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A Look Back at Season Six Community Day

While the current state of the seas could be best described as turbulent, with pirates scuffling over the fate of Golden Sands in our latest Adventure ‘Lost Sands’, those with the capacity to cast their minds back to May 14th will remember a pallier period of piracy. A more relaxing event. A Community Day, if you will.

That’s right, the 24-hour period that ran from 10am UTC on Saturday May 14th saw scores of scoundrels setting sail with a view to make the most of boosted gold and reputation for the duration, and of course picking up their free flag and Wing Flap Emote. Alongside in-game actions, many pirates also took to Twitter where they could mingle among the community and share their shenanigans using #SeaOfThievesCommunityDay, with the ultimate aim of boosting Renown gains to previously unseen levels through cumulative use of the hashtag!

The lack of a certain berry-bearded bounder obviously kept morale high, contributing to speedy sharing of the tag and the Community Emissary Grade being raised to its maximum level in under 11 hours, more than an hour quicker than the previous Community Day! We were even trending for a bit, so thanks for helping us raise our flag high. Go ahead and pat yourselves on the back for us. It would take a while for us to get around to all of you.



Speaking of all of you, let’s talk cold hard stats to get a view of what you got up to as a community throughout those 24 hours. Fun and frolics were high on the agenda, with 525,387 fireworks fired, 810,862 pints of grog downed and 1,900,558 instruments played. There were also 205,162 instances of pirates hiding in barrels, though how many of those were for nefarious deeds and how many were simple practical japes, we can’t say. Aside from fireworks, cannons were used to launch a lot of cannonballs (14,474,694 to be exact), a lot of pirates (1,492,407 counts of corsair cannonballs) and a number of projectile pets (71,235).

In terms of the biggest numbers, you’re all clearly very hungry, scoffing a total of 9,212,294 pieces of grub, of which 3,078,249 pieces were the classic banana. But then, treasure hunting is hungry work, and after raking in a cumulative total of 129,420,824,546 gold we can’t blame you for splashing out on a few prime Kraken steaks. You deserve it!

You all also had a lot to say about the most important debate on the Sea of Thieves right now, with 39,746 Pocket Rats whipped out versus 59,527 Pocket Crabs after their recent introduction to the Pirate Emporium. Seems the presence of the pinchy crustaceans in our trailers may have inflated their celebrity status…



Moving away from the big numbers, we also like to use Community Days to bestow the blue bonnet, otherwise known as the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame, on deserving but as-yet-unsung pirates, and this time we gave away more than 30 over this 24-hour period. Dedicated artists such as Ozurian Art, Skeleton Crew Comics, ColourMeFun and Havexis, prop creators like MiniMeMarcLee and Sirbats and Community legends including Capt_Ballzonia, gaming_4nj4, AT0MAC and ItsGummyyBear all found long-overdue fancy caps in their Equipment Chests throughout the day.

We also celebrated a number of sailors doing something special for the day itself. From personal projects such as Cpt_Drasuk’s Community Day skull competition and KlutchxKing518’s concertina effort, to in-game fun inspired by our Challenge List from vznDustBunny and crew, we loved seeing how the community marked the day and we hope they enjoy peacocking about with their new headwear.

Speaking of peacocking, we also snuck in a little announcement during the day, revealing that our new #StyleOfThieves social competition will be launching during Season Seven and offering a way to earn the Fashionista’s Finery Gloves! Fashionable filibusters should hop over to our dedicated article to learn more about that, and keep an eye on social channels following the arrival of the next Season to be sure of seeing the first set of prompts.



We’ve covered a lot and we haven’t even mentioned the Gilded Phoenix Banjo Twitch Drops. Or our special screenshot frames and wallpapers we made for the day. Or how you all told us what Sea of Thieves means to you in a handful of words. Or the fact that our merch store had an actual physical flag available to buy. Or the fun score card we created and saw people using on streams and social media. Or people scouring the seas for crews sailing under the Deckhand and Quartermaster Sails and giving away elusive Obsidian items. Or us calling out everyone looking at their phones instead of handing in loot (we know you do it). As with last time, let’s just say lots happened.

So if you sailed with us at any point during our Season Six Community Day, either on the seas or simply via social media, thank you. Thank you for bringing your creativity, fun and passion for the Sea of Thieves we share, and for making loads of noise in the simple spirit of shouting that affection at the world. The #SeaOfThievesCommunityDay tag remains an archive of your enthusiasm. It’s both heartwarming and humbling for us (and the entire Sea of Thieves team) to see, and certainly puts a big gust of wind in our sails.

We’ll be holding another Sea of Thieves Community Day in Season Seven, so keep your eyes on the horizon and, more helpfully, our social media channels (and Twitter in particular), to find out when that’ll be. We’re already looking forward to seeing how you’ll all impress us again!

Determine the Destiny of Golden Sands Outpost in a New Adventure, 'Lost Sands'!

The fate of Golden Sands Outpost hangs in the balance in Sea of Thieves’ fourth time-limited Adventure, ‘Lost Sands’. In a departure from previous Adventures, players can pick the path they wish to follow, either choosing to aid in the Outpost’s reconstruction or dooming it to be ever shrouded in ethereal mist.

The side with the most support at the end of the Adventure will determine the future of Golden Sands in Sea of Thieves, so weigh your options carefully! Do you want the Outpost restored to its previous prominence, or would you rather leave it in ruins as a tactical play or a testament to Captain Flameheart’s power? As with previous Adventures, players have been given a glimpse of the current state of play in the cinematic opening trailer...

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[h3]Sand and Deliver
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Following the thrilling conclusion to ‘The Shrouded Deep’, Merrick found his lust for excitement and adventure rekindled, and has now set his sights on rebuilding Golden Sands Outpost – which was left abandoned at the beginning of the very first Adventure, ‘Shrouded Islands’. But even as Merrick tries to rally the island’s inhabitants, a shadowy threat lies in wait. The Servant of the Flame is determined that the Outpost should remain in ruins, and gathers his forces to plot sabotage.

Will you be swayed by Merrick’s fervor and take the Hunter’s Path, helping him track down key supplies to restore Golden Sands to its former trading glory? Or will you slip onto the Servant’s Path, using Soulflame Rowboats to smuggle Relic Caches to the Reapers, scheming to keep the island shrouded?

The future of Golden Sands can even be influenced when not directly taking part in the Adventure. Anyone can contribute to the reconstruction by delivering useful supplies to Merrick, or disrupt those supply lines to support the Servant of the Flame. Every little action could swing the balance until this Adventure concludes on June 9!

If you want a recap of everything that’s happened up to this point, our Adventures Ahead series of story primers should provide all you seek. We release a new instalment before the start of each new Adventure, so you can jump right into the story whether you’re a veteran Adventurer or ‘Lost Sands’ is your very first.

Now it’s time to act, pirates – pick a side and help decide Golden Sands’ destiny in ‘Lost Sands’! Don’t forget to use the #SaveGoldenSands or #RuinGoldenSands tag to state your allegiance on your social channel of choice. You’ve got until June 9 to help change the course of Sea of Thieves history…

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[h3]Find Out More
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For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. This update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Steam. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieves here, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 2.5.2.1

As Season Six 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 2.5.2.1.

For more information on the last batch of improvements and May’s Pirate Emporium offerings, see the previous release notes. For a refresher on all the new content that arrived back at the start of Season Six, check out the launch release notes!

[h3]Adventures[/h3]

The seas have settled following the successful recovery of the Veil of the Ancients. However, Golden Sands Outpost remains on the verge of being lost forever as our Adventures continue. It will take everyone working together to save it... if that’s what they choose to do!

‘Lost Sands’ (May 26th – June 9th)
  • Merrick has returned to Golden Sands to lead the rebuilding effort, recruiting its former inhabitants along with any other pirates willing to help. Meanwhile, sinister figures have been spotted lurking in the shadows of the Outpost’s surrounding islands…
  • Speak to Larinna to begin this Adventure and join in the global community effort, as the fate of Golden Sands Outpost is left in players’ hands! Will you follow the Hunter’s Path or the Servant’s Path? Are you team #SaveGoldenSands or #RuinGoldenSands?
  • Choose to either help Merrick track down precious supplies to restore Golden Sands to its former Outpost glory, or side with the Servant of the Flame and use Relic Caches to keep this once thriving island enshrouded by the fog.
  • Even when not directly taking part in the Adventure, players can tip the balance by delivering useful supplies to Merrick or diverting them to the Servant of the Flame. All viable actions can influence the outcome until the Adventure ends on June 9th.
  • Separate cosmetic rewards are available for completing the Hunter’s Path and the Servant’s Path, serving as Mementos of the time players helped decide the fate of Golden Sands. An exclusive Title can also be earned for completing all Deeds in this Adventure.
Soulflame Rowboats
  • During this Adventure, pirates can discover Soulflame Rowboats emergently across the seas, crafted by The Reaper’s Bones for the purposes of causing mayhem.
  • Soulflame Rowboats come with a reinforced explosive keg strapped to the rear, allowing pirates to light the fuse before reaching their target and detonating. The keg is resistant to small arms fire, but repeated attacks will eventually cause it to explode.

[h3]Fixed Issues
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Gameplay
  • Improved the experience when bailing a full bucket of water, reducing scenarios where water would still be left in the bucket after bailing.
  • Players lighting the Flames of Fate and placing a Ritual Skull within the Fort of the Damned will now consistently begin the encounter.
  • Players should now encounter a more consistent rotation of World Events across the seas.
Pirate Emporium
  • While wearing the Lionfish Costume, attempting to perform the emote from the radial menu will now display the correct iconography.
Performance and Stability
  • Optimised retrieval of player models for players joining a server to improve server performance and reduce black screen load times.

[h3]Known Issues
[/h3]

Reduced Server Performance
  • Players may experience scenarios where they encounter ping spikes at random while playing, resulting in rubberbanding or client stutters. While improvements have been released in update 2.5.2.1, the team continue to work on further improvements for future updates.
Steam Achievement Unlocking Issues
  • Some Steam players may find that after an achievement is unlocked in the game, it is not unlocked within Steam.
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
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Download size:
Steam: 5.26 GB

Adventures Ahead: ‘Lost Sands’

Out on the lawless Sea of Thieves, Outposts are the closest thing to civilisation, with any number of traders and tavern-keepers eager to help pirates empty their holds of treasure and kick back with a well-deserved grog.

Small wonder, then, that the unexpected shrouding of Golden Sands Outpost – previously one of the more charming and cheerful ports of call – was a loss felt by many, and proof that The Reaper’s Bones are determined to oust the Trading Companies once and for all.

Now, however, the residents of this Outpost are being rallied by none other than Merrick, last seen menacing Megalodons in previous Adventure ‘The Shrouded Deep’. But he is not unopposed…

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[h3]A Whale of a Time
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Recalling past events may help shed light on Merrick’s motivations. Pirates who answered Larinna’s call in ‘The Shrouded Deep’ would encounter the Killer Whale, a (mostly) faithful recreation of Merrick’s original Galleon. Both he and Belle were aboard, having tried and failed to battle the legendary Shrouded Ghost. Not just for the Commendation, we hasten to add; Belle was racing against Captain Flameheart to recover a long-lost relic from the beast’s belly.

Thanks to Larinna sending reinforcements their way, Merrick and Belle were able to gather four fresh Megalodon souls and arrange them on a ritual table, urging multiple crews to band together as… well, a band. When five pirates joined forces to play ‘Summon the Megalodon’, the resultant racket was enough to call forth the irate Shrouded Ghost, ready for a rematch.

[h3]Lifting the Veil
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As if the arrival of an ill-tempered behemoth wasn’t enough, Captain Flameheart’s Ghost Ships soon made an appearance, eager to prevent players from laying claim to the Veil of the Ancients – the treasure that’s made the Shrouded Ghost so elusive for all these years.

Just when things seemed about to spiral out of control, the odds were evened by the arrival of the good ship Blackwyche. Helmed as ever by Sir Arthur Pendragon, it was drawn to the fray in the wake of a ritual that, its captain declared, had caused “quite the stir” in the Sea of the Damned.

With the help of this aristocratic ally, Belle, Merrick and embattled pirates alike were able to triumph over the Shrouded Ghost and force Flameheart to retreat. Pendragon retrieved the Veil of the Ancients on Belle’s behalf, though it was soon discovered to be missing the Veil Stones that imbue it with power.

With the Veil delivered to the Pirate Lord for safekeeping (after it’s been thoroughly disinfected, or so we’d hope) it looked as though Merrick’s lifelong ambition had finally been realised. He was free to return to his spot at Stephen’s Spoils and bask in the satisfaction of a job well done – not to mention the world’s largest fish supper.



[h3]A Little Knowledge…
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Time spent in Belle’s company, however, has given the wily Hunter plenty of valuable insights into recent difficulties, including a way to finally dispel the fog surrounding Golden Sands. Armed with this information and with his adventurous spirit rekindled, Merrick has a new mission: he’s determined to rally the Outpost’s residents and restore Golden Sands to its former glory.

This lofty goal puts Merrick in direct conflict with the Servant of the Flame and, by extension, the rest of The Reaper’s Bones. The Trading Companies once again prospering at Golden Sands would mean that the Reapers had failed to follow Flameheart’s express orders, and the Servant will stop at nothing to ensure that his father’s wishes are obeyed.

As for the Shrouded Ghost, who knows what strange abilities the creature might still possess after spending so long with the Veil in its belly? Whatever distant shores the Ghost now haunts, pirates should expect its fleeting visits to the Sea of Thieves to be as infrequent as ever, preserving its legendary reputation among crews in the future.



[h3]Looting, Shooting, Now Recruiting
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When Lost Sands arrives on May 26th, pirates will be able to help or hinder Merrick’s plans as they see fit, both by actively taking part in the Adventure and seizing other opportunities to tip the scales. Speaking to Larinna to begin the Adventure and then choosing to follow either the Hunter’s Path or Servant’s Path will ensure that your actions contribute to Golden Sands’ resurrection or its ruin.

Even outside the Adventure, Merrick will accept donations of fruit and wood crates to help Golden Sands’ cause, along with cloth, rum bottles and the Reapers’ Relic Caches for safe disposal. Alternatively, players loyal to the Reapers should look for distinctive Soulflame Rowboats. Destroying these near Golden Sands will unleash supernatural energies and fortify the fog, hampering the rebuilding efforts. Sticky-fingered Reapers can also swipe special supplies before they reach Merrick and deliver them to the Servant of the Flame to cause further chaos.

Whichever path you choose, expect Golden Sands to be a lively destination for the duration of ‘Lost Sands’ as both sides seek to exert their will upon the waves. The Adventure will be live until June 9th, and what happens to the Outpost in its wake is entirely up to you...

[h3]Previously
[/h3]Adventures Ahead: ‘The Shrouded Deep’ Adventures Ahead: ‘Forts of the Forgotten’
Adventures Ahead: ‘Shrouded Islands’