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!


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...

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!

• 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.

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!

• 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.

• 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.

• 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]

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!

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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!

• 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.

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

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

• Unleash musical mayhem with this brutal banjo.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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!

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

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

• 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.

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…

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.


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.

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.



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…?

---

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!


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!

Happy anniversary, everyone! It’s been four eventful years since we first set sail on the ocean in search of gold and adventure, and the excitement continues apace. We’ve fought against terrors from the deep, sailed through volcanic waters, worked together to save the very pirate way of life and now in our fourth year, we’re embarking on bold new Adventures to broaden the narrative horizons of this sea we call our home.

But that’s enough schmaltz, it’s time to party! As is customary for a Sea of Thieves anniversary, we’ve lined up some special goodies with which to mark this temporal milestone, ranging from free goodies to exclusive discounts. So grab yourselves a grog cocktail, put on a party hat and let’s see what activities we’ve got lined up!



First up, anyone who logs into Sea of Thieves between Friday March 18th (10am UTC) and Monday March 21st (10am UTC) can grab the lustrous Golden Sailor Wheel as a free anniversary gift! Larinna and the Merchant Alliance have also been able to wrangle some limited edition stock, with the Golden Sailor Cannon Flare and commemorative Anniversary Firework Crate on sale in-game throughout this celebratory weekend.

As an extra anniversary treat, we’ll be holding a Gold & Glory Weekend over the same dates and times, ideal for those looking to double their gold and reputation and get a Renown boost while rattling through Season Six’s 100 levels of progression.



Meanwhile, the Pirate Emporium is also hosting a sea of discounts between March 18th and 21st. The focus of this sale is squarely on ranges celebrating our Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life crossover with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, so enjoy saving Ancient Coins on everything from the Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa Costumes to themed ship sets, emotes and pets!

If you’re in the market for some physical swag to mark this anniversary, the Rare Store is offering a 20% discount on certain Sea of Thieves items over the weekend, as well as releasing a line of limited edition Sea of Thieves shoes! We have it on good authority that they make great dancing shoes for when you’re tackling a merry jig.

Those are all our exciting plans for the weekend ahead – take a look at some of them in action in the very latest episode of Sea of Thieves News, and we hope you’ll join in the anniversary celebrations out on the seas. Here’s to many more!

As the birds begin chirping and the buds start blooming, a new Season springs into life for Sea of Thieves! Along with an offering of brand new Seasonal rewards, Season Six is all about expanding Sea of Thieves’ narrative through time-limited Adventures, while still giving you opportunities to forge your own epic tales of derring-do – with Sea Forts and the new Pirate Legend-exclusive Voyage, Legend of the Veil. If you can’t wait to write the next chapter in your pirate’s memoir of high-seas adventure, Season Six is now available as a free update for all players on Steam.

Like our past Seasons, Season Six and its 100 levels of rewards are free to all Sea of Thieves players, with cosmetics and other goodies earnable as you build Renown by going about your pirate business. If you want to spice up your Seasonal climb to Level 100 with more premium items not yet available anywhere else, you can purchase the optional Season Six Plunder Pass! Find out more in our Seasons Explained and Plunder Pass Explained articles.

Brought forth from the Sea of the Damned by the machinations of Captain Flameheart, six Phantom-filled Sea Forts have now appeared around the Sea of Thieves for brave pirates to plunder. With a focus on combat and loot to be liberated, Sea Forts provide a satisfying on-demand experience for battle-hungry sailors or those who may not have time for a longer Voyage. Enter a Fort, cut down its spectral defenders, scour every nook and cranny for hidden riches, and defeat the Sea Fort Captain to gain the key to the Treasury.



Once a Sea Fort is cleared, you can make the most of its home comforts – including the well-stocked Homestead room with chairs and a blazing fire to put your feet up and share a well-earned grog with your crew. Just be prepared to defend your little sanctuary from other crews who might want it for themselves!

Narrative-driven Adventures will continue throughout Season Six and beyond, keeping the Sea of Thieves world and lore in constant motion. Adventure 2, ‘Forts of the Forgotten’, will soon pick up the thread from the recently concluded ‘Shrouded Islands’. But another story-centric feature is also set to make its mark later in Season Six. Legend of the Veil, a new Voyage exclusive to Pirate Legends, will send you out hunting for lost Veil Stones across dramatic new locations and facing an ever-changing series of challenges. From haunted islands and shipwreck graveyards to a climactic naval battle against a Ghost Garrison, this is a Voyage you don’t want to miss!



To complement this Legendary content, the maximum rank achievable with the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company will be raised from 20 to 30. With a host of new cosmetics, Commendations and achievements on offer, get ready to continue your climb to the top in Season Six!

For pirates keen to boost their Seasonal reward pool, the Season Six Plunder Pass is headlined by the complete set of items making up the brand new Spring Blossom ship set, alongside the evolving Forest’s Blessing costume which transforms as you climb the Season’s 100 levels. As always, Plunder Pass items are temporary exclusives before heading to the Pirate Emporium sometime in the future.

Other standout selections new to the Pirate Emporium in March are the loud and proud Islehopper Outlaw ship set with matching costume, weapons and even a banjo – perfect for the wild-hearted hellraisers, rabble-rousers and ruffians of the seas. Or if you can’t help striking a pose at a moment’s notice, style it out with the Bunch of Posers Emote Bundle. While you’re browsing the Emporium’s new wares, remember to pick up this month’s free emote too!



For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season Six 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 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 https://www.xbox.com/seaofthieves, or join the ongoing adventure at https://www.seaofthieves.com/ where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

Is it March already? Time flies when you’re having fun, they say, and we did our best to whip up plenty of that for the Sea of Thieves faithful in February. Amongst other things we paved the way for all our pirates to explore ‘Shrouded Islands’, held a 24-hour charity stream as part of GameBlast ’22 and tackled some hard topics in the latest episode of the SoT Podcast. Yes, we did talk about hit reg – cue the gasps. So if you’re sitting comfortably, we shall begin with our rip-roaring retrospective of February’s fun!

Obviously, the month’s main content update was designed to turn on the ethereal fog machine, put Flameheart back in his box, ring Belle’s bell and open up our first Adventure – ‘Shrouded Islands’. We’ve had a debrief with the Phantoms after the Adventure, and they’ve promised to calm it down a bit on the snoop shouting. A new Adventures page on the SoT site ushered in this latest era, as did our debut Adventures Ahead primer article written to set the scene. If you’re awaiting the next chapter in the unfolding story of Golden Sands Outpost, be sure to come back for ‘Forts of the Forgotten’ later in March!

Along with the thrill of Adventure, we had our usual freshening up of monthly stock in the Pirate Emporium – with the wider availability of the Jack O’ Looter cosmetics from the Season Four Plunder Pass, some truly Cutthroat weapons and outlandish Props Master emotes, among other things. As always, pirates with an eye for detail should head on over to the release notes for the blow-by-blow breakdown of February’s update, Adventure and everything else.


While a cohort of pirate journalists were busy writing salacious stories about the ghostly haze covering islands, our own intrepid newshounds were out on the prowl for the biggest scoops this side of the Devil’s Shroud.

February update, new episode of Sea of Thieves News and a juicy podcast all in the space of a few days? Got it covered. More entries in our programme of enlightening Spotlights? Yep, in February it was the turn of Boatswain and Voyage-avoider DrBullhammer along with Aussie plunderer Micromads. Work also continued apace for our artisan headwear makers as eight more Hats of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame flew out of the doors and onto the heads of deserving pirates. We’ll have to branch out further in more haberdashery – we’d love a new set of gloves.

As we celebrated the Lunar New Year, pirates looking to show off their stripes (don’t groan, it’s a classic) could pick up special Year of the Tiger merch over on the Rare Store. We also announced the new Legendary Fortune weapons on the way in Season Six, filling out the suite of flashy Pirate Legend cosmetics following the closure of The Arena.

With Season Five Community Day firmly in the rear-view mirror and a certain jam-adjacent pirate back in his jar, we took the time to pore over all the community’s amazing creations on the day in a dedicated lookback article. There was no missing the chance to be all lovey-dovey on Valentine’s Day either, with a special round-up of romantic activities. The main draw this year was, of course, our rousing rendition of the crooner’s classic ‘It Had to Be You’, sung valiantly by our Senior Audio Director. Some people might prefer chocolates as a gift, but we politely beg to differ.

If you’re feeling up for a song yourself, why not join in with our segue anthem? All together now as we effortlessly transition to…



VIIIIIDEOS AND STREEEEEEAMS. You in the back row, a little flat on that last note – practise for next month. The pirate video shop was mighty busy in February, as we had podcasts, reveal trailers and newsreels in our ‘Coming Attractions’ section. For starters, following on from the cinematic trailer last month came a gameplay trailer for ‘Shrouded Islands’, offering a quick taste of the adventures you’d be having on this… Adventure.

After a brand new episode of SoT News which highlighted some of February’s main beats, we donned our flame-resistant suits and dived straight into the fires of controversy in the newest edition of the SoT Podcast. Hit reg, spawn camping, weapon balance – if someone’s written a long forum thread about it, we did our best to tackle it in this no-holds-barred discussion moderated by our very own Head of Community, Christina. One note for the next podcast – work on the winking.

If live video content is more your bag, February brought plenty of streaming action with three new episodes of The Gauntlet going live on SoT TV. Rather than Sea of Thieves Partners filling the hero role this time, it was the turn of actual Rare staff members to triumph over devious rivals and riddles. You bet we made the riddles extra tough, just to see if they really knew their stuff.

We also joined in on the GameBlast action at the end of the month, hosting a 24-hour charity livestream to help raise money for SpecialEffect. With a crew of Rare staff and SoT Partners giving it their best, we’re happy to say almost £10,000 was raised – thanks to all you generous souls! If you were tuning in to Twitch throughout February, you may also have also picked up more Twilight Hunter gear in our ongoing Twitch Drops campaign. Yes, there was a little snafu with the shirt, but the pirate costumier who caused the mix-up is now wearing nothing but a barrel as punishment for their crimes.



While parts of the Sea of Thieves were gripped in a ghostly haze, our social channels remained a shining beacon of quality content, freebies and maybe just one or two memes. One long-awaited nugget was that if you’re active in a local Sea of Thieves fan community, you might soon have a chance to earn the new Affiliate Alliance sails. On Valentine’s Day, we offered specially made artwork and a repurposed Quest Board for the pinning of pirate love notes. We also celebrated a newfound calm after the disappearance of a certain flaming head, taught everyone the difference between Belle, Bel and a bell, berated some rats, spared a thought for a poor soul left behind and revealed that the Soulflame Captain is actually a massive Sea of Thieves fan.

A steady port in any weather, our trio of regular hashtags kept up the interesting factoids, beautiful scenery and loot showcases to make you green with envy. #TriviaTuesday was naturally focused on facts surrounding ‘Shrouded Islands’, with info on Belle’s previous showings, Flameheart’s fleet and the Soulflame Captain, while #SoTGear invited admiration of items like the Legendary Treasure Seeker Costume and Jacket of the Damned.

As if we were advertising pirate pleasure cruises, February’s #SoTShot contest encouraged players to go see the sights of the Sea of Thieves, with views that would get anyone down to the travel agents post haste. But we’re swapping sun-drenched views for gloomy vistas in March’s competition, putting out a call for pictures of the best Misty Moments. Our #SundayVibes tag would be a good stop for inspiration, with February’s selections touring the fog-blanketed Golden Sands Outpost, Devil’s Ridge and Shipwreck Bay.



The temporal train is picking up speed now as we start to barrel through 2022! It’s going to be non-stop for the remainder of the year, so follow our social channels to avoid missing any precious crumbs of info. If you need reminding, you can find Sea of Thieves on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and the official Forums and Discord server. As we’ll be full of the joys of spring next month, you’ll have to find the next round-up by breaking open the various Easter eggs we’ve hidden around your house. Either that or we’ll hire a giant talking rabbit to read it to you.

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2022

Pirates are not known for following rules. When it comes to both gender and race, buccaneers have historically subscribed a lot less heavily to the traditions of land-dwelling society – which is why this International Women’s Day, the #BreakTheBias theme particularly resonates with us here on Sea of Thieves.

A pirate’s story is one that they have the freedom to author themselves, and that’s always been the case for the ferocious female picaroons who sail our seas. Upon the Sea of Thieves, women have always been considered equal to their male counterparts. Our Pirate Code is clear: everyone is welcome regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, nationality or creed.

So on International Women’s Day, we’re pulling focus to those ferocious female trailblazers who make waves within our game and community. Whether they’re Trading Company leaders, story chroniclers, infamous Skeleton Lords, mango-juggling marauders (who may or may not have a favour to ask) or even enigmatic newcomers arriving to take you on an Adventure, the proficiency of our in-game female pirates has always been respected and celebrated.

But much as we love our in-game characters, the beating heart of Sea of Thieves will always be our player pirates – and we’re lucky to have so many wonderful women sword-dashing their way into the hearts of the community. Just pay a visit to Umbra to discover the many tales of fearsome female pirates immortalised across the seas, their legends emblazoned within the world and celebrated in this classic update a couple of years back. Our Partner Programme is also home to many amazing women, with the likes of BBXH, HappyKrakenX, KaidaWrath, Smexi and many more all sailing regularly in an effort to entertain you – check out our Partner Directory for the exhaustive list.

Our Community and Creator Spotlights also illuminate a growing number of the inspirational women on our seas – in the last few months alone, the likes of Micromads, 0wl, CocoMayy, Betta VP, Mother0fChickens and Freyline have taken the time to tell us how they make their mark on the Sea of Thieves community.

It’s worth restating that all are welcome on the waves, and we cherish the diversity and creativity of the pirates who reach Sea of Thieves’ shores. We’re all in on ensuring that everyone feels included in our game and our community spaces, and we’re committed to championing and supporting our female players and creators. Join us all in marking this day by celebrating your fabulous female crew members and fellow sailors – and we’ll see you on the seas!



One last note: if you’re a fan of our special #IWD2022 artwork, not only is it available in T-shirt form at the Sea of Thieves online store, we’ve prepped it right here for you in a variety of sizes to decorate your devices. Enjoy!

Desktop (1920x1080) | Lesedi (1080x1920) | Belle (1080x1920) | Umbra (1080x1920)

The Sea of Thieves is a wondrous place, inhabited by all manner of colourful characters. No, we’re not talking about people like Merrick or the Pirate Lord this time – we’re talking about all you rapscallions who take to the seas to have fun, rabble-rouse or simply sail with friends.

It’s become a tradition for us to shine a Spotlight on folks within the Sea of Thieves community, whether they’re content creators or community members who’ve become known and loved in other ways, and give them an opportunity to tell us what they’re all about. We aim to switch our Spotlight on every two weeks and invite someone else up on stage, and it’s about time we gave you Steam readers a chance to check them out too – so let’s introduce you to the four people we had treading the boards in January and February 2022!



First into the Spotlight this year was SightlessKombat, a recent Pirate Legend and an accessibility consultant who helps make games accessible for all players. As a gamer without sight, he had lots to share about how he has been able to sail the seas with the help of Sea of Thieves’ plethora of accessibility features, and musings on further ways to make gaming more accessible!



Next on the January setlist was the botanist buccaneer from all the way down in New Zealand, CocoMayy! A member of the Sea of Thieves Partner Programme and a huge lover of nature, CocoMayy told us how she got her start on the seas, recalled her favourite moments while playing and offered some insights for anyone looking to engage with their community.



As we rolled into February, next to bathe in the limelight was long-time Boatswain on the Sea of Thieves Forums and cheerfully chaotic corsair DrBullhammer. Known among other things for the achievement of hitting Pirate Legend without buying a single Voyage, the good doctor regaled us with tales of how he became a Boatswain along with some in-depth, unconventional sailing tips.



Our final February Spotlight gave us another Antipodean headliner, as Aussie plunderer Micromads joined us for a chat about her own experiences as a pirate streamer. From finding an audience during lockdown to making lifelong friends on the seas, it’s a heartwarming read including more advice for fledgling content creators looking to make their start.

And that’s it for the opening months of 2022! If you want to keep up to date on new Spotlights as they go live, our dedicated Community Hub always features the most recently published, and you can check out the extensive back catalogue of Community and Creator Spotlights alike in the Sea of Thieves News section. Happy reading!

As we prepare to set Sea of Thieves Season Five sailing off into a beautiful digital sunset, welcoming the Forts and frolics of Season Six in its wake, we feel it would be remiss of us not to take a look back at our first ever Community Day, and celebrate the camaraderie and capers we witnessed over its extended 36 hours.

In case you’ve navigated to this article with no idea concerning what this blue-branded day of picaroon appreciation and untold riches was all about, here’s a quick recap: starting at 10am GMT on Sunday, January 30th 2022, we invited Sea of Thieves players of all stripes to take part in a day of adoration for their fellow freebooters, both in-game and out.

Those who set sail found a free flag and emote with which to mark the day, while those interested in ridiculously raising their riches had to take to Twitter and use the hashtag #SeaOfThievesCommunityDay, as each instance of it being posted and shared helped boost in-game rewards through the helpfully named Community Emissary Grade.

The maximum Grade 5 was hit after just 13 hours, leading to a 3x gold and reputation multiplier – the biggest boost to ever grace our fair waves! Sea of Thieves was even trending for a while on Twitter because you’re all so brilliant to us. We’ve gone as red as your favourite ruby-coloured ocean dweller just thinking about it.



There were, however, some connection issues throughout a portion of the day that left a number of sailors adrift, with only an error message evoking visions of fruity face follicles to keep them company. Some stars of the community worked to raise spirits regardless, writing shanties, creating wanted posters and even designing cosmetics around this cursed concept.

We expected Community Day to be of interest to a lot of our players – in the end the numbers far exceeded our expectations, and we’re incredibly humbled by this, but also regret that it meant the experience on the day was not what it should have been for everyone. Those interested in hearing about how we’re working to resolve server issues to avoid such a situation occurring again should turn their ears to Episode 5 of the official Sea of Thieves Podcast.



But despite these issues, we still saw a huge swell of positive pirates sharing memories, creations, stories, screenshots and more, helping to make the #SeaOfThievesCommunityDay tag a place to see the very best of what our unique and varied community has to offer. In line with this uplifting uproar, we set out to award an avalanche of the much-desired and unspecifically bestowed Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame – or the #BeMorePirate hat for short.

More than 50 of the blue bonnets were dished out during Community Day, for a range of reasons more varied than Umbra’s future tattoo plans. From the ongoing pineapple burning of KaidaWrath to a celebration of pirates around the world set into motion by Patagounia. There were long overdue hats for stunning prop creators such as Jobiwan, ChloeSauras and TentacleCreations. Head-warmers for incredibly enthusiastic young sailors. KrisKalissa found one for their incredibly detailed hand-made map. SanderRoli’s ongoing support of community art needs earned them a cap of recognition.



Pirates simply nominated for being some of the best, most humble corsairs on the seas, including MrFawlout and cottonandcreme, found hat-shaped surprises in their Equipment Chests. As did some sailors who probably should have had an azure crown a while ago, but never quite had their head in a convenient spot, such as Keelhauled Podcast’s Capt Logun and organisers of competitive chaos for the NAL, Ragetrox and Dadinat0r. This is but a taste of the ways people truly embrace the mantra of #BeMorePirate every day, and we’re thankful for every one of you.

Not only were there hats, there was also fun to be had with our special Sea of ‘Friends’ Challenge List, with many players posting clips and screenshots of their escapades as they tried to complete all the arbitrary tasks set to them. Special mention goes to the crews of mystcasual and EliEelEye, who managed to complete a range of tasks and edit their work into swish clips. The crew of EliEelEye even adapted when caught a few thousand grogs short of a Cursed Chest, quaffing a healthy dose from the ship’s supply before staggering across an Outpost with some standard chests, and far be it from us to critique a clever application of available tools over our suggested rules. Hopefully Wonda enjoyed seeing so many friendly faces, too…



And that wasn’t all! Some of our dedicated Deckhands were out on the waves distributing Obsidian Capstans and Six Item Packs to people who spied their elusive sails, or solved their tricky puzzles. There was an actual commemorative T-shirt available, as well as a cheeky one-off Gilded Phoenix Tankard Twitch Drop. And throughout the day, over on Twitter, there were threads where you called out favourite crewmates, really showed us how much you love gold (the look of it, the taste, everything) and enjoyed the special wallpapers and photo frames provided for you to use (which you can still enjoy even if you weren’t around on the day, we won’t judge).

All this and more! So really, we can sum the day up by simply saying “lots happened”, even as we thank all our pirates for being the best, most creative and most hearteningly rowdy community we could ever ask to have sailing the Sea of Thieves with us.



A Community Day is planned for every Season moving forward, and ideas for Season Six’s event are already taking shape. That shape being nothing like a certain bite-sized fruit commonly enjoyed with cream, you’ll be pleased to know. So continue to keep your eyes on the horizon and, if you can, follow us on Twitter so you can join in the fun when the next Community Day rolls into port soon!

The next chapter of the Sea of Thieves saga is here! As revealed with a sizeable amount of fanfare by our cinematic trailer for ‘Shrouded Islands’, new Adventures on a roughly monthly basis will be carrying our ongoing narrative forward as we charge headlong into 2022.

A new threat encroaching on Golden Sands Outpost and a glimpse of the enigmatic Belle were more than enough to cause a stir among those who’ve been following the story since the start, but if you’re new to the seas or find yourself hard-pressed to distinguish Sudds from Salty, don’t worry. We’ll be providing a recap of concluded Adventures to set the scene each time a new one is just around the corner, because we’re good like that.

To begin with, as the clock is already ticking on the February 17th–March 3rd runtime of Adventure 1, ‘Shrouded Islands’, here’s a pirate primer on everything you’ll need to know going in...

The odds are high that you’ve probably, at some point during your journey on the Sea of Thieves, died. Our condolences. When that happened, your pirate would have found themselves aboard the forbidding Ferry of the Damned, waiting impatiently for the Ferryman to open a door to the living world so that you could get back into the action.

Recent events, however, have shown the world that there’s far more to the Sea of the Damned than just the deck of the Ferry – there’s an entire ethereal existence lurking just beyond the veil. It’s a realm where memories can become real, shaped by the pasts of pirates who linger there. Under the right circumstances, these manifestations can be drawn through to the Sea of Thieves to wreak havoc.

Now that the true potential of the Sea of the Damned has been proven and Phantom pirates are running amok, tensions are rising as various factions ponder how they might make use of this power for their own ends…


One key player who’s been particularly keen to subvert the Sea of the Damned is Flameheart himself. Since his spirit was unwittingly released by Sir Arthur Pendragon during ‘The Seabound Soul’ Tall Tale, Flameheart – who currently lacks a physical form of his own – has been able to summon ghostly vessels to fight in his name alongside his flagship, the Burning Blade, causing no end of problems for pirates in the vicinity.

Rather ominously, these attacks have now ceased. It’s highly unlikely that Flameheart has abandoned his pursuit of conquest, however, and the shopkeepers and shipwrights who’ve made the Sea of Thieves their home can’t help but wonder what his next move might be.

These new developments have not gone unnoticed. Larinna, leader of the Bilge Rats, has been keeping a watchful eye on the waves and has always encouraged crews to keep their skills sharp by taking part in colourful, sometimes chaotic activities of the Bilge Rats’ devising.

In this way, she hopes to prepare pirates for the inevitable conflicts to come. Whenever there’s a new Adventure to take part in, Larinna should be your first port of call and will beckon you over when you’re near the tavern.

In light of these new threats, others have looked to the Pirate Lord to take a stand, believing that his Athena’s Fortune Trading Company and its distinguished Pirate Legends should be the ones to rise up and protect the Sea of Thieves. Although the Pirate Lord claims to have retired from the pirate’s life, circumstances – and the unexpected arrival of Belle – may compel him to return to the seas sooner rather than later…




One of the most widely visited Outposts on the Sea of Thieves, located within The Shores of Plenty, Golden Sands is a hub of activity for Trading Companies, honest citizens and pirates alike – and a place that to many travellers feels inviolable, a home from home after a long Voyage.

However, news travels fast on the waves, and unsettling stories now reach the ears of those like Larinna who strive to stay alert even when the world seems calm. Stories of a dark influence spreading across the seas to engulf islands in an oppressive fog; of imminent peril to Golden Sands’ residents, Wonda the weaponsmith among them. Stories of ruin and desolation…

What’s the cause of the mysterious fog slowly consuming the Sea of Thieves? Just who is Belle, and what is her relationship to the Sea of the Damned? Can Golden Sands Outpost be saved? It’ll be up to you and your crew to discover these answers for yourselves by taking part in Sea of Thieves’ new Adventures.

Those with a thirst for lore can also reacquaint themselves with the likes of Larinna, Pendragon and the Pirate Lord via some of our expanded universe materials, like the Athena’s Fortune novel and audiobook and the Sea of Thieves: Origins comic series. Just don’t get too immersed and lose track of time – you can only explore ‘Shrouded Islands’ in Sea of Thieves from February 17th to March 3rd…