With two back-to-back events, a Tall Tale release, a Season Ten preview and a Community Weekend, September was a rich feast of Sea of Thieves action and we defy anyone to say otherwise. No, put your hand down, we’ve already defied it. Now let’s round it all up, no time to waste! Commence round-uppery!

September got things going in fine style with the return of Legends Week, offering boosted rewards and goodies to grab in a celebration of our Pirate Legends’ mad skills. Without missing a beat, sailors then segued into the second Event of the month as Wish You Were Here week posed a trove of travel-centric Challenges with more unique items to earn.

Then as we neared the end of the month, it was time for the third and final instalment of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island! Entitled ‘The Lair of LeChuck’, this rollicking outing concluded the trilogy of Tales with an expedition to Monkey Island and a showdown with the ghost pirate Captain himself. If you’ve yet to pit yourself against his nefarious schemes, all three of these Tall Tales are playable now and will be until further notice.

Finishing off the month, we decided that the best way to mark the final weeks of Season Nine was with another Community Weekend! One of the star features this time around was Pop-Up Plunder, triggering rare treasures in-game for all crews on a server to track down before they rudely vanished again. Maps were shared on our social channels, with some dig spots more deviously disguised than others…


Before Season Nine Community Weekend landed, we wanted to be sure all our intrepid players knew what to expect. Pop-Up Plunder was just one of the changes made since the last Community Weekend – changes that also included the shift in primary channel from Twitter to Twitch! Christina, our esteemed Head of Community and Comms, jumped in to break down the details.

Sticking with the community theme, September’s Spotlights took advantage of Legends Week to promote two pirates with historical Community Spotlights to Legendary status: IOnEI_Falcon, also known as dedicated Deckhand Amir, and Lizalaroo, a titan of community contests and crafting.

Even with the frenzy of activity in September, Talk Like a Pirate Day still got its dues with a special Pirate Emporium sale and time-limited Pretty Polly Sails – and as the Wish You Were Here Event was all about exploring the Sea of Thieves to experience all its beauty and danger, it was the perfect opportunity to reveal the Rough Guide to Sea of Thieves! If you’ve ever wondered what your favourite pirate haven might look like to a tourist, swipe this free download and feel that sense of discovery all over again.


Leading the charge for the Video team in September, the launch trailer for ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ saw out the final Tall Tale in the trilogy with suitable fanfare and a look at the last batch of themed cosmetics. But that wasn’t the only Legend of Monkey Island content laid out to tantalise fans of Guybrush and friends last month, as lashings of behind-the-scenes insights and secrets were unveiled not only in part 2 of our Deep Dive video series, but part 3 as well.

The latest Sea of Thieves News video was also out there dropping exclusives of its own, as attention started shifting to the future and what changes Season Ten may bring. To sate that curiosity and offer much more detail on what we’ve been working on, various members of the team dropped by to spill the beans in a special Season Ten Preview video. That’s right: Guilds, Skull of Siren Song Voyages and Safer Seas will all be coming your way soon. Spoilers!

Finally, Season Nine Community Weekend got its own introductory video just like the Wish You Were Here event before it. The new Twitch-based Emissary Grade system meant that the weekend itself encouraged plenty of streaming, watching or both, and more Rare team members helped launch it from the on-site Tavern with hours of chaotic fun and plunder hunting!


Community Weekend was, of course, a massive September social media event and we did all we could to make sure everyone could get involved – from preparing the appropriate freebies and sharing a selection of assets for streamer setups to simply ensuring outfits were on point. Good thing too, as a special bonus Style of Thieves contest was right around the corner! Expect a Community Weekend lookback article full of good vibes and stonks summaries in the near future.

September’s two #SoTShot rounds were filled with crackingly creative submissions: after delighting in pictures of perfect pets for the Animal Appreciation theme, we took a quick swim to explore a surplus of Sunken Riches. Plus of course there were a pair of Community Hub updates, celebrating some of the community’s creative talents outside the game.

Elsewhere, someone made the mistake of letting the team go rogue with 100 kegs – with predictable results – while for others, looking ahead to Season Ten caused a rather strange fixation on paint. Quietly leaving the TikTok team to get over whatever that was and with the legacy of Legends Week still lurking, pirates traded stories of their legendary deeds, only to get dragged into reminiscing on a few of their legendary fails too. That was no problem though – nobody becomes a true Pirate Legend without sailing headlong into an island or two, right? Right?


And done! All covered for September. We’ll be back in a month to round up October’s occurrences, which will give us a chance to catch our breath because it’s looking so much quieter and – oh right, yes, Season Ten. Not quieter at all. In that case, keep up with everything by following Sea of Thieves on channels of your choice including Twit-X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch, or the official Forums or Discord. Enjoy the debut of the imminent ‘Super Season’, count yourselves lucky we didn’t call it a ‘Super Spoopy Season’ considering the timing and we’ll catch you back here for more rigorous rounding up next month!

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2023

After players worked tirelessly to free Guybrush Threepwood from the magical machinations of LeChuck in previous Tall Tale ‘The Quest for Guybrush’, the time has come to strike back against his captor. In this third and final instalment of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, you’ll venture to the titular isle and finally confront the nefarious Captain responsible for Guybrush’s recent misfortunes.

As the third Tall Tale in the trilogy, ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ is the culmination of everything pirates have experienced in The Legend of Monkey Island so far. This delightful crossover kicked off back in July, as players reached the glittering Caribbean shores of Mêlée Island for the first time. However, not everything was as it seemed, and a series of challenges and riddles led them to uncover the shocking truth: this version of the island was a Sea of the Damned illusion, a trap designed to ensnare Guybrush.

That first Tale ended with Guybrush’s fate left in the hands of Corina as she searched for a way to free him. Once she found it, players were thrust right back into the action, concocting a potion to burn away the mysterious fog shrouding the island and revealing more iconic locations.

With expanded access to Mêlée Island and its eccentric inhabitants, players could then embark on the journey to obtain three symbols of True Pirate Courage. This required a demonstration of bravado and mastery of all the most important pirate skills, but the reward was the long-awaited cure for Guybrush’s beguilement. Once he was freed, that left only one thing to do: pursue and confront the scoundrel responsible!


Which brings us here, to ‘The Lair of LeChuck’. After taking a few weeks to recover his strength and plan his attack, Guybrush is finally ready to take on his nemesis – with your help. Set sail once again into the Sea of the Damned and follow LeChuck’s trail to the fabled Monkey Island, but beware! Finding the dreaded ghost pirate will be no easy feat…

You’ll need to plot a way past the iconic Giant Stone Monkey Head, unearth three golden idols and delve into a maze of catacombs while seeking LeChuck’s lava-filled lair. From there, it’s a race to catch up with him before he can claim a final victory over Guybrush and Elaine, and put an end to his latest ruthless scheme!

‘The Lair of LeChuck’ provides a thrilling conclusion to the story set up in the first two Tall Tales with the payoff of a highly anticipated excursion to Monkey Island itself, as faces both familiar and new show up to speed you on your way. Good luck!


Of course, dramatic showdowns with legendary villains require an appropriately stylish look. Fortunately, the Pirate Emporium has been welcoming in new crossover-themed cosmetics to help you along.

With the new Legend of Monkey Island Sails and Figurehead, you can head into this confrontation making an unmistakable show of your support for Guybrush. Alternatively, you might want to check out the new costumes inspired by Kate Capsize, Herman Toothrot and Stan, letting you live out a wealth of Tri-Island Area roleplay dreams. Even if those dreams involve becoming a Previously Owned Vessels salesman. It takes all sorts.

If it’s equipment you need, you’ll be happy to hear that the Rubber Chicken with a Pulley in the Middle has found a new lease of life. Given a few tweaks, this one-time transportation mechanism will helpfully transport fish from the sea onto your ship in the form of a snazzy new fishing rod! Not bad for some vulcanised poultry.

So what are you waiting for? Guybrush is banking on your support to stop LeChuck’s plans, and you wouldn’t want anyone else stealing all the glory. All three Tall Tales comprising Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island are available free for all players, and are live right now! Just head on over to Capsize Charters at any Outpost to get started.

© 2023 MICROSOFT. © & ™ LUCASFILM LTD.

Voyage deep into the Caribbean with Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – an original story told across three Tall Tales and a hilarious, heartfelt love letter to the iconic Monkey Island game series. All three instalments are available now!

'The Lair of LeChuck’

• The time has come to journey with Guybrush to the scenic, secretive Monkey Island, where a final showdown with LeChuck awaits you in a pirate lair deep underground. But first, there’s the little matter of getting inside… Unravel the mysteries of Monkey Island with Guybrush at your side in the final chapter of this Tall Tale trilogy!
  
• New Commendations, achievements and rewards have been added with this update, marking your progress as you make your way through ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ Tall Tale.
  
• To find out much more, head to our dedicated page on The Legend of Monkey Island.

Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium page to find out more about the latest arrivals.

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Legend of Monkey Island Sails and Figurehead
  
• Stan Costume Set
  
• Kate Capsize Costume Set
  
• Herman Costume Set
  
• Rubber Chicken Fishing Rod
  
• Pocket Serpent Emote
  
• Lucky Deal Emote (free!)
  
• Fossil Frenzy Bundle (Steam Store)

New Outpost Stock

• The Outpost clothing stores now stock a range of new bandana colours – all available for gold!

Season Nine Community Weekend

• From September 30th to October 2nd (10am UTC), all pirates are welcome to set sail and join in our latest Community Weekend with free gifts to snap up, Twitch Drops to claim and the introduction of Pop-Up Plunder!
  
• As always, raising the Community Emissary Grade (this time by tuning in to streamers in the Sea of Thieves category on Twitch) will unlock gold, reputation, Renown and Allegiance boosts for all players.
  
• Find out everything you need to know in our Season Nine Community Weekend news article.

Gameplay

• The Reaper’s Bones Emissary Flags may no longer be sold to the Sovereigns.
  
• Migrating across servers with a damaged mast will no longer cause pirates to stutter when moving around the deck of the ship.
  
• If a pirate harpoons treasure onto the ship during a Lost Shipments Voyage but does not move it, the treasure will no longer disappear when the Voyage ends.
  
• Burying and recovering treasure that has already been on your ship will no longer show an additional “Treasure aboard ship” notification.

‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’

• Players returning to this Tall Tale from a checkpoint will now see the correct prompts and notifications as they play through it.

Visual and Audio

• Snakes that have been charmed will no longer appear to turn away from the player.
  
• Pirates should now appear correctly when observed drinking from a tankard.
  
• When voting at the Hourglass of Fate, the correct Faction daggers should now consistently be shown.
  
• The scope on the Flaming Jackal Eye of Reach is now correctly opaque.
  
• Pirates aiming the Paradise Garden Pistol will now find shots more consistently align with the tip of the barrel.
  
• The Mad Monkey Cannons will now remain static on the deck when a pirate is inside.
  
• Larger pirates with the Elaine Costume equipped will no longer see the necktie when jumping and running.
  
• The Mad Monkey Ship’s Crest will now display the correct background when equipped with the Lodestar Hull.
  
• Pirates’ hands no longer intersect with the Duke Wheel when equipped.
  
• The Flaming Jackal Compass is now the correct orientation when viewed in the Equipment Chest.
  
• Players wearing the Silken Gloves of the Ashen Dragon should no longer see stretching around the hands.
  
• The LeChuck Costume Set now fits all sizes of pirates appropriately.
  
• After equipping a fishing rod in the Tunnels of the Damned, the fishing float and line no longer disappear.
  
• Pirates drinking from the Mysterious Stranger Tankard will no longer be drinking invisible grog.

Environment

• Pirates should no longer become stuck in trees at Flintlock Peninsula.

Performance and Stability

• Ongoing improvements made to server stability to reduce instances where players are disconnected from their session.

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: 7.8 GB

The much-anticipated Season Ten is almost here! With only a month to go, we wanted to take a few moments to fill you in on what we’ve been working on for this Season with a snazzy breakdown of the upcoming content. To make sure we didn’t miss anything important, various members of the team sat down to explain some of the new features you can expect to arrive throughout Season Ten, and how they’ll change the way you play Sea of Thieves.


The updates coming your way in Season Ten will be released over the course of several months, ensuring that each one has ample time in the spotlight and the Season remains compelling from start to finish.

First in the line-up, launching with the Season on October 19th, we have Guilds! Offering a new way of playing together with your friends, player-created Guilds will allow up to 24 pirates to unify under a single banner. Guild members can sail on their friends’ pledged ships even when they’re offline, and work towards increasing the shared Guild Reputation to unlock a wealth of new rewards.

And of course, this brand new Guilds feature is just the start. As Season Ten progresses, we’ll go on to debut a new type of world event in the form of a competitive hunt for the Skull of Siren Song! This unique Voyage will be delivered to all crews on a server simultaneously, pitting them against one another in a race to find and deliver the titular ancient artefact.


Then, for players who aren’t looking to get into scraps with other crews, we’ll be opening the way to Safer Seas. An entirely new Sea of Thieves game mode, Safer Seas will let players sail either alone or with a chosen crew of friends within their own private game session! So if you’ve got Tall Tales to complete or fish to catch, or if you simply need to spend time finding your sea legs without interruption, Safer Seas has you covered.

Be aware that it has its limits, though: the reduced risk means reduced rewards, and you won’t be able to explore the full breadth of Sea of Thieves’ offerings while sailing Safer Seas. The more competitive features and advanced aims of the game will remain exclusive to the classic shared-world game mode that we’ll continue to update, which will then be known as High Seas.

Everything mentioned here is just a brief overview of what you can expect through the rest of the year. For the full details of everything we’ve announced so far, make sure you check out our complete Season Ten preview video above, and check back throughout Season Ten for more details on each feature as it’s released into the hands of players!


If a month feels like a long time to wait, don’t worry, there’s plenty going on in the meantime. The third and final instalment of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island arrives on September 28th, along with a host of other additions and revisions packaged in with our September update.

Immediately after that we’ll be diving into the latest Community Weekend for a full 48 hours of fun, freebies, multipliers and shared stories! We’ll even be stopping by the Tavern for a fun-filled developer stream, so keep an eye on our Twitch channel when Community Weekend kicks off on September 30th.

To make sure you don’t miss anything on the roster before Season Ten, enjoy our latest Sea of Thieves News video below, and we’ll see you soon!

Hello, you beautiful buccaneers – and Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day! Given this most special of occasions, we thought it’d be piratically pertinent to share with you the details of our next Community Weekend. Previously Community Days, these have now doubled in length to make them twice as nice for everyone participating, thanks to the popularity of the bumper event we ran to celebrate our fifth anniversary.

Now, let’s get into the delightful details of what awaits all keen corsairs from September 30th to October 2nd – it’s set to be a jam-packed event!


Item one on the agenda is how to increase the Community Emissary Grade, which takes on a brand new form for this Season’s Community Weekend. Whereas players could previously contribute to boosting the Grade by using the #SeaOfThievesCommunityDay tag on Twitter, this time the multiplier – and more – will be powered by how much time players spend watching the Sea of Thieves category on Twitch! That’s right: all you need to do to help raise the Grade is tune in to any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category between 10am UTC on Saturday, September 30th and 10am UTC on Monday, October 2nd.

As the Community Emissary Grade rises, so will the multiplier on gold, reputation, Renown and Allegiance for all players, with the top Grade offering two-and-a-half times the reward for your work! For those of you still yet to hit level 100 Renown in Season Nine, this will be your chance to do it and make a pretty penny at the same time. And if you’re a few levels off scoring your first Hourglass-related Curse, the same applies – this weekend is the perfect opportunity to maximise your progress and earn some serious stonks.


Talking of streams, the Rare crew will be setting sail on the Saturday morning, live from the on-site tavern! Tankards will be raised, chaos will ensue, pirates will plunder and a gay old time will be had. Join the gang from 10am UTC on September 30th to kick off the event with a healthy dose of shenanigans. Every minute you spend watching will also work towards raising that Community Emissary Grade, and may even earn you some Twitch Drops at the same time. That’s very efficient viewing by any standard.

Yes, tuning in to your favourite Sea of Thieves content creators (and of course us, on the Saturday morning) will also count towards unlocking a sweet suite of Drops for your own use! The Eastern Winds Ruby Sturdy Boots, Gilded Phoenix Cutlass, Eastern Winds Ruby Bejewelled Gloves and Gilded Phoenix Eye of Reach will all become available to claim as the weekend progresses, and all you need to do once each prize is up for grabs is watch any Twitch streamer in the Sea of Thieves category (not just Partners on this occasion) for a minimum of one hour per item.

Find out more about how Twitch Drops work on our dedicated page – where you can also make sure your Sea of Thieves and Twitch accounts are linked ahead of time so that you’re eligible for Drops!


We’ve also set a sneaky extra goal, which will bag you a bonus Drop should you collectively rise to the challenge. If you all manage to get Sea of Thieves into the top 10 categories (by highest number of viewers) on Twitch at any point during the weekend, a special Twitch Drop will be unlocked: the Obsidian Captain’s Rugs, equippable to any Captained ship! The Obsidian Ship’s Crest will also be unlocked for participating players if we hit that stretch goal, but awarded at a later date. So do your utmost during the event to unlock these super-swish items, not forgetting to make sure your accounts are linked before you get started!

It’s not just the increased rewards and more Twitch Drops you stand to benefit from as you race through the different Community Emissary Grades. Every time the community collectively levels up, we’ll introduce a new piece of Pop-Up Plunder to every Sea of Thieves server. But what is Pop-Up Plunder, we hear you cry? Well, we can answer that right now: it’s a way for us to sneak terrific treasures into the world on the fly. And if you think that sounds cool, it’s because it is.

Every time Pop-Up Plunder becomes available, players will receive a notification in-game that fresh loot is live and that a clue regarding the whereabouts of the high-value haul has been released somewhere on Sea of Thieves’ official social media channels. There will only be one plunderous prize per server, and each will only be discoverable for an hour before it disappears – so you’ll have to be swift on social and on the seas to secure it.


Of course, there may be a certain amount of strife involved in retrieving these special stashes of loot. Once the Pop-Up Plunder has been dug up, a cheeky little map marker will appear for everyone else on the same server, just so they know the precious prize hasn’t been handed in yet and they can still steal it. If you’re thinking “well, that sounds dastardly” – you’re right. We designed it like that, because we are dastardly. You’re welcome.

But these spoils are worth fighting for: amongst the assortment of items that will be buried at random are packed Collector’s Chests, Chests of Legends, suites of Siren Gems and even Chests of Fortune, so this is a spicy game of loot roulette that stands to earn you scores of cold, hard gold.

Even after the community have hit Grade Five, we’ll continue to periodically drop Pop-Up Plunder into the world until the end of the event. The majority of this loot will be random, with the only guaranteed Pop-Up Plunder item being Grade Five’s first treasure, which you’ll all recognise as an item particularly rare and Wondrous. Of course, these ultra-rare treasures can only be handed in at certain spots, so you may have to run a daunting oceanic gauntlet to cash in your prize…


This Community Weekend won’t just be about precarious pillaging of Pop-Up Plunder – there’s plenty on offer for those who just want to enjoy the good vibes and score some free stuff. As is customary, the glorious Season Nine Community Weekend flag, this time in regal tones of purple and gold, will magic its way into the Flag Box of anyone logging in over the event period.

There’s also very good news if you’re a fan of fondling foliage, as the Touch Grass Emote will be free to anyone logging in too! While we don’t actually want you to touch any grass during the event – ideally, we want you playing and watching Sea of Thieves – we figured it’d come in handy for those moments of heightened emotion where you feel like it could be refreshing to remind yourself of your roots.

And where better to show off your new emote than in front of a stunning Community Weekend-themed picture wall? Following its popularity on our Fifth Anniversary Community Weekend, we’re bringing picture walls back to the Sea of Thieves – but this time at every Outpost, so you won’t need to trek to Port Merrick to snap your perfect selfie. They’ll also boast a flag that represents the Community Emissary Grade at any given time, so you’ll know how at a glance how Grade progression is going. We’ve even managed to squeeze in a functional grog barrel at the scene, so pirates won’t have to travel far for a celebratory beverage. Cheers to that!


If you want to literally fly the Season Nine Community Weekend flag at home, you’re in luck – a time-limited flag and T-shirt will be heading to the Rare merchandise store for the duration of Community Weekend. And if you’re looking for an excuse to pick up additional pirate goodies at a bargain price, the discount code SOTCOMMUNITYWEEKEND will knock 30% off the cost of most Sea of Thieves swag in that very same store, so it’s worth browsing the digital aisles now to see if there are any cute items you’d like to earmark for the occasion.

Even though Twitter will no longer power our Community Emissary Grade, we’ll still have a big focus on the #SeaOfThievesCommunityWeekend hashtag for fun stories and stunning screenshots, artwork and gameplay clips – so please do spend some time sharing good vibes on all your usual social media profiles. Our Community team will be captaining the channels all throughout the weekend, ready to share our favourite posts!

These events have always served as a super opportunity to spotlight some of our community MVPs, celebrating amazing players, artists, creators and general good eggs. So if you think either you or one of your crewmates deserves fame and a particularly fetching hat, look no further as our #BeMorePirate drive returns for Season Nine Community Weekend.

We’ll be scouring channels and the #BeMorePirate tag for amazing Sea of Thieves stories and creations, from now until the end of the event. Worthy winners will be awarded the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame, so get your submissions in soon to see if your antics warrant your pirate’s bonce being crowned with such a special bonnet.


Fashion-focused freebooters, you’re also in luck – it’s time to return to the catwalk for a bonus round of #StyleOfThieves! With just one category to dress for this time, we’re calling your whole crew into the spotlight for the theme of Crew Couture. Show off your cohesive looks or represent your roles on the ship with a screenshot, and you and up to three crewmates could each win a set of Fashionista’s Finery Gloves!

Submissions will open at 10am UTC on October 1st and run for just 24 hours, with the four winning crews being revealed by October 6th. To enter, just post your screenshot during the submission window using #StyleOfThieves and the theme title on X/Twitter, Instagram or our official Discord server via the Pirate Fashion channel, or reply to the #StyleOfThieves post on Facebook.

That’s all you need to know! But the most important thing to do in preparation for Season Nine Community Day is to contact your crew – or, if you’re a lone wolf, mark some time in your diary for a serious bit of solo Sloopin’. Check your Reputation tabs, your Commendations and our Outpost stock to see what sort of targets you can set your sights on, and plot a course for adventure alongside all our other wonderful pirates in this latest celebration of Sea of Thieves’ super community! We can’t wait to see you on the seas.

It’s already been an entire month (and a bit) since we cast off our moorings and set sail into a sweltering August, if you can believe that. And there were a great many happenings in different corners of the sea throughout the month, so as always we wanted to drop by with a rundown of everything you might have missed. Ready? Well then, let’s go!

August’s biggest update didn’t arrive until its very last day, but there was plenty to enjoy before that. Following a hotfix to iron out a handful of issues early in the month, we were all systems go on a shining Gold & Glory Weekend to give everyone a chance to make a name for themselves and pad out their treasuries with increased rewards. If you were a few coins short of your next purchase, it was an ideal time to get sailing!

Then it was time for the big one: the second chapter of The Legend of Monkey Island. A month after players first jumped at the chance to sail to Mêlée Island’s shores, they were back once again at Corina’s behest, setting out to break Guybrush’s curse and rescue him from LeChuck’s sinister plans in ‘The Quest for Guybrush’. For more information on this latest Tall Tale, and everything else that was bundled in with the new update – including a second wave of themed Pirate Emporium cosmetics – our elegantly streamlined set of August release notes is the place to go.


After our conversations with Spiffy in ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’, we got to thinking about the multitude of animal companions that accompany pirates across the Sea of Thieves. To dig into the origins of the more curious creatures, we sat down with some Collector’s Pet creators in our latest From Concept to Cosmetic article. Which was the hardest pet to get into the game? Where did the idea of the Chocolatier’s Companion pets come from? Will there ever be a Collector’s Pet fox? Find out now!

Over in the community, we had two new Spotlights for you to enjoy: a Creator Spotlight on Flameheart fan AShinyRay, delving into his history on YouTube and a mortifying milk-related disaster, followed by a Community Spotlight with Woodrow Jenkins to find out more about his extensive and decorated career as a pirate.

August’s addition to our ever-expanding streamable soundtrack was ‘Ramsey’s Regret’, while there was exciting news for fans of a more traditional form of gaming as the Sea of Thieves board game was released! Inspired by the Sea of Thieves we all know and love, Voyage of Legends offers a new way to live out your dreams of becoming a fearsome Pirate Legend. Or at least it will if the dice land in your favour.


A new month meant, of course, a new instalment of Sea of Thieves News, with Daryl dropping by the Tavern to share sneak peeks at upcoming content. If you have any questions about what to expect in the next few weeks, SoT News is a good bet (until September’s edition arrives).

Then came the most awaited video release of the month: the launch trailer for the second Tall Tale in The Legend of Monkey Island! This tantalising teaser offered players their first glimpse at the journey awaiting them in ‘The Quest for Guybrush’, from a new approach to sword fighting to a lovely trip to the circus for the whole crew.

At the same time, a special Pirate Emporium video showcased the new stock delivered to Outpost shops with August’s update, allowing you to do such things as transform your vessel into the image of the legendary Mad Monkey or acquire a spiffing companion of your very own.


With sunny skies and summer blockbusters welcoming us to August, we kicked off the month by revealing a new career direction and finding out who among you are true Sea of Thieves fans. Even a few unfortunate mishaps during Gold & Glory Weekend and some Sloop slander weren’t enough to dampen our spirits. Meanwhile, the regular #SundayVibes and #TriviaTuesday offerings kept the focus on the latest Tall Tales…

Community creativity was, as ever, tremendous. Alongside our usual two Community Hub updates, players spent the first half of the month putting their heads together to think up some brilliant Puzzling Pirates screenshots for our latest #SoTShot competition. One fishy fan creation even got a tour of the Rare studio and a chance to share some suggestions. Whether or not we’ll take #MegsWithLegs on board remains to be seen…

Moving into the end of the month, we had a couple of discussions about a variety of coloured flags, wrote poetry and confronted some intrusive thoughts. After a collective effort to rename one of the sea’s many islands, we finished the month by trading good-natured insults to make sure we were suitably prepared for our trip back to Mêlée Island. Calling someone a dairy farmer is only going to get you so far, after all.


Which just about wraps things up for August! Got any good jibes of your own? Feel free to share, preferably in a separate message to any other feedback you might have, on all our usual channels including X-Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch, or the official Forums or Discord. For now though, Corina’s calling and we’ve got a Guybrush to save – see you next time!

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2023

Gameplay

• Pirates entering the water or setting foot on islands should no longer find themselves set upon by emergent threats so quickly. Lingering in the water and sauntering around islands will still result in an ambush sooner or later, but not at the same frequency as before.

‘The Quest for Guybrush’

• After returning from the Sea of the Damned, pirates who drop treasure overboard will no longer find the items returned to their ship.

Visual and Audio

• The Flaming Jackal Compass now points pirates in the correct direction!

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.


These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our latest content update.


Download Size:

• Steam: 5.7 GB

Mêlée Island has need of you once again! It’s time to return to Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, an incredible crossover that kicked off in July, beginning a journey to reunite players with the legendary Guybrush Threepwood and defeat the villainous Captain LeChuck – all within the world of Sea of Thieves. Today sees the arrival of the second Tall Tale in the trilogy, promising a wave of new excitement and experiences…

Players were granted their first foray into this new playground last month in the opening Tall Tale, ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’. In this initial adventure, taking place deep within the Sea of the Damned, players were introduced to a distorted reflection of the classic Mêlée Island.

With an ominous fog covering much of the island and Guybrush Threepwood installed in the unlikely position of Governor, it was up to players to get to the bottom of things. By working their way through puzzles, befriending locals with small acts of service and finding enough coins to pay their way when they couldn’t, the story gradually took shape.

Eventually, an audience was obtained with the esteemed Governor Guybrush, followed by a fierce battle with the ghost pirate minions of Captain LeChuck and – for pirates who emerged victorious – a final stop with Corina at the International House of Mojo.


Now the time has come to continue the adventure! Having received word that Corina has found a way to break the spell and free Guybrush from his delusion, Captain Kate is recruiting pirates to carry out the plan. To craft the cure, you’ll need to journey back to Mêlée Island in search of three symbols of true pirate courage. They can only be obtained by the fiercest and most cunning of pirates, so keep your wits about you as you uncover more of the island and its cast of inhabitants.

Packed with new places and faces, ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ offers a major expansion on everything you’ve seen before. This Tall Tale will ask you to master Insult Sword Fighting, confront The Beast, return to your treasure-seeking pirate roots and much more. Expect a host of fresh surprises for long-time and new fans of Monkey Island alike throughout this uproarious new chapter of the story.

As before, you’ll be able to work your way through the Tall Tale alone or in a crew, in an isolated map so you’re free to take your time without engaging with other crews. And with the full expanse of Mêlée Island at your feet, there’s plenty to explore!


Of course, an important part of any pirate’s adventure is being able to dress the part, which is where the Pirate Emporium’s accompanying wave of Monkey Island-inspired cosmetics come in.

With the Mad Monkey ship set, you’ll be able to model your vessel on an infamous Caribbean shipwreck. Fortunately, the design isn’t necessarily a sign that your ship will share the same fate – and to make sure of it, you can supplement your sidearms and guard your loot with the matching Mad Monkey weapons.

In the wardrobe department, the Guybrush Costume Set finally lets you dress up as your favourite mighty pirate, while the Elaine Costume Set offers a chance to emulate the celebrated former Governor. Alternatively, accomplished duellists might prefer the Carla Costume Set, paying tribute to the legendary Sword Master of Mêlée Island.

So, ready to take on the next Tall Tale? Guybrush has need of you, and Mêlée Island isn’t about to save itself. ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ Tall Tale is free for all Sea of Thieves players and available now, so make your preparations, pack your best insults and drop by Capsize Charters to get started...

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The Legend of Monkey Island

Voyage deep into the Caribbean with Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – an original story told across three Tall Tales and a hilarious, heartfelt love letter to the iconic Monkey Island game series. The first two instalments are available now!

‘The Quest for Guybrush’

• Guybrush has been imprisoned in a dream-world by his old nemesis, LeChuck, and now believes himself to be the mightiest pirate who ever cruised the Caribbean. The only way for crews to convince him otherwise is to undertake three Legendary Trials spread far and wide across Mêlée Island. If you don’t succeed, Guybrush may never be freed...
  
• New Commendations, achievements and rewards have been added with this update, marking your progress as you make your way through ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ Tall Tale.
  
• To find out much more, head to our dedicated page on The Legend of Monkey Island.

Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium page to find out more about the latest arrivals.

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Mad Monkey Ship Collection
  
• Mad Monkey Ship’s Crest
  
• Mad Monkey Weapon Bundle
  
• Mad Monkey Concertina
  
• Guybrush Costume Set
  
• Elaine Costume Set
  
• Carla Costume Set
  
• Spiffy Pet
  
• Paradise Garden Cutlass (free!)
  
• Sea of Sands Sailor Bundle (Steam Store)

New Outpost Stock

• The Outpost weaponsmiths and clothing shops have received a shipment of new items in the Ashen Dragon set. An expanded range of clothing items can now be purchased along with the Heavy Sword and Rapier, all available for gold.
  
• Pirates can also pick up the fetching Ponytail Hair and Silver Beaded Moustache from the clothing shops.
  
• Plucky pirates can also purchase the Lucky Hand Wheel, Pistol, Shovel and Fishing Rod from the appropriate shops!
  
• The ferocious Flaming Jackal set has also been expanded, with equipment and weapons now available from Outpost shops.

Season Two Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Two have now arrived in Outpost shops and can be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Pirates can purchase the Lucky Hand clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items that were available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also purchase the Athena’s Might Cutlass and Shackled Phantom Hull.
  
• The time-limited Ocean Deep items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Two.

Refreshed Emissary Ledger Rewards

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

Aiming Accessibility Improvements

• Within the Audio settings, players now have access to a new setting to aid them in combat with subtle audio cues. This setting is off by default, but when enabled, players aiming their weapon at an opposing crew member or enemy threat will hear an audio cue to help guide their shots.

Zipline Accessibility

• Following the introduction of ziplines to help pirates navigate Mêlée Island, a new accessibility setting has been added to reduce camera sway while riding.

Gameplay

• Pirates jumping and grabbing a ladder at the top will now smoothly climb the last step and ascend more quickly.
  
• Players who join the game on a crew actively taking part in a Skeleton Fleet encounter may now find they initially appear on the Ferry of the Damned before arriving on their ship.
  
• The Legend of the Veil Quest Book can now be stashed within the Quest Radial.
  
• Pondies can no longer be caught around Port Merrick.

‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’

• Pirates are prevented from accessing off-limits areas of Mêlée Island while progressing through this Tall Tale.
  
• Pirates are prevented from inspecting the Citizen’s wares while handing in items to prevent overlapping dialogue.
  
• The Clock Tower is now set to the correct time when starting the Tall Tale from a checkpoint.
  
• When the objects blocking the mansion door are removed, they will now be visually removed for all crew members.
  
• Pirates will no longer become stuck in the ground at Lookout Point when attempting to jump into the mist.
  
• Pirates’ movement will no longer feel buffered when walking over rocks near the mansion.
  
• The liquid in Corina’s pot now moves as intended.
  
• The History Book has now been repositioned on its stand.

Captains of Adventure

• Placing a Storage Crate in front of a shipwright will no longer allow Captains to bypass the limit on how many provisions can be purchased.
  
• Pirates being harpooned away during a transaction with the shipwright will no longer enable the provision purchase limit to be bypassed.

Visual and Audio

• Players will no longer hear their own text chat messages audibly spoken by other players who are using Text to Speech.
  
• Hendrick’s appearance is now consistently correct during a Lost Shipments Voyage.
  
• When a fishing rod is equipped in the Tunnels of the Damned, the float and line no longer disappear.
  
• Snakes will no longer appear to turn away from the player when being charmed.

Environment

• Players can now easily speak to the Pirate Lord in the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• Further improvements have been made to remove areas where pirates can push through the environment into the sea within the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• Pirates can no longer intersect with palm trees at Port Merrick.
  
• Pirates should no longer encounter an invisible wall when walking around Ancient Spire Outpost.
  
• Pirates are no longer able to push themselves under the environment by swimming into rocks at Plunder Outpost.
  
• Pirates are no longer able to walk through a stone wall in the closed Rowboat dock at Mercy’s End Fortress.
  
• Ship Trinkets on the souvenir wall in the Pirate Legend Hideout no longer have the same sail pattern.

Text and Localisation

• Article Two of the Pirate Code hanging at the Outposts now consistently shows as “The Sea Unites Us as One Community” in all locations.
  
• Coral Artefacts now show the correct names on notifications when handed in to The Reaper’s Bones.

Performance and Stability

• Improvements made to initial loading times when launching the game.
  
• Ongoing improvements made to server stability to reduce instances where players are disconnected from their session.

To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site.

Download Size:

• Steam: 7.93 GB

The time has come once again to dig through our cosmetics chests and see what secrets we can uncover. In the past we’ve delved into the mighty Orb, punk fashion and Plunder Pass assassins, while the previous instalment in this series grilled our teams on the thinking behind the keystone of all Captained vessels, Ship’s Crests.

Now we’re turning our attention to a somewhat livelier aspect of a pirate’s loadout: their pets! Specifically, we want to mark the recent release of the delectable Chocolatier’s Companion Alsatian and Parakeet by delving into the development process behind Collector’s Pets. These weird and wonderful variants on a pirate’s loyal pals have come to the Sea of Thieves in all shapes, sizes and colours, with a range of unique designs that put our artistic teams to the test.

So to find out much more, we’ve shuffled some key contributors into the usual interrogation room for questioning. Let’s go!

One of the most universally recognised symbols of a pirate is a colourful parrot companion, regardless of any naysayers decrying historical inaccuracies. Inevitably, then, in a sandbox game intended to allow players to live out their dreams of piracy, animal companions were going to be in high demand from the get-go.

In response, a variety of pets have been gradually arriving on the Sea of Thieves since monkeys and parrots first made their way through the Devil’s Shroud back in 2019. Several years later, the ranks have now grown to incorporate cats, dogs and foxes. For Esther Smisdom, Senior Concept Artist, the inclusion of animal companions was an inevitability:

“I think pets have always been in mind from the beginning. You can’t really think of that classic pirate archetype without a chatty parrot on their shoulder.”

In a world as magical as the Sea of Thieves, however, we weren’t about to be content with the limits imposed by our real-world furred and feathered friends. That’s where Collector’s Pets come in. These unique variations have included pets touched by the Gold Curse, frozen in ice and morphed into dark magic constructs, amongst a broad swathe of other diversities.

The Collector’s Pet trend kicked off with the Skeleton Marmoset and Cockatoo during late 2019’s Fort of the Damned update, and now there are over 30 to choose from (including a full set of Skeleton Pets, traditionally only available during spooky season) across more than 10 collections.


What might not be immediately apparent is that the distinction between regular pets and Collector’s Pets is down to more than just design; there are technical considerations too. As Esther tells us:

“We quickly realised the Collector’s Pets needed to be their own category because of how we handled pet outfits. By separating them, it gave us the freedom to really push the themes of these pets. Initially the Collector’s Pets were defined by the classic Sea of Thieves Curses (Skeleton, Gold etc.) but as time went on, anything that added new meshes, unique animations or new species would be considered a Collector’s Pet.”

Among the latest additions to this menagerie are, of course, the Chocolatier’s Companion Parakeet and Alsatian. Bringing together Ancient-inspired artisan work and some of the finest confectionery available, these two pets arrived on the scene as part of the June 2023 update. Nailing down their final design took a few iterations, as Senior Concept Artist Tom Mahon explains:

“The original spark came from wanting to explore an Easter tie-in. We went down the rabbit hole (pun intended) of the traditional Easter bunny ears and bow ties, but they just didn’t feel very Sea of Thieves, so after that we looked at a pet fully made from chocolate. Originally they looked pretty smooth, like modern chocolate moulds. There was even a concept with a bite taken out of the pet... maybe that went a bit too far.

“In order to push the design to be more embedded within Sea of Thieves lore, we finally settled on an approach that brought in design motifs from the Ancients in the game – with the idea being that the Ancients love chocolate, so they’ve crafted these chocolate effigies brought to life with magic.”

Of course, designing these pets is only half the battle; with such distinctive shapes and exclusive styles, actually making each Collector’s Pet presents its own unique challenges.


Due to the sheer variety of designs involved in Collector’s Pets, it’s fair to say that there’s no single way of approaching their creation. Each has a unique shape and design, introducing its own challenges and points of interest. For Esther, the most fun to develop was the Reaper’s Heart set:

“Funnily enough, they were originally meant to be Valentine-themed, as is apparent from the wings and heart motif. But we ended up using the parrot as a companion for the Servant of the Flame, so we had to rework them a bit to fit the lore and vibe of The Reaper’s Bones.”

Tom, in contrast, called out the earliest Collector’s Pets to arrive in Sea of Thieves as a personal highlight:

“For me, I think designing the Skelly Pets was the most fun. It was a challenge trying to bring different skeleton anatomies into our style. Just like our enemy skeletons in-game, there’s a level of simplification and stylisation that we implement. Skeletons are such a staple of the pirate fantasy, it's always satisfying when we can tap into that core idea of a pirate world.”

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, however. According to Principal Character Artist Lorenzo Melizza, some Collector’s Pets have been harder to wrangle than others:

“The Chocolatier’s Companion Pets and the Gold Curse Pets proved to be difficult due to the shared animation between pet types. Having pets with a ‘hard skin’ is always a challenge, since the animations can show how soft those hard shells really are.

“Your brain has to go the extra mile to interpret those surfaces as gold or chocolate, but I think the design of these pets, in conjunction with the work done by our partners, really allowed us to keep the problem to a minimum.”


Fortunately, the team could put all their accumulated knowledge to work in ironing out such challenges when the Chocolatier’s Companion Pets arrived on the scene. Lorenzo elaborates:

“The Reaper’s Heart Pets and Gold Curse Pets were a huge help on these, due to their common base feature, solid shapes, not being heavily detailed with fur and so on. It meant they had to work more as puppets than standard animals. This, of course, drove the texture work as well to reflect the connection between the limbs and the other sections.”

With the designs and models for the Chocolatier’s Companion Pets completed and looking duly delicious, it was time to get them into the Pirate Emporium.

Pets certainly made a splash when they first arrived all the way back in 2019, filling the Sea of Thieves with colourful sidekicks to accompany pirates on all their adventures. Collector’s Pets have only added to the ways in which players are able to customise their personal experiences, and they’ve really enabled our teams to express their creativity in unique ways.

They inspire creativity in our players too, as Social Media Lead James Bowden points out:

“One of the best things about Collector’s Pets is the clear naming angles they offer up, which we often see appearing on social channels with great delight. A Lodestar Cat named Luna, Rattles the Skeleton Cockatoo and a Diabolical Dog called aPAWcalypse? Just a few of the thousands of beloved pets out there accompanying pirates on their adventures. And we definitely take as much joy in seeing their thematic (and often pun-tastic) names as our community members clearly have in applying them.

“Collector’s Pets are often the subject of fan art too, with the more unique designs lending themselves well to interpretation, while remaining quintessentially Sea of Thieves.”


It’s no wonder, then, that players have really taken to Collector’s Pets as a concept. Of course, as with all Sea of Thieves cosmetics, some enduring favourites have emerged. Taking a covert look at the Pirate Emporium’s books, Associate Producer Olivia Arnell revealed:

“The Ashen Curse Pets have definitely been the most popular group of Collector’s Pets to date, the Ashen Curse Ragamuffin most of all!”

Good kitty. This trend of creative and unique twists on traditional pet designs has shown no signs of stopping, but with only two animals available so far in the recent Chocolatier’s Companion set, it begs the question: are we likely to see more chocolate creatures roaming the seas any time soon? In fact, do we start each set of Collector’s Pets with a plan to include one of each species eventually? According to Olivia, it depends:

“We usually like to start off with a few options to gauge players’ reactions to the Collector’s Pets before we decide whether expanding a certain style out to other animals would be worth the time and work that goes into them. Personally, I would love to see a chocolate cat or an icy fox in the future!”

Of course, pets don’t necessarily have to be limited to the animals currently available in Sea of Thieves. We revealed during our fifth anniversary celebrations that owls would be making an appearance in future, but are there any other animals or species on the horizon for piratical pet lovers? Tom hopes so:

“We worked on different dogs for a while, which was an exciting challenge as a dog enthusiast myself! However, there was one that got away. Metaphorically, of course. I had designed a Bulldog so cute you wouldn’t believe it. But because of how pets are set up, they have to share an animation rig and with the Bulldog being so different in size and structure, we didn’t proceed past the concept phase. We have plenty more pet species that we want to look at in the future, so maybe the Bulldog will return someday.”

Esther agrees: “I feel like our most popular pet has yet to arrive, referring to the long-awaited owls! There was a lot of hype around foxes as well. It was great seeing players spot them when we snuck them into the Season Seven main menu.

“We are always trying to push what we introduce with pets. Even though we concepted them early on, we always assumed that foxes and owls might be pushing the limits of our templates too far, making it all the more exciting when we did find ways to make them work. So regarding new species, it’s not so much if we will, but more if we can.”


One of the most notable absences from the current Collector’s Pet selection are our vulpine friends, the foxes. The latest additions to Sea of Thieves pets, foxes weren’t introduced until 2022 and thus haven’t had the same time to develop and expand as the other animals. As a result, we’re still waiting on our very first Collector’s Pet fox.

When pressed on whether or not we can expect that to change, Esther was tight-lipped with a simple: “That’s classified…”

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And that brings us to the end of our latest cosmetic deep dive! Since their release, pets have become a hugely exciting part of a pirate’s loadout, and Collector’s Pets really open the door to some unique styles. If you’re interested in seeing the full selection on offer, or if you’ve got your heart set on one design in particular, head on over to the in-game Pirate Emporium to admire the menagerie. You can also check out the most recent additions in any given month on our Pirate Emporium webpage!

Do you have a favourite Collector’s Pet? Are there any variants you’d really like to see? You can let us know – and keep up to date with everything going on in Sea of Thieves – via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok, or by dropping in on our official Forums or Discord server. Or if you’re itching for more of these development insights, check out previous entries in the From Concept to Cosmetic series in our News section. For now, it’s probably past time we let our artists get back to business – until the next instalment!