Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you from the entire team for all the positivity toward Season Eight and for the feedback you have raised around it. It’s been a huge release for the team with many hidden complexities and we’re very happy it’s been received well by our players.

We have heard the feedback from the Sea of Thieves community that the matchmaking queue times to get into the Battle for the Sea of Thieves can be long. We appreciate that people are eager to make progress in each Faction and earn the two unique Curses that Season Eight offers. This is an area we knew we’d need to monitor and improve even ahead of launching the content update.

Since the release of Season Eight, we’ve been working behind the scenes to improve our matchmaking queue times. We want to take some time to discuss how these queue times work, and what the team are doing to improve them going forward.

First, I’d like to explain why queue times can sometimes be long for players:

1. Imbalance of players between Factions

Over the launch period, the data has shown us that different regions often have significantly more players in one Faction than the other. This imbalance will also swing to the other Faction at different times of the day. Whenever this imbalance exists, it’s always going to result in longer matchmaking times for the Faction that has more players in it.

Simply put, imagine there are 10 players matchmaking in the underwater tunnels:

• Nine for the Guardians of Fortune
  
• One for the Servants of the Flame

As soon as the first players are paired up against one another, we now have:

• Eight Guardians of Fortune
  
• Zero Servants of the Flame

This means the Guardians of Fortune players will have to wait until a new Servants of the Flame player enters the queue before they can be matched for a battle.

Even if we have millions of players all diving into battle, an imbalance in the number of players siding with each Faction means that one Faction will experience longer wait times than the other.



2. Players on different stamps

To enable Sea of Thieves to support the largest possible number of players, we separate our servers and services into smaller units that are easier to manage. These units are called ‘stamps’. This helps us to scale our game and ensure the gameplay experience is great for all players.

The downside to arranging our servers in this way is that it can mean our players are separated between different stamps. Currently, Sea of Thieves does not allow players to migrate between these stamps, which means that even if crews of the opposing Faction are ready to fight you, it may not be possible to actually matchmake you all together. This will in turn result in longer queue times as you wait for an opponent who is also on the same stamp as you.

3. Low population regions

Certain regions, such as Japan and Australia, have a lower population of players. This will also result in longer matchmaking times.

4. Xbox Controller Only preference

Xbox players can select a specific option to only be matched with other players using a controller. The pool of players that select ‘Prefer Controller Only’ makes up a significant minority of our player base, and as such there is a smaller section of players to choose from. The data here suggests that it doesn’t cause a massive difference in matchmaking times, but you will likely see an improvement if you are comfortable with broadening your options to encounter players using all control schemes.

Before moving onto the solutions, I’d like to clear up some misconceptions around how skill-based matchmaking could be creating long queue times and how our estimated matchmaking times work on the Hourglass of Fate.



Skill-Based Matchmaking

We have investigated the data and are very confident that skill-based matchmaking is not contributing to long matchmaking times. Our skill-based matchmaking system is based on a variant of the Elo system – we take into account the win/loss ratio of the crew combined, not any session's streak, and this informs who you're matched against when you opt into a battle.

However, if there aren't any perfect matches waiting for your crew when you opt into your next battle, we broaden the net of players you could face over time to ensure you’ll always find a match. This means SBMM isn’t restrictive on matchmaking times because we quite quickly move to getting you the next best opponent instead of the perfect opponent for your skill.

Estimated Matchmaking Times on the Hourglass of Fate

Our estimated matchmaking times shown by the Hourglass of Fate are based on the recent history of matchmaking times for that Faction on the stamp you’re playing on. This helps provide an estimate of how long you may be matchmaking for, but it is purely an estimate and not a guaranteed time.

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As mentioned above, the team have been working hard to try to improve our matchmaking queue times. Below is a summary of what we’re currently focusing on.

Upcoming Improvements to Matchmaking Times

Enabling Same Faction Battles:

When a crew dives into the underwater tunnels to seek out a battle, we currently only allow them to match against a rival Faction. We will still prioritise this way of play and always try to find a rival Faction for you to fight first.

However, after a period of time where a match has not been found against a rival Faction, we will open up the search to include battles against a crew in the same Faction as you. Think of these battles as skirmishes within your Faction: the Guardians of Fortune duelling for honour within their ranks, or the Servants of the Flame clashing for dominance among themselves.

Allowing battles within the same Faction as a fallback will help reduce long wait times in instances where an otherwise appropriate match cannot be found quickly.

These battles will play out in the exact same way as a traditional battle from a gameplay point of view, the only difference being that you are battling a crew of the same Faction. Allegiance, Hourglass Value and Streaks can still be earned just as they would in battle against the rival Faction.

Most Commendations and Captaincy stats will also count as normal, omitting only a few that specifically involve battling the opposing Faction.



Cross-Stamp Migration:

As mentioned in the section on stamps above, Sea of Thieves does not currently support cross-stamp migration, which can result in long matchmaking times.

We are actively working on this functionality to ensure that players can eventually be matchmade against an opponent on a different stamp, which in turn will mean there are more potential opponents to be matched against, reducing the queue times.

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With the additions described above, we feel our matchmaking times will see definite improvements and greater overall consistency. The team are actively working on these updates, and we hope to deliver them to players in early 2023.

In the short term, before these two improvements make it into the game, you can find battles more quickly by using the Hourglass of Fate to see which Faction currently has shorter matchmaking times and aligning yourself with that Faction. But if you only want to increase your Allegiance with a specific Faction, and their matchmaking times are longer, these upcoming improvements will soon be in place to help ensure you don’t have to wait as long.

The team are actively working on getting these improvements to you as quickly as we can. As always, we appreciate your patience and we’ll see you on the seas!

Thanks,
Andrew ‘Grandee’ Preston
Lead Designer

That’s right friends, November is already over! With so much going on, we’ve barely had time to notice the days passing and yet here we are in December with so many things to catch you up on. From a fresh Adventure to an entire Season update, November positively overflowed with content. So grab a mug of your beverage of choice, brace yourself and let’s dive right in.
We wasted no time in getting into it at the start of the month by jumping into the ‘Return of the Damned’ Adventure. As Captain Flameheart threatened to return and Pendragon laid his freedom on the line, players spent two weeks battling it out to capture Sea Forts and raise Flags for their chosen side. With almost 400,000 Soulflame Captains returned to the Veil in that time, you’ve almost got to feel sorry for the ghosts.

It was a hard-fought struggle, but ultimately the mighty Reapers could not be stopped. Pendragon was banished back into a painting – leading to a truly tragic image of his trapped soul – and we jumped straight from Flameheart’s victorious cackle to the announcement of Season Eight. Surprise! It turns out that ‘Return of the Damned’ was only the start of the battle to come. A few days after Pendragon’s defeat, the new Season launched and players were urged to wage war for their chosen Faction, with ghostly and bony cosmetic Curses among the rewards for doing so.

Skeleton suits and apparition fashion weren’t the only new looks to appear in November. Over in the Emporium, Plunder Pass holders got to embrace their sinister side with the corvid-inspired Ravenwood set. The King’s Ransom ship set offered flashier pirates a chance to show off all that gold they’ve been digging up, with shining sails and a gilded hull that manages to float against all the natural laws of buoyancy. And just in case the several metric tonnes of precious metal weren’t enough of a clue, picking up a matching Crown would ensure everyone knows who’s boss.


As the first half of November was set to be spanned by an Adventure, we kicked off the month by catching you up on Flameheart and Pendragon’s bitter history in another instalment of Adventures Ahead. Once that initial skirmish was concluded and the outcome unveiled in a special stream teed up by another handy article, the seas broke into all-out warfare as Season Eight blasted onto the scene.

To make sure you were fully armed with info on all this new content – and so that you wouldn’t be taken aback by an enemy Faction ship popping out of the depths right in front of you – we put together a Season Eight launch article to walk you through it. So if you have any lingering questions about the new Season, that’s the place to find answers and enter the Battle for the Sea of Thieves!

Fortunately, despite all this conflict, pirates still found time to put aside their differences and spread some positivity as showcased with regular updates to the Community Hub! And we kept the power flowing to the player spotlights with two new Community Spotlights, one on plant prospector Solarlunar34 and the other on creative cartographer Jerem. If you think you know the islands of the Sea of Thieves, why not test your knowledge against SoTGuessr?

November also brought an extensive Black Friday Sale in the Pirate Emporium, and for those looking for something a little more, you know, real than the spooky and skeletal rewards offered by Season Eight’s new Factions, there was some timely news of Faction-inspired clothing designs too!



The big question on everyone’s lips at the start of the month was which side would win the latest decision point Adventure: Flameheart’s loyal Reapers or the Pirate Lord’s allies? With the future of the Sea of Thieves hanging in the balance, we brought members of the dev team together with guest streamers for a two-hour livestream where the results were dramatically revealed, and the victory of the villainous Flameheart confirmed.

With the Reapers victorious and Pendragon in turn banished, we wasted no time in unveiling what was next for Sea of Thieves with the Season Eight trailer. Then, after giving everyone a few days to recover from all the excitement, we were back with a Deep Dive video to answer any lingering questions you might have had about the new content update.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that we wouldn’t have had time for anything else, but we weren’t about to deprive you of the latest instalment of Sea of Thieves News, were we – or further helpings of Twitch Drops, for that matter? And just in case all that wasn’t quite enough to satiate your video needs, we also threw in our long-awaited panel discussion from this year’s EGX. You know. As a treat.


Despite all appearances, it wasn’t all battles to the death this month! Among other things, we considered a topical hatpin, pondered skeletal personality types and unveiled a new strategy for naming your ship, only to discover that the overwhelming popularity of gamertags beginning with the letter ‘S’ meant that the sea was about to be overrun with sausages. Perhaps not entirely what we intended, but a pirate’s life is never predictable.

Moving swiftly on, we invited pirates to capture the natural beauty of the Sea of Thieves for the latest #SoTShot theme, Sunset Scenes, then escaped the sun entirely on #SundayVibes excursions into Athena’s Fortune and The Reaper’s Lair. And while we offered snippets of handy info on new Season Eight features like Allegiance and the expanded hideouts, our #TriviaTuesday hashtag was nurturing lore seeds on subjects ranging from Sea Forts to Flameheart’s head.

And finally, just in case all of this wasn’t quite enough content to keep you going, we whipped up an asset pack for anyone who wants to show off their Season Eight allegiance on stream…



So that was November! Have you had a chance to play Season Eight yet? More importantly, are you more excited about looking slightly dead via the Skeleton Curse or the Ghostly Curse? Either way, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch, or join the official Forums or Discord to get all the latest Sea of Thieves news as it happens. For now, sail forth! Win glory for your Faction!

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2022Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2022
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2022

Deck the hull with piles of plunder! The Festival of Giving is almost upon us once again and we’re celebrating the season in style. There’s a lot going on through the holiday period, so take this as your handy guide to everything that’s happening and when and how you can find it. Join us from December 16th to get involved and earn some unique rewards!

Grand Festival of Giving Switch-On

We’ll be kicking things off this year with a lights switch-on! So that everyone can get involved, we’re hosting a livestream at 6:15pm UTC on December 16th, celebrating the community and looking back over the past year. Of course, the highlight will be the switching on of the seasonal in-game decorations! If you happen to be sailing the seas while the stream’s live, gather with your crew at the tavern on New Golden Sands Outpost to see the switch-on for yourselves. You can even have a grog while you’re there.

The stream is the perfect opportunity to hear more about everything that’s going on during the Festival, and to enjoy a seasonal, community-focused get-together.



Your Story So Far

Of course, community-led accomplishments aren’t the only thing to be celebrated. Every pirate on the sea has plenty to be proud of this year, and don’t think we haven’t noticed! For a more personalised look back at this year and beyond, make sure you check out Your Story So Far. From hours played to fruits eaten, this summary breaks down everything you’ve been up to into a series of easily digestible numbers. Yes, even the things you’d rather forget. Especially those.

Your Story So Far will be available to peruse from December 12th to January 11th, so be sure to take note of anything you want to record before the book closes for another year!

Gifts & Glory Weekend

No Festival of Giving would be complete without, well, giving, would it? Enter the Gifts & Glory Weekend, running from December 23rd-26th (10am UTC). Sail the Sea of Thieves during this time to earn boosted gold, reputation and Seasonal Renown for your exploits, and any pirates participating in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves will also gain increased Allegiance from their ship combat encounters.

Even better, we’ll throw in a free Gilded Treasure Voyage for anyone who logs in while Gifts & Glory Weekend is live, along with a Legendary variant for the Pirate Legends out there. You’re welcome! If you’re still holding on to either of those types of Gilded Voyage from a previous event, now’s the time to use them to make room for a new one…



Pirate Emporium Holiday Sale

Gilded Voyages and boosted gold aren’t the only incentives on offer. That’s where our Pirate Emporium sale comes in! From December 23rd to January 3rd, items throughout the store will be available at a discount, many with a frosty theme like the Frozen Horizon ship set and weapons and the full Lodestar collection. There’s also a clutch of seasonal emotes and a huge variety of pets including Collector’s pets to be had at bargain prices, so something for everyone!

Twitch Drops

With the Frozen Horizon ship set and weapons already in the Holiday Sale, you might wonder how you can expand your collection. Well, between December 19th and January 2nd, tune in to participating Twitch streamers to unlock a matching collection of clothing and vanity items! Available in batches from December 19th-22nd, December 22nd-26th, December 26th-29th and December 29th-January 2nd (each new set arriving at 10am UTC), these ice-laden outfits will allow you to fully embrace a wintry aesthetic. All you need to do is watch for a minimum of an hour to unlock each item.

If you’re not sure how Twitch Drops work or need to connect your Twitch and Sea of Thieves accounts so you’re eligible, you can find all the details on our Twitch Drops page.



Grogmanay
And finally we come to the traditional end of any pirate’s year: Grogmanay. With six grog-based Challenges on offer, all players have to do is down a few pints and perform a range of feats before they sober up. Simple, right? In case the joy of participating isn’t enough for you, you’ll also be rewarded with gold and Renown for any tasks you manage to complete.

Complete three or more and you can earn the Grogmanay Tankard, or a new noteworthy notch on your existing Tankard if it’s not your first time taking on this particular challenge. So drink up! The event will run from December 30th to January 2nd (10am UTC), and you’ll have to keep the grog flowing to be in with a chance. Good luck!

There’s plenty to get involved with throughout this year’s Festival, so we look forward to seeing you out there on the seas. If you can’t make it this time, fear not, there’ll be plenty more events and streams to come in 2023. Just keep an eye on all our usual channels to stay abreast of the announcements. And with that, a huge thank you for joining us over the last year – it’s been a blast. Happy holidays!

As the Battle for the Sea of Thieves intensifies and Guardians of Fortune clash with Servants of the Flame, Tasha the tavern keeper faces struggles of her own. Having been forced to confess a troubling transformation to the Order of Souls, she now seeks pirates’ help to save not just her life, but quite possibly her soul...



No longer able to hide the truth, Tasha has admitted to being stricken by a skeletal curse, the effects of which have already begun to consume her. The prospects seem grim, but one hope remains – the answer may lie within the daring deeds of Captain Briggsy. This notorious Rogue once scoured the Sea of Thieves for its many secrets, before returning home to fill a young Tasha’s head with tales of her many escapades. You can learn more about the history of this unlikely pairing in the most recent Adventures Ahead article.

Briggsy sensed great potential in Tasha, and left behind a number of lessons designed to set her on a path to piracy once she was old enough, promising rewards if her protégée was able to complete them. Although Madame Olivia blames some unintended consequence of these missions for Tasha’s current condition, she also believes that Briggsy’s belongings hold the key to reversing the curse – if they can be successfully retrieved.


With Tasha in no condition to undertake the quest intended for her, it falls to pirate crews to make the journey in her stead. Using Briggsy’s homespun wisdom as their guide, they will need to venture into The Wilds, deciphering cryptic clues and unearthing the rewards that Briggsy left buried all those years ago. The keepsakes must then be returned to Madame Olivia at Plunder Outpost, where they will serve a more arcane purpose...

This will be no simple test of seafaring skills. Briggsy was known for being both eccentric and reckless, and the lessons she has in store are certain to be dangerous, if not outright deadly, should pirates let their guard down. Crews willing to face up to the Rogue’s gauntlet of challenges can begin their Adventure by speaking to Larinna outside the tavern, and ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’ will be available for all players until December 22!





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 Eight 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 2.7.0.1.

For more information on all the features that arrived last month in Season Eight, check out the launch release notes!


While decorating her tavern for the Festival of Giving, Tasha finds a long-forgotten gift from Captain Briggsy. She sets out to follow the map, but returns with much more than she bargained for. Now she and Madame Olivia seek the aid of fearless pirates in this tenth time-limited Adventure...

‘The Rogue’s Legacy‘ (December 8th – December 22nd)

• After hearing of Tasha’s troubles, Larinna directs pirates to Plunder Outpost to speak with Madame Olivia, who seeks a cure within the memories of the infamous Captain Briggsy.
  
• By following the clues Briggsy left behind in ‘Lessons on Becoming an Adventurer’, venture into The Wilds to complete the tasks and challenges once meant for Tasha, bringing back artefacts to help Olivia find the answers she needs.
  
• Pirates who fully complete the Adventure will earn an exclusive Title and a cosmetic reward to serve as a Memento of their quest.

Faction Progression Balancing

• Following player feedback and internal review, the amount of Allegiance required to progress beyond level 100 with the Guardians of Fortune and Servants of the Flame has been increased.
  
• Our intention with the level 1000 rewards was to create a long-term reward for skilled players to strive towards, and recent changes made will help boost that challenge and make the accomplishment truly reflective of players’ efforts in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves.

The Battle for the Sea of Thieves

• Players travelling beneath the waves should no longer able to receive damage from their crewmates.
  
• Players who arrive on the Ferry of the Damned while their ship is diving into the deep will now be returned to their ship safely, and no longer return to the world as a ghost with unintended consequences.
  
• Crews defeated in battle will now consistently be moved to the sinking wreck sequence before being taken to a new server, even when crewmates are present on the Ferry of the Damned.
  
• Crews defeated in battle and immediately leaving the game will no longer cause the winning crew to become stuck in battle and unable to continue their Streak.

Tall Tales

• Crews sailing through the Tunnels of the Damned as part of the Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life Tall Tales will now be able to fire their cannons as normal upon arriving at their location.

Performance and Stability

• Client stability has been improved, reducing scenarios where players experience a game crash.

Legend of the Veil Voyage Failure Due to Lost Quest Items

• Crews may encounter scenarios where a Legend of the Veil Voyage can fail due to a missing Quest Item that was safely stored on a ship.

Nigh Unsinkable! Achievement Unavailable

• Crews will not currently unlock the Nigh Unsinkable! achievement on Xbox or Steam when reaching an Allegiance Streak of 4.

Visual Issues Underwater Following Battle

• After diving beneath the waves to find a rival crew in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, players visiting the Sunken Kingdom may experience visual issues when swimming into the depths.

‘Gold Earned’ Milestone Issues

• Crews earning gold by cashing in an Hourglass of Fate following a Battle will find the ‘Gold Earned’ Milestones do not currently progress.

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.

Eagle-eyed visitors to Ancient Spire Outpost have noticed Tasha the tavern keeper acting rather strangely in recent days. While she’s remaining uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the cause of her distress, she has begun to openly reminisce about her childhood hero: the legendary pirate known as Captain Briggsy.

Clearly, the adventures of Tasha’s old friend and mentor are playing on her mind. But just who was Briggsy really, and how did her name become spoken only with fear and contempt by artisans of the arcane like Madame Olivia? To answer that, we can revisit the history of the trailblazing pirate who came to be known as the Cursed Rogue…

At a young age, Briggsy was one of the first renegades to reach the Sea of Thieves in the Pirate Lord’s wake, and had already earned her distinctive moniker thanks to an unnatural talent for escaping cells and confines of all kinds.

Inspired by the opportunities and equalities of an untamed pirate paradise, Briggsy soon built a reputation as an eccentric adventurer, forever determined to be the first to set foot on whatever might lie over the horizon.

While most crews formed a tight bond and preferred to stay aboard a single ship, Briggsy was far more mercurial. She would join crews or invite others to join her as the fancy took her, only to slip away when her mood changed, to resume the life of a solitary adventurer.

There was one constant in her life, however: she would make frequent visits to the Unicorn Tavern, then owned by a tavern keeper named Teddy. Taking her place by the fire, Briggsy would enthral onlookers – particularly Teddy’s young daughter, Tasha – with tales of her daring deeds. Many of these were noted down by Tasha as best she could, filling volumes with colourful recreations of Briggsy’s exploits.


As Tasha grew older, Briggsy seemed to sense potential in her, and began to gift Tasha both with mementos of her adventures and guidance on becoming a successful pirate – a notion that Tasha was firmly disabused of by Teddy. Unfortunately for Briggsy, she would never have the chance to mentor her young admirer…

Briggsy had been working to assemble an Ancient relic known as a Shroudbreaker, hoping to make her way to an island so laden with wealth that it had become known as the Shores of Gold. Once a lengthy but manageable journey, the Shores of Gold had since been isolated by the deadly miasma known as the Devil’s Shroud – an obstacle that could only be overcome if and when the Shroudbreaker was complete.

Bidding her friends goodbye, Briggsy set a course for the Shores of Gold, beaching her Sloop in her excitement at making it to this strange, uncharted wilderness. Once there, she learned two lessons of her own: the island’s treasures had been claimed by the avaricious Skeleton Lord known as the Gold Hoarder, and by touching them, she had condemned herself to join him.

Having undergone her own skeletal transformation, Briggsy soon found herself treated as an outcast, becoming hostile and distrustful towards all pirates. She grudgingly followed the Gold Hoarder’s commands, for he had promised a cure for her curse, and she spent many hours hunting for such a thing – all to no avail. She did not obey his order to destroy the Shroudbreaker, though, and merely disassembled it once more.

That was a decision that would come back to haunt her, as a crew of pirates who wished to reach the Shores of Gold themselves began to hunt for the artefact’s missing pieces. They were sent to face the Cursed Rogue by Madame Olivia, who saw her as nothing more than a threat to be eliminated, and after a fateful confrontation, they returned to the Order of Souls with Briggsy’s masked skull in hand.



As for Tasha? Having heard the horror stories of Briggsy’s many misdeeds in recent years, she had long since become disillusioned with her former idol. She willingly surrendered her storybooks to the same pirates who had sealed Briggsy’s fate, believing them to be filled with nothing but lies. Those stories, however, really did lead to the Shroudbreaker’s stones – proof enough for Tasha to realise that Briggsy had indeed been the legendary rogue she remembered from her youth.

Briggsy may be gone, but Tasha’s respect and admiration has been rekindled. She’s turned her attention to the teachings Briggsy left behind, and there’s been no-one to forbid her from realising her lifelong dream and indulging in a few expeditions of her own. Until, that is, she awoke to the revelation of some grisly side-effects...

Now it’s your turn. The task of navigating those riddles and responsibilities rests with pirates who choose to shoulder the burden Tasha once carried, deciphering Briggsy’s lessons, sorting fact from fiction and uncovering the treasures that Madame Olivia so urgently seeks. When ‘The Rogue’s Legacy’ launches on December 8th, you’ll finish what was started and discover the consequences of Tasha’s after-hours adventures for yourself…

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Adventures Ahead: 'Return of the Damned'
Adventures Ahead: ‘The Herald of the Flame’Adventures Ahead: ‘The Sirens’ Prize’
Adventures Ahead: ‘A Hunter’s Cry’
Adventures Ahead: ‘The Forsaken Hunter’
Adventures Ahead: ‘Lost Sands’Adventures Ahead: ‘The Shrouded Deep’
Adventures Ahead: ‘Forts of the Forgotten’Adventures Ahead: ‘Shrouded Islands’

Pirates! Once again, we have to offer huge thanks to those of you who've taken to the seas and made Sea of Thieves a thundering success story since its Steam launch back in 2020.

Now, with the end of 2022 in sight, we're out to get some wind in our sails for the Steam Awards! For that, we need as many hands on deck as possible to nominate Sea of Thieves as a 'Labor of Love' - the award category for games and their communities still receiving love and attention long after launch.


If you think Sea of Thieves' free ongoing Seasons, Adventures, Events and more are worthy of a shout out, then you have two ways to vote! If you're logged into Steam right now, you'll be able to tick the nomination box on this post. However, if you're not, don't fear - just log in to Steam at your earliest convenience and visit the Sea of Thieves Store page, where you can click to vote in the Awards and submit your 'Labor of Love' nomination. These initial nominations run for the duration of the Steam Autumn Sale, ending on November 29th.

If the game goes on to be shortlisted in this category, we might just count on your support again when final voting goes live in December! So what do you say? Want to get behind your fellow pirates and raise some acclaim for the seas you call home?


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172620/Sea_of_Thieves/

The ‘Return of the Damned’ Adventure may have come to a close, but the battle between its two opposing sides is only just beginning! In the eighth Sea of Thieves Season, this brewing rivalry breaks out into a full-blown Battle for the Sea of Thieves, pitting crew against crew to determine whether the Guardians of Fortune or the Servants of the Flame will rule the waves. So man the cannons and pick a side – there’s a war to be won.

If you’re eager to get into the heat of this ongoing battle, worry not: Season Eight is available from November 22nd as a free update for all players on Steam.



As always, Season Eight will also offer 100 levels of rewards for all players to unlock by just playing the game and raising their Renown – rewards including cosmetics, gold and Ancient Coins. Players also have the option of purchasing the latest Plunder Pass to access premium items not yet available anywhere else! Find out more about how Seasons work in our Seasons Explained and Plunder Pass Explained articles.




Caught between the opposing ideologies of the Pirate Lord and Captain Flameheart, the Sea of Thieves has descended into open warfare. Using the new Hourglass of Fate on their ships, all pirate crews who wish to join the fray can vote on a Faction to side with: the Guardians of Fortune, backed by the likes of the Pirate Lord and Belle, or the Servants of the Flame, fuelled by the hunger of the Reapers and their loyalty to Flameheart.

Once you’ve chosen your Faction, the goal is simple: sink as many enemy ships from the opposing Faction as you can. Unfurl the War Map, dive beneath the waves and enter head-to-head showdowns with crews of similar ability to your own. Fight and win, and you’ll earn Allegiance and unlock Faction rewards!

Building up a streak of defeated enemy Faction ships will also result in boosted Allegiance, and sinking four or more in a row will mark you as a Faction Champion! Be warned though, becoming a Champion will make you visible to any other players in the area and taking you down will grant them a greater boost than usual. An enticing target for any pirate looking to make a name for themselves.




Should you really want to raise the stakes, go boldly into battle with as much treasure aboard your ship as possible to amplify your Allegiance-earning potential. Staying afloat is also good news for your Hourglass of Fate: with every win, your Hourglass will increase in value. When you vote to leave the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, you can cash in your Hourglass at any Outpost or The Reaper’s Hideout, depending on your Faction – but if you get sunk first, all that stored value will be lost to the waves!

As you win battles and unlock rewards, your Allegiance will continue to rise. Eventually you’ll earn serious perks including access to previously unexplored areas of each Faction’s hideout. Ever wondered what (and who) lurks beneath The Reaper’s Hideout? You might just get a chance to find out…




Raising your Allegiance will also grant you access to unique Curses from each Faction, which are a lot more enticing than they sound. Players siding with the Guardians of Fortune can earn the Legendary Blessing of Athena’s Fortune which allows them to embrace the Ghostly Curse, while Servants of the Flame can be at one with their inner skelly by unlocking the Skeleton Curse (and then pay a visit to the Bonesmith to customise their new look).

Emissaries and Captains won’t miss out on the fun either. If you’re already an Emissary for Athena’s Fortune or The Reaper’s Bones, siding with the corresponding Faction to sink ships of the opposing Faction will net all the usual rewards and boost your Emissary Grade, company reputation and Ledger position. For Captains, Season Eight introduces two new Milestone Alignments in the Ship’s Log: The Guardian and The Servant. Representing the relevant Factions to progress through these Milestones will unlock new Trinkets and customisation options.




No update is complete without new Pirate Emporium treasures, and this one is no exception! First up is the opulent King’s Ransom Ship Collection based on the kind of wildly wealthy royalty found only in fables, letting players deck out their vessels in glorious gold and maybe accentuate the look with a King’s Ransom Crown. And as the Night Wulf Ship Collection is a perennial favourite, its influence expands this month with the Night Wulf Costume and Weapon Bundle!

Not to be left out, new Plunder Pass purchasers are in for a treat this Season with not only the full Ravenwood Ship Collection (including Collector’s Figurehead and Sails) added to the pool of Seasonal rewards, but also the evolving Ravenwood Costume that changes as you raise your Renown and progress through the Season.

For any deal hunters out there, good news! The Black Friday Sale is set to run from November 24th – 29th, delivering discounts on classic cosmetics from Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and other iconic sets, alongside a fleeting restock of the rare Golden Skull Sails. And don’t miss out on the free Confident Captain Emote while you’re browsing!




For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season Eight update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Steam. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

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

Battle breaks out across the Sea of Thieves in Season Eight! But this is a conflict that you can wade into at your own discretion: all pirates wishing to take sides will find two distinct Factions clashing on the open sea as this Season begins. Get the full story in the Content Update video below, with bonus viewing available in the reveal livestream and the Season Eight Deep Dive...


Now read on for details on not just the Battle at hand but everything else landing in this substantial update, from a new Plunder Pass and 100 free levels of Seasonal rewards to the latest accessibility improvements and bucketloads of fixes and adjustments!

Conflict now rages between the Guardians of Fortune, loyal to the Pirate Lord and his allies, and the Servants of the Flame, followers of the newly emboldened Captain Flameheart. Those of each Faction can hunt the other at will, bringing ship combat on demand to the Sea of Thieves...

Choosing a Faction

• Crews who wish to join the Battle for the Sea of Thieves must choose a Faction to fight for: the Guardians of Fortune or the Servants of the Flame. Crews are free to fight for both Factions in order to access the full range of rewards, though only one Faction can be represented at a time.
  
• Head to the Captain’s Table and rotate the Hourglass of Fate to your chosen Faction, then vote to join the Battle for the Sea of Thieves.

Hunting the Opposition

• Crews looking to go on the offensive should unfurl the War Map on the Captain’s Table, vote to begin Battle and then sail to open waters. The ship will dive beneath the waves in search of a willing opponent.
  
• Steel your resolve and prepare to fight in your Faction’s name – Battle is imminent! Once a suitable opponent has been found, your ship will breach the surface with the rival in sight and Battle will commence.
  
• Crews are contained within a Battle area, visible from the ship’s map. Crews who flee from the fight will find their ship subjected to an explosive fate and their rival declared the victor.

Allegiance Streaks

• Crews successful in sinking multiple foes without being sunk themselves will build an Allegiance Streak, boosting the Allegiance earned from each encounter. Building an Allegiance Streak will cause your ship’s glowing visual effects to grow with each win, wrapping the hull to show off your formidable feats.
  
• Ships reaching an Allegiance Streak of four will become a Faction Champion, visible on the map for all to see. Faction Champions can continue building their Streak for as long as they dare!
  
• Pirates becoming Faction Champions are also offered the choice of battling crews larger than their own, selected from the War Map.

Treasure Grade

• Pirates who have joined a Faction can still earn Allegiance without hunting opposing crews, though they must be prepared to defend their hoard: after joining the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, the more treasure is amassed and kept safe on board, the higher the ship’s Treasure Grade.
  
• Crews who defeat attacking Faction crews while defending their treasure will earn more Allegiance for each ship sunk.

Leaving the Battle

• Crews can leave the fight from their Faction’s table at an Outpost (or The Reaper’s Hideout if playing as the Servants), and will be awarded Allegiance and gold based on their success.
  
• The value of a crew’s Hourglass of Fate from successful battles, Treasure Grade and Emissary Grade reached will all increase the rewards earned when cashing in at the Outpost.

Captaincy Alignments and Rewards

• Captains of the Sea of Thieves have access to two new Alignments within the Ship’s Log: The Guardian and The Servant. Captains who pick a side and progress through the relevant Milestones can earn Trinkets, Ship’s Crests and a range of other decorative options themed around their Faction.

Guardians of Fortune Commendations and Rewards

• Within the Reputation tab, pirates loyal to the Pirate Lord can show their Allegiance to the Guardians of Fortune, a new Faction complete with Commendations and rewards.
  
• Earning Allegiance for the Guardians of Fortune will unlock access to the Protector Figureheads, a set of ornate carvings of the Pirate Lord, becoming more embellished as pirates progress.
  
• Loyal pirates can also gain access to Guardian Ghost, Mysterious Stranger and Magpie’s Wing cosmetics and even the returning Legendary Curse from within the Pirate Legend Hideout shops, locked behind Commendations and Allegiance.
  
• Guardians reaching Allegiance level 100 who also hold the mantle of Pirate Legend will be granted access to a new area to explore within the Pirate Legend Hideout. Within this secret area, those loyal to the Pirate Lord will earn the right to the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune, changing them into a ghostly form.

Servants of the Flame Commendations and Rewards

• Within the Reputation tab, cutthroat pirates loyal to Captain Flameheart can show their Allegiance to the Servants of the Flame, a new Faction complete with Commendations and rewards.
  
• Earning Allegiance for the Servants of the Flame will unlock access to the Servant Figureheads, a set of grim carvings of Captain Flameheart, growing in grandeur as pirates progress.
  
• Servants reaching Allegiance level 100 along with The Reaper’s Bones rank 75 will be granted a new shanty, which can be played at the Reaper’s Hideout to unlock access to a secret underground area. Those willing to dedicate themselves to the Servants’ cause can take part in the Ritual of the Flame, transforming them into an undead skeleton pirate.
  
• Within The Reaper’s Lair, the Bonesmith offers a range of customisations for fresh bones, offering new heads, torsos, legs and bone colours locked behind Commendations and Allegiance.

Battle for the Sea of Thieves Achievements
New Xbox and Steam achievements can be unlocked by joining the fight. A total of 200 gamerscore is available to earn from this update, and these achievements will remain in the game indefinitely.

• Nigh Unsinkable! [40G]
  
• You Gotta Fight [10G]
  
• A Sunken Century [50G]
  
• Blessing of Athena’s Fortune [50G]
  
• Ritual of the Flame [50G]

A new Season means 100 new levels to climb by raising your Renown, with rewards along the way – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more. New Ledger prizes can also be earned by Emissaries for all Trading Companies, not just Athena’s Fortune and The Reaper’s Bones!

Season Eight Progression and Rewards

• Season Eight 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 the Battle for the Sea of Thieves this Season to earn Renown by defeating opposing Faction ships!
  
• Progressing through the 100 levels of this Season will reward pirates with Cursed Bone cosmetics, new to Season Eight along with weapons of the Damned.
  
• Pirate Legends or those who become a Pirate Legend during Season Eight can also earn Flameheart’s Hat and Cutlass.
  
• Completing tiers of Seasonal progression will also award unique Titles, allowing players to display their success for all to see.

Season Eight Plunder Pass

• Purchase Season Eight’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 Ravenwood Ship Collection, including Collector’s Figurehead and Sails.
  
• For those looking to truly transform themselves, the Ravenwood Costume can also be earned, evolving as players progress through the Season.
  
• Along with the wealth of new cosmetic rewards, Plunder Pass purchasers can earn 750 Ancient Coins in Season Eight – added to the 250 earnable through Seasonal progression, that’s 1000 Ancient Coins in total!
  
• The Season Eight Plunder Pass is available to purchase in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or the Steam Item Store.

Season Eight Emissary Ledger Rewards

• Representing the Gold Hoarders in their Emissary Ledger can now earn players the Tribute Peak Banjo and Hurdy-Gurdy.
  
• Players seeking out the secrets of the Order of Souls can earn the Relic of Darkness Banjo and Hurdy-Gurdy.
  
• The Merchant Alliance honour their high-performing Ledger representatives with the Merchant Ambassador Banjo and Hurdy-Gurdy.
  
• Flying the flag of The Reaper’s Bones and earning a high rank in their Ledger can earn players the Masked Renegade Banjo and Hurdy-Gurdy.
  
• Legendary pirates representing Athena’s Fortune in their Ledger can earn the Magpie’s Glory Banjo and Hurdy-Gurdy to demonstrate their dedication to the Pirate Lord.

Have you earned a king’s ransom during your time on the seas? Show it by splashing out on the sumptuous new ship set and matching crown. Alternatively, get back in touch with your feral side as the Night Wulf Costume and Weapon Bundle are shipped in from the dark heart of the jungle...

King’s Ransom Ship Bundle

• Go for gold with a livery inspired by fables of wildly wealthy seafaring royalty when you purchase this ship bundle. Excludes Collector's variants.
  
• Pirates who only need the bare essentials can purchase or browse just the core components of the palatial King's Ransom set in an Essential Ship Bundle.

King’s Ransom Crown

• The earliest and most extraordinary Sea of Thieves myths mention a golden skeleton king and his long-lost crown. Which can now be yours for a price...

Night Wulf Costume

• The bestial, near-unstoppable Wulf of legend makes a fine role model for sabre-rattling sea reavers.
  
• When wearing this costume, give voice to your untamed rage or simply lament banging your elbow on the capstan by performing the Wulf Howl Emote.

Night Wulf Weapon Bundle

• With this set of four deadly weapons, strike with the fury and speed of the fabled Wulf.

Rare Wares Trinket Bundle

• A collection of three decorative Trinkets inspired by tales of wild adventure from worlds beyond the Shroud.

Freebie Sparkler Emote

• Not suitable for arson or attacking, just wholesome sparkly nighttime magic.

Time-Limited Festival of Plenty Pet Outfits

• These food-themed pet outfits are back for a limited time. Head to the Pirate Emporium to dress your pet up for dinner!

Time-Limited Festival of Plenty Instruments

• Have fun and give thanks to your crew and allies, as these tasty instruments are also back for a limited time!

Wulf of War Bundle (Store Only)

• Available from the Steam Store, the Wulf of War Bundle contains the Night Wulf Costume and all four weapons in the Night Wulf Weapon Bundle, 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.

Black Friday Sale

• With a special Friday fast approaching, check back into the Pirate Emporium for fabulous discounts from November 24th to November 29th (10:00 UTC).
  
• Pirates will find deals on a wide range of sets and items, along with a freebie emote and the return of the Golden Skull Sails for a limited time!

Cursed Cannonball Balancing

• Cursed Cannonballs are now more scarcely discovered in island barrels, washed-up crates and Rowboats.
  
• Cannonball Crates of the Damned now only award a single Wraith Cannonball due to their immense power.
  
• The effect duration of green Cursed Cannonballs that affect other players have now been shortened across the board.
  
• Players are now limited to holding only five Cursed Cannonballs at any given time.

Emissary Warning

• Crews representing a Trading Company as an Emissary will now be shown a notification to remind them that while more rewards can be earned by doing so, they should also expect to become a valuable target for other crews.

Front End Messaging

• The game’s front end notifications sent from Sea of Thieves Support now convert to the player’s local time zone.

New Hairstyles and Beards

• The Outpost clothing shop now offers players hairstyles and beards from the Forsaken Ashes set, with the Forsaken Ashes Singed Hair and Forsaken Ashes Frazzled Hair as well as the new Forsaken Ashes Beard. All can be purchased with players’ hard-earned gold.
  
• For pirates looking for a ‘cooler’ look, the Up ‘n’ Down Hair, Topknot Hair and Craggy Beard available from the clothing shops may be more their style.

Twitch Drops

• Continue to unlock even more cosmetics throughout Season Eight with Twitch Drops! Stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels to find out when Twitch Drops will be active, some for Partnered streamers and some for all streamers, allowing players to earn a selection of new and classic items from the Eastern Winds Sapphire, Rising Morningstar and Frozen Horizon sets.
  
• Find out how to link your accounts and more on our dedicated Twitch Drops page.

Tooltip Narration

• Tooltips that appear on-screen when interacting with items can now be narrated, providing improved accessibility for those with low vision.
  
• With text-to-speech narration already enabled, players can enable tooltip narration within the Language Settings along with configuration options to allow players to define how much of the tooltip is narrated. For more information, head to the Accessibility guide on our support site.

Gameplay

• Players taking fatal damage aboard their ship shortly before entering the Tunnels of the Damned are now returned to life upon arrival in the Tunnels.
  
• Players drowning while entering the Tunnels of the Damned are now returned to life upon arrival in the Tunnels.
  
• ‘Swim Up’ can now be assigned to any key and not just the spacebar.
  
• When players return from the Sunken Kingdom, friendly merfolk carrying treasure will now resurface closer to their ship.
  
• Wreckers now appear at shipwrecks while on Lost Shipment Voyages, and while exploring a Shipwreck Graveyard as part of the Legend of the Veil Voyage.

Captains of Adventure

• When browsing the Shipwright’s Captaincy shop, Voyages that the crew are unable to acquire will now show as locked.
  
• Players purchasing or discarding Captain’s Voyages will now find the Captain’s Bookcase visually changes.
  
• The Crossed Harpoons Trinket now appears correctly when placed on board the ship.
  
• Completing the Emissary Voyages for each Trading Company now correctly progresses the appropriate Voyage Milestones.
  
• Completing Emissary Voyages no longer progresses ‘Discovered Quests Completed’ Milestones.
  
• Players should now consistently find the ‘Islands Visited’ Ship Milestone progresses when sailing their ship towards islands.
  
• Completing Wayfinder, Ghost Ship or Lost Shipments Captain’s Voyages will now update the correct Milestones.
  
• When leaving and returning to the ship during the Trinket section of the Captaincy tutorial, the Pirate Lord will now be present during his voiceover.
  
• Completing Quests from discovered Messages in a Bottle in The Devil’s Roar will now progress ‘Devil’s Roar Voyage Quests Completed’ Milestones.

Pirate Emporium

• The Bleakheart Banshee Costume visual effects should now be consistently seen by other players.
  
• Pirates of all body shapes and sizes will find the head of the Spinal Costume no longer appears squashed.

Environment

• Small items dropped on Rum Runner Isle are now more visible to players instead of appearing beneath the sand’s surface.
  
• Players can no longer walk through rocks on the north side of Plunder Valley.

User Interface

• Players swapping from mouse to controller input will now find the menu selection consistently follows the actions of the controller.

Accessibility

• Players enabling ‘Let Games Read to Me’ will now find the ‘Narrate Change Only’ setting is now enabled by default for new players.

Visual and Audio

• While sailing on a Sloop, players should no longer hear a creaking audio effect repeating from the rear canvas.
  
• Icons for Reaper’s Chests and Fort Keys on the ship’s map now appear at the correct size when playing on console.
  
• When the Festival of the Damned Lantern is turned on, there are no longer visible issues with the glowing crystals.

Text and Localisation

• The ‘Scuttle Ship’ notification shown when crews experience repeated defeats by other crews now displays text correctly across all languages.
  
• Navigating the ship selection menu within the front end will now display text correctly across all languages.
  
• The Captained ship selection screen on the front end now displays the value for ship restoration correctly across all languages.

Performance and Stability

• Scenarios where crews are stacking large amounts of treasure on board a ship or decorating an island now have optimised server performance, reducing latency, lag spikes, rubberbanding and server correction during gameplay.
  
• Improved server stability to reduce scenarios where crews are removed from a game session.

Visual Issues Underwater Following Battle

• After diving beneath the waves to find a rival crew in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves, players visiting the Sunken Kingdom may experience visual issues when swimming into the depths.

‘Gold Earned’ Milestones

• Crews earning gold by cashing in an Hourglass of Fate following a Battle will find the ‘Gold Earned’ Milestones do not currently progress.

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.

Download size:

• Steam: 6.98 GB

With our latest decision point Adventure ‘Return of the Damned’ building to a crescendo at the time of writing, pirates across the seas will be eager to find out how their own efforts have changed the course of history. Well, just like last time when we announced the outcome of the Outpost offensive in ‘Lost Sands’, we’re hauling a host of developers into the tavern for a live revelation of the results. Followed by enthusiastic discussion and hopefully no brawling.

This stream is taking place on Friday, November 18th at 4pm UTC (check your local time here) on our Twitch channel, so mark your calendars in ink, blood or mango juice depending on what’s to hand, and we’ll see you there!



As you may have gathered from the title of this article, that’s not the only thing we’re squeezing in. With Sea of Thieves Season Eight set to launch on November 22nd, why would we not take this opportunity to debut the full content update trailer and show you what’s coming your way in a few days? You won’t want to miss this blowout of the battles ahead.

Our most recent episode of Sea of Thieves News offered a stream tease too, while also showcasing comics telling the story of a figure who’s been blazing a trail across the seas and some new accessibility features coming up in Season Eight.



The battle begins soon as Sea of Thieves Season Eight breaks cover, but before then, we’ll see you live on Twitch to find out together what the future has in store. Not only will there be familiar Rare faces chatting about the Adventure outcome and Season Eight’s offerings, we’ll also be turning to some popular Sea of Thieves Partnered streamers to see what they’re most excited about. Join us for all the action on Friday, November 18th at 4pm UTC!