects.
  
• Filtering by ‘Items I Own’ in any customisation shop no longer causes the supply and Voyage shops to appear empty.
  
• Crews returning to the Sea of Thieves after visiting the Sea of the Damned should no longer see the Ship’s Crest visual effects replay.
  
• The ‘Info & Tips’ button can now be found when first interacting with the Ship Customisation Chest.

Environment

• Players can no longer swim through the wall with the Siren riddle in the Shrine of Tribute.
  
• Players can no longer jump into the gap in the map and fall underneath that area within the Shrine of Ancient Tears.
  
• Loot no longer disappears when placed at the Vault's entrance on Kraken Watchtower.

Visual and Audio

• The Bleakheart Banshee Eye of Reach scope no longer becomes transparent after reloading and shooting.
  
• ‘The Seabound Soul’ – On Pendragon's arrival, he will now appear alongside his sword.
  
• ‘Heart of Fire’ – On Pendragon's arrival, he will now appear alongside his sword.

Text and Localisation

• Approaching Sharon the shipwright at New Golden Sands Outpost now brings up the correct interaction text.
  
• When navigating UI menus, font artifacts should no longer be left behind on-screen.
  
• The ship selection screen now correctly displays text in Turkish and German languages.

Performance and Stability

• Improved server stability to reduce scenarios where crews are removed from a game session.
  
• Client stability has also been improved, reducing scenarios where players experience a game crash.

[h3]Known Issues
[/h3]
‘The Herald of the Flame’ Quest Items

• When playing latest Adventure ‘The Herald of the Flame’, should a crew experience a server migration while carrying the Vault Key, it may not migrate to the new server with them. Affected players will receive a “Vault Key Lost” message and the Adventure will need to be restarted.

Larinna Adventure Dialogue Discoverability

• Unless a player's whole crew are present when talking to Larinna, she will only have dialogue about Captained ships and will not offer the option to begin the latest Adventure.

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.

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

• Steam: 6.24 GB

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Even in the wake of his historic defeat, Captain Flameheart has loomed large over the Sea of Thieves. Fleets of his Ghost Ships roam the open ocean and attack anyone they encounter, while the infamous warmonger himself continues to mastermind his nefarious schemes from the shadows.

Despite lacking a physical form, Flameheart has remained a consistent threat to the pirate life, and there are those who would seek to bring about his full rebirth. Having discovered an Ancient prophecy concerning a Time of Resurrection, Belle believes that The Reaper’s Bones will seize the opportunity to return their lord and master to the waves.

[h3]A Stitch in Time
[/h3]
The main architect of Captain Flameheart’s rebirth is described by the prophecy as the Herald of the Flame, and Belle has her suspicions that this refers to none other than Stitcher Jim – a lifelong villain and manipulator who once served among Flameheart’s most devoted followers. Jim, however, has not been seen since the climax of the ‘Heart of Fire’ Tall Tale, and it’s uncertain what role he will play in events now unfolding.

To be certain that she’s hunting the right man, Belle is requesting that pirates follow Stitcher Jim’s trail through the volcanic Devil’s Roar – a normally turbulent region that has fallen oddly silent in recent days. Establishing Jim’s current allegiance, ahead of an inevitable confrontation between the Pirate Lord’s allies and those faithful to Flameheart, might just mean the difference between victory and defeat.




[h3]Fire Fighting
[/h3]
Whether or not Stitcher Jim is destined to serve as the Herald of the Flame, it’s clear that battle is brewing and this Adventure looks set to culminate in a clash of epic proportions. Flameheart’s undead forces are ferocious, but Belle’s recent actions have seen a number of courageous Ancients pledge their blades to the Pirate Lord’s side, ready to fight alongside crews and forestall Flameheart’s resurrection if they possibly can.

Ahead of the fight, any pirates needing to reacquaint themselves with key players like Belle and Flameheart should look no further than our most recent instalment of Adventures Ahead – articles that recount recent story events for anyone seeking a quick refresher.

[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!

As Season Seven continues, the team have been working on the next time-limited Adventure along with additional fixes based on feedback from the community. We’re introducing more of this content to the game in today’s release, update 2.6.2.1.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
For a rundown of the most recent Pirate Emporium additions and late September’s set of improvements and fixes, see the previous release notes. For more information on all the new content that arrived in Season Seven, check out the launch release notes!

[h3]Adventures
[/h3]
As the ferocious Devil’s Roar begins to fall silent, Belle fears the prophecy could be coming true, heralding a dark ritual soon to take place. Her allies set off to scour the region, uncover the truth and face the fallout in this eighth time-limited Adventure!

‘The Herald of the Flame’ (October 13th – October 27th)

• Belle has returned to Stitcher Jim’s old hideout to consult various manuscripts and parchments concerning the prophecy. The silencing of seismic activity in The Devil’s Roar is a worrying omen.
  
• Speak to Larinna to begin this new Adventure, then head out to liaise with Belle at Liar’s Backbone.
  
• Time is short, and you’ll need to seek proof of the truth behind the prophecy. An ally will lend a hand as you locate the trail of an old enemy, expose his deeds and dealings since your last encounter and put together the pieces of this puzzle before it’s too late…
  
• Pirates who fully complete the Adventure will earn an exclusive Title and a cosmetic reward to serve as a Memento of their quest.

[h3]Fixed Issues
[/h3]

Visual and Audio

• ‘Lords of the Sea’ – Pirates reaching the top of the Siren Spire will once again find Cutler Beckett guarding the Dead Man’s Chest.
  
• Crews uncovering the Mystery of DeMarco’s death and descending to the Shrine will now find all characters are present during the final cutscene.
  
• Crews cashing in Athena’s Fortune treasure or Emissary Flags should no longer see a placeholder Commendation unlocked.

[h3]Known Issues
[/h3]

Larinna Adventure Dialogue Discoverability

• Unless a player's whole crew are present when talking to Larinna, she will revert to her dialogue about purchasing Captained ships rather than offering the option to begin the latest Adventure.

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.

[hr][/hr]
[h3]Download and Installation
[/h3]

Download size:

• Steam: 4.98 GB