Access all the adventure you crave more quickly than ever before with Season 11’s overhaul of Voyages and encounters! Explore a redesigned Quest system, major expansions to most Trading Companies and new rewards and Distinctions to earn as you progress.

On Demand

• With a Quest Table on board each ship now providing the ability to choose from all available outings and dive directly to the scene of a Voyage, Tall Tale or new Raid Voyage, players have unprecedented freedom to explore everything the seas can offer. The refreshed Discover Tab is also on hand with tailored suggestions!
  
• Raid Voyages are new Trading Company-themed versions of World Events with unique treasure types on offer, unlocked from the Quest Table as players climb the Company ranks.
  
• For the first time, some reputation is now earned at the point of Voyage completion, but treasure must still be handed in for maximum profit as anything on board is lost if a player chooses to dive again.
  
• The majority of Trading Companies have raised their level cap to 100. Reaching Company reputation level 100 now unlocks a Distinction, providing a reward and resetting a player’s level with that Company to allow progress towards the next Distinction.
  
• To improve the onboarding experience, new Tutorial Voyages led by the Pirate Lord are in place for new players, covering the Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance and Order of Souls. These can be revisited from the Quest Table.
  
• To learn more about this new Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 11 page.

Another Season means 100 new levels to climb by raising your Renown, with racks full of rewards to snag along the way – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more! Read on for more on all this plus details of the quality of life improvements landing with this Season’s launch...

Season 11 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• Progressing through Season 11 will reward players with the Cunning Serpent clothing set and unique Season 11 specials alongside time-limited Swift-Winged Wayfarer collectibles. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
• Purchase the Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of unlockable, never-before-seen rewards from the Well-Travelled Trader set, all available to earn by climbing the levels of Seasonal progression. Purchase in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage or Steam Item Store.

Season 11 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Trading Companies each offer a themed Speaking Trumpet and Lantern to Emissaries who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers. Log in and track your performance on the Emissary Ledgers page!

Chest of Fortune

• For the duration of Season 11, the Chest of Fortune will surface following the defeat of an emergent Fleet of Fortune. These special Skeleton Fleet encounters are signified by a glowing red cloud in the sky when active.
  
• Crews who retrieve Chests of Fortune can now earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation, unlocking access to the Fates of Fortune Cannon, Flag, Capstan and Wheel.

Reaper’s Chests

• In Season 11, crews coveting the precious Reaper’s Chest or Reaper’s Bounty can earn the next Grade of the Reaper’s Riches Commendation and start unlocking access to the Fates of Fortune Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach.

Improved Hit Markers

• Players now have further control over the hit markers shown when striking targets with a projectile weapon. The game settings now enable switching from the existing client-predicted markers to server-confirmed markers, which only display hits confirmed directly by the server for improved accuracy.

Bounty Voyage Improvements

• A new Order of Souls Bounty Voyage has been added which tasks crews with hunting a Skeleton Lord that drops Dark Relics.
  
• A new Ghost Ship Voyage within The Devil’s Roar is now available from the Order of Souls.
  
• Bounty contracts now provide the landmark location of the target along with the island to help guide players to the correct location.
  
• The difficulty of all Bounty Voyages has been rebalanced to make them more satisfying to play.

Emissary Voyage Improvements

• Emissary Voyages have been improved for each Trading Company with a focus on reduced sailing times and smaller quantities of higher-value treasure to transport, refreshing the gameplay and delivering improved rewards for participation.
  
• Upon reaching Emissary Grade V for a Trading Company, crews can now head to Morrow’s Peak Outpost and speak to their Company representative for an Emissary Voyage in The Devil’s Roar that will yield Ashen-themed rewards.
  
• Emissary Voyages are now lost if the ship sinks or the Emissary Flag is lowered at the Outpost.

Merchant Cargo Run Improvements

• Delivery notes on cargo now provide care instructions which help players to protect their valuable goods.
  
• Cargo Run Quests now remind players how many items need to be collected and where to collect them, ensuring they pack all necessary items before setting sail. Supporting information is also now shown on the delivery note.
  
• Cloth Crates being held while swimming on the surface will no longer become drenched.

Merchant Contract Improvements

• Contracts to recover specific animals now show players which island they need to head to in order to fulfil the contract.
  
• Crews now recover the required Animal Crates from the beaches on the contracted island.
  
• All requested animals are now guaranteed to be found on the contracted island, including the various rarities.
  
• Crews will no longer trigger emergent skeleton encounters on their contracted island, to reduce scenarios where animals are caught in the crossfire.
  
• Contracts now complete when the crew returns them to the Outpost, rather than upon catching the animals on the island.

Treasure Vault Improvements

• Treasure Vaults now scale the available raiding time to the size of the crew – the smaller the crew, the more time to collect the treasure.
  
• Treasure Vault Quests now send crews to the nearest possible Vault once the Totem is recovered.
  
• The braziers surrounding the Vault’s altar are now extinguished over time as an indicator of how long the crew has left before the door slams shut.

Skeleton Encounter Balancing

• Skeleton encounters across the emergent world and on Voyages have been rebalanced, providing a more fun encounter with these bony fiends.
  
• Ambush skeleton groups now dynamically scale based on the size of the crew – the bigger the crew, the more ambush skeletons to fight!

Emergent Phantom Encounters

• Players leaving the ship to explore islands will now only encounter Phantoms at night.

Message in a Bottle Rewards

• Quests from a Message in a Bottle are now significantly more rewarding and likely more valuable than the Voyage already underway – so be sure to go exploring, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your time!
  
• These Quests also have been refreshed with a focus on reduced sailing times and smaller quantities of higher-value treasure to transport, improving the overall experience.

Skeleton Captain Rewards

• Defeating a Skeleton Captain now yields increased rewards and ammunition, with the potential to recover Reaper’s Chests and Reaper’s Bounty, Gunpowder Barrels and ammunition-stocked Resource Crates. These new rewards are also recoverable from the same island as the encounter!

Shipwreck Rewards

• The rewards found within a sunken shipwreck have now been improved.

Ashen Guardian Rewards

• Crews defeating an Ashen Guardian will now be rewarded with a map to an Ashen Chest on the same island along with a Key to unlock it, no longer requiring them to seek out a Key Master.

Captain’s Bookshelf

• Captains can now adorn the Bookshelf where their Voyages were once stored with Trinkets instead!

Tutorial Notifications

• Tutorial notifications have been added to a range of experiences to assist new players’ onboarding. Quest archetypes, Tall Tales, Cargo Crates and even encounters with different skeleton forms now provide contextual tutorials.

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 browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Boarhunter Ship Collection
  
• Boarhunter Weapon Bundle
  
• Boarhunter Clothing Bundle
  
• Boarhunter Trinket
  
• Collector’s Lunar Festival Dragon Sails and Figurehead
  
• Exercise Emote Bundle
  
• Paradise Garden Eye of Reach (free!)
  
• Boars and Bounty Bundle (Steam Store)

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost clothing shops have received a new shipment of items from the Maestro set. Players are now able to purchase the Maestro clothing after unlocking The Artistic Souls Commendation.

Season Four Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Four have arrived in Outpost shops and can now be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Players can purchase the Wicked Web clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items that were available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also purchase the Cursed Adventurer Cutlass and Wanda’s Spyglass.
  
• The time-limited Siren’s Wrath items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Four.

Skull of Siren Song Rewards

• Cosmetic rewards earned by completing the various Commendations associated with the Skull of Siren Song Voyage can now be found in the respective Outpost shops along with their unlock criteria.
  
• With this change, upon unlocking the relevant Commendation, players will now be required to purchase the reward from the Outpost shop rather than having it automatically awarded.

Maiden Voyage Visual Improvements

• The parting sequence and passage through the Devil’s Shroud during the Maiden Voyage have received a suite of improvements to visual fidelity, enhancing the visuals of the Shroud itself and clarity of direction for players.

Sea Rock Visuals

• Sea rocks have received a polish pass, with weathering and water marks now added to the bases of larger rocks to improve blending into the sea.

Emergent Voyage Changes

• Crews will no longer find emergent Voyage parchments in barrels across the Sea of Thieves and will now find that barrels only contain resources.
  
• Crews will now lose emergent Voyages such as a Message in a Bottle if they dive to a new experience. Emissary Voyages will continue to be retained through diving.

Retired Commendations and Adjusted Rewards

With the introduction of On Demand Voyages in Season 11, several legacy Commendations have been retired, and their associated rewards are now unlocked via different means.

• The Seeker of Lost Maps Title will now unlock via the Seeker of Pirate Plunder Commendation for the Bilge Rats.
  
• The Seeker of Lost Souls Title and ability to purchase the Order of Souls Cutlass, Pistol, Blunderbuss and Eye of Reach from a Company representative will now unlock via the Worthy Emissary of Souls Commendation for the Order of Souls.
  
• The Merchant Adventurer Title will now unlock via the Taker of Stolen Stock Commendation for the Merchant Alliance.
  
• The Seeker of Athena’s Fortune Title will now unlock via the Worthy Emissary of Athena Commendation for Athena’s Fortune.
  
• The Legend of Thieves’ Haven Title will now unlock via the Retreat to the Thrones’ Haven Commendation for the Bilge Rats.
  
• The ability to purchase the Legendary Treasure Seeker costume from the Pirate Legend Hideout will now unlock via the Legendary Treasure Hunter Commendation for Athena’s Fortune.

Additionally, several related achievements have had their completion criteria updated. Players who were working towards completing these achievements will start afresh on a new task, while those who have already unlocked the achievement will retain it.

• Seeker of Lost Maps: Dig up 250 chests whilst on Gold Hoarders X Marks the Spot Voyages.
  
• Merchant Adventurer: Fill 250 Animal Crates while on Merchant Alliance Cargo Run Voyages.
  
• Seeker of Lost Souls: Defeat 500 skeletons while on Order of Souls Bounty Voyages.
  
• A Veteran Voyager: Complete 30 Voyages while sailing aboard a Captained ship.

Gameplay

• Players who attempt to rapidly switch weapons after migrating across servers should no longer find themselves unable to wield the weapon and hear a repeated audio effect when attempting it.
  
• Players should no longer experience scenarios where their equipped items are reset after returning from the Ferry of the Damned or recovering from being stuck.
  
• The Fortress Storage Key and expected quantity of gold pouches should now consistently appear at Sea Forts.
  
• After migrating across servers, players are now able to access the shops at Seaposts.
  
• Samuel will no longer purchase Ashen Keys within the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• ‘The Legendary Storyteller’ – All journals for this Tall Tale can now be read as intended.
  
• Unlocked Ship Milestone rewards such as Banners are now once again available for players to equip.

Skull of Siren Song Voyage

• Players placing the Skull of Siren Song in a Harpoon Rowboat dragged behind their ship will continue to be affected by its curse.
  
• Crews who harpoon the open chest with the Skull of Siren Song still inside will now bring the curse’s effects onto their ship along with the Chest and Skull.
  
• Players are no longer able to opt in to the Skull of Siren Song Voyage after the Skull has been revealed.

Guilds

• Crews in a Guild session without the Captain present will now see Ship Milestone progress within the Guild Chronicles.
  
• Earned Guild clothing can now be equipped in any session and is no longer locked to sailing for the Guild that unlocked access to it.
  
• Using a spyglass to observe a Guild ship at range should now consistently display the appropriate Guild name on the Banner.
  
• The correct Guild name should now show consistently on the Guild Emissary Table, Logbook, Guild Plaque and Guild Invite Emote.

‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’

• Players can now head up to the Mansion as soon as the guard leaves his post, and are no longer blocked by parts of the environment.
  
• When players have constructed a body for Murray, any players joining the session after the initial sequence will now be able to see Murray’s body.
  
• Players will no longer see a silhouette of Walt the violin-playing skeleton through the church window.
  
• Fog seen in the Mansion now behaves correctly throughout the location.

‘The Quest for Guybrush’

• Players should no longer see a patch of mist on the stairs near the Lookout Point after the fog has cleared from the mountaintop.

‘The Lair of LeChuck’

• A Quest Book is now present during the ship chase sequence, giving players the option of leaving the Tall Tale during this section.
  
• Herman’s Supply Crate will no longer appear to move around while the player is viewing it.
  
• The front-facing cannons on the Headless Monkey now have more restricted movement to prevent issues with aiming.
  
• The Head of the Navigator can now be taken from another player when offered.
  
• Liquids in the cooking pot now appear to drain correctly when collecting Banana Grease.
  
• The Banana Grease jar will now appear correctly after it has been used.
  
• The notification shown to players when the Chilled Banana Soup has been discovered or lost now references the correct item.
  
• Players will no longer become stuck on the palm tree within Herman's camp.

Environment

• Players should now find a new sea rock near K11, a common location for mysteriously wrecked ships.
  
• The Rowboat dock underneath the tavern on Port Merrick is now fully functional.
  
• Players can no longer become stuck on the palm tree near the Order of Souls tent at Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
  
• Players can no longer fall through certain areas of the environment around the Treasury of Sunken Shores.
  
• Chests placed near the doorway of the Vault at Kraken Watchtower will no longer disappear through the floor.
  
• Players’ legs will no longer appear to merge into the tower structure when using the sitting spots at Skeleton Forts.
  
• If a player safe teleports while inside the Treasury of Sunken Shores, they will now be placed in a suitable location.
  
• Placing treasure in various Sea Fort windows will no longer cause the item to fall into the environment.
  
• Rain no longer passes through tunnels located at Shark Bait Cove.
  
• Dagger Tooth Outpost’s pier no longer contains invisible obstacles.
  
• The barrel at the shipwright’s shop in Port Merrick no longer appears to merge into the hanging platform.
  
• ‘Shores of Gold’ – Players will no longer be able to walk through parts of the environment inside the various caves.

Visual and Audio

• The visual effects on the Down the Hatch Emote now play as intended.
  
• Players wearing the Soaring Oracle Costume should no longer see equipped jackets showing through the costume.
  
• Visual improvements have been made to the constellations on the Lodestar weapons.
  
• Visual improvements have been made to the Layered Shirt of the Ashen Dragon.
  
• Players with the Order of Souls Hook equipped will now find that they grip the ship’s wheel correctly.
  
• The Snapping Shark Emote and Shark Dance Emote now appear with different icons to avoid confusion.
  
• The Ashen Key now sits in the lock of the Ashen Chest correctly when used.
  
• The Sovereign Ship’s Crest will now attach correctly when equipped on a Brigantine.
  
• The light given off by the Magpie’s Glory Lantern now shines in the correct location.
  
• The Eastern Winds Ruby Bucket will no longer show water inside when empty.
  
• Fog will now appear as intended when entering the Vault at Molten Sands Fortress.
  
• The Sweet Treat Capstan will now display correctly in fog.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – Pirates in the bayou now hold the candles correctly.

Text and Localisation

• The Stand to Attention Emote no longer has a placeholder title and description in the Vanity Chest.
  
• When speaking to Zharick at Brian’s Bazaar, the dialogue will no longer refer to Golden Sands.
  
• ‘The Legendary Storyteller’ – The 'Fish Friends' puzzle in the Quest Book no longer refers to Golden Sands.
  
• ‘A Pirate’s Life’ – Captain Jack Sparrow’s name is now present within his subtitles when escaping from the Ferry of the Damned.
  
• ‘Fate of the Morningstar’ – The Ferryman's intended subtitles now appear while he is speaking.

Performance and Stability

• Ongoing improvements made to server stability to reduce instances where players are disconnected from their session.
  
• Improved game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game.

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: 7.34 GB

Oh yes, that’s right, we’re not quite ready to be finished with 2023 just yet. Still one last round-up to squeeze in! Now, we might have been winding down for the end of the year in December, but that didn’t stop us from delivering a Community Weekend, two in-game Events and a monthly content update, did it? Of course not. So let’s take a look at everything you might have missed…

We wasted no time in kicking off the December excitements by hosting Season Ten Community Weekend right at the beginning of the month. With some distinctly fishy Pop-Up Plunder maps pointing players in the direction of highly desirable loot, a reward multiplier growing in line with Twitch viewership and an exclusive Title on offer for Skull of Siren Song victors, the Weekend was absolutely packed with adventures to get involved in.

From there, our third instalment of Season Ten was ready to go and so we opened the way to the long-awaited Safer Seas! Letting players explore the world of Sea of Thieves alone or with just their own crew of friends for the first time, this new mode offers a liberating alternative approach to the pirate life. Need more info on how it works, along with December’s other additions and fixes? The release notes await.

And of course, we couldn’t make it through the festive season without throwing in a couple of end-of-year Events. First up was a Gifts & Glory Event where players could pick up a festive flag and double rewards from all their expeditions, followed by the traditional Grogmanay celebration offering a new notch for your Annual Tankard as we toasted the new year together.


While everyone was preparing to boost their bonuses and smash some grog, we were able to put the finishing touches on our big December release, and thus we finally arrived at Safer Seas! There were a fair few changes packaged in with this new game mode, so we helped out by posting a handy launch article to go with it.

December is also the month in which we traditionally invite you to check out some of your personal sea-soaked stats in Your Story So Far – still available to view until January 15th! And further contributing to ending the year with a bang was a fresh round of the ever-popular Style of Thieves competition. Before we could get there though, announcing the themes was essential so that pirates could spend the month preparing their perfect outfit.

With all that happening and Community Weekend too, there was only time for one Creator Spotlight in December, so we made sure it was a goodie: meme queen and pirate menace Toxie Sinclaire filled us in on her journey to becoming a Sea of Thieves content creator and highlights of her career. Just don’t ask us what’s going on in some of those Spotlight screenshots. We don’t know and at this point we’re scared to ask.


In the run-up to the release of Safer Seas, we wanted to answer as many of your questions ahead of time as we could, culminating in our official Safer Seas Explained video! Once that had time to do the rounds, it was on to release day with a launch trailer and a look at all the new styles coming to the Pirate Emporium and Outpost shops. And surrounding this, in keeping with the spirit of the Festival of Giving, were no less than three sets of Twitch Drops to snag throughout the month.

With the end of 2023 in our spyglasses, we found ourselves reflecting on Sea of Thieves’ progress throughout the year and what everyone in the community can expect from the next one. With that in mind, some familiar team faces stopped by the Tavern one last time before the holidays to record 2023’s final podcast. Give it a watch or a listen to reminisce over highlights, consider lessons learned and admire how quickly John’s festive quiz gets derailed by seemingly innocuous buzzer sounds.


Adding to Twitch Drops, Emporium items and Event rewards in December was a separate bundle of cosmetics available to players with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, who had (and still have) a chance to pick up the Nightshine Parrot Bundle via XGPU Perks. Meanwhile, a select few joined the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame crew when their creations were featured in the Community Hub, and in case that still didn’t prove enough to satisfy the demanding Festival of Giving spirits, Golden Hour Sails were awarded to our favourite #SoTShot entries on the theme of Festive Fun.

We didn’t want to leave everyone hanging for too long after teasing the latest Style of Thieves themes, so we shared the winners ahead of the holidays and rewarded them with the coveted Fashionista’s Finery Gloves. More presents! From there, everything got a bit nostalgic as we all looked back on the year together, inviting you to cast your mind back to when you were first setting out on the seas and what sort of personal legend you’ve built up since then.

By that point we really were coming up on the end of the year, so with a few extra well wishes and final bits of trivia we took our leave for a brief, hard-earned break. Of course, you’re never really far from the seas. Especially when John’s reminding you that you’ve got Tall Tales to complete.


And thus endeth the month, the year and our only-slightly-late December round-up! A lot happened in the past 12 months out on the seas, and we loved sharing every minute of it with you all. If you’re in the mood for more nostalgia, take a look back over the other 11 round-ups from 2023 and feel free to share your thoughts with us on all the usual channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch the official Forums and Discord. Beyond that, a happy new year to all and we hope you look forward to the tempting troves of new features and exciting announcements coming in 2024!

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: November 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2023
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

Gameplay

• Lost Shipments and Prized Merchant Alliance Commission Voyages are once again available for purchase.
  
• Crews taking on a Lost Shipments Voyage should now encounter the correct number of Merchant Crates when unlocking the Captain’s Cabin.

Guilds

• Players who are part of a Guild that has unlocked Guild clothing rewards are once again free to wear the rewards when sailing as part of any other Guild, or outside a Guild session.

Performance and Stability

• Improved server stability to avoid instances of players being 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.

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: 5.35 GB

Spooky season is officially out the door, which means it’s practically the festive holidays already, right? Well, okay, November isn’t quite the end of the year, but we weren’t going to let that stop us from kicking off the celebrations early with new game content, seasonal fashions and a thoroughly chaotic stream. In case you missed anything, or want a quick refresher on everything that happened last month, take a look…

November heralded the second instalment of the juggernaut that is Season Ten: the competitive Skull of Siren Song Voyage! This new type of World Event calls on players from across the sea to come together and battle it out for the titular ancient artefact. With two treasure maps shared across all participating crews, and a powerful curse slowing down any ship bearing the Skull, the results are frequently as nail-biting as you’d expect. To explore everything in this update, November’s release notes (plus those for the hotfix sliding in at the end of the month) are the place to go.

Beyond the anticipated increase in incidents of mayhem and mischief, this update also brought in new Briggsy-inspired rewards for Voyage victors. At the same time, Ravenwood cosmetics from a Plunder Pass of the past embraced their assassins’ roots as the ship set snuck into the Pirate Emporium – and to ensure that you can carry out your kills without compromising your brand, you can now accessorise with weapons and a stealthy spyglass too.

Our clothing-related ventures didn’t end there, as the merchandise crew decided to get involved and revealed this year’s real-life Sea of Thieves Festival of Giving jumper. See how comfy Daryl looks? That could be you!


Giving everyone a timely overview of the Skull of Siren Song Voyage on launch day was of course our primary news-based concern for November, and dropping some details into our ever-expanding Season Ten page while we were at it.

But the week before that brought another announcement, for the much-anticipated Season Ten Community Weekend at the start of December! After the community smashed it out of the park during our last collaborative celebration, we didn’t want to keep you waiting for details of the next one. With the reveal that Pop-Up Plunder will be making a triumphant (if a tad fishy) return and the promise of more enticing Twitch Drops and login bonuses, the announcement hopefully had you counting down the days.

There was of course more Spotlighting of popular players going in in the midst of all that, as we sat down to catch up with a fishing legend both in and out of the game: CJShiz! From tips for new content creators to finding a work-life balance and fishing up real-life Treacherous Plunder, it’s well worth a read – as are any of the articles from our archive of Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights stretching back through the years.


As November’s new competitive Voyage crested the horizon, people were bound to have questions… and fortunately, our Video team were one step ahead with a Skull of Siren Song Explained video released a few days before the update. That was followed up with the traditional launch trailer and, just in case there could possibly still be any questions left unanswered, a full Deep Dive into how the Voyage came to be.

And if you thought relentless back-to-back feature releases would slow our Video team down, you’d be wrong! Even in amongst all the other demands on their time, they still put together two episodes of Sea of Thieves News during November to keep you up to date on everything going on. We salute their dedication.

Still, the Community team weren’t about to let them hog all the glory, celebrating the arrival of the Skull of Siren Song with a livestream of their own. A couple of technical hitches along the way might have resulted in the stream briefly masquerading as a radio show, but we weren’t about to let a little thing like that dampen the mood. Not with a Voyage to be won…


Setting us up in the competitive spirit early, we kicked off November with a decidedly spooky edition of #SoTShot: Sinister Scenes! Entries were exceptional as always, and we may never sleep again. Good job, everyone. But we learned our lesson, and the next round was the substantially cheerier Favourites category, which made for much more relaxing viewing. Phew.

With our spirits freshly raised, we took the time to crack a few (bad) jokes, encouraged reminiscence over the times you made it away with someone else’s loot and corrected a minor pet peeve. (The writing team is watching you. We know what you did.) After that, it felt only fair to throw in a couple of Community Hub updates to celebrate some players’ astounding creations, before our resident musical maestros stepped away from their instruments to thank you for listening to a few creations of their own. No word yet on whether either of them actually finished their bananas.

In case things started feeling a little too chummy after all those feelgood moments, we reintroduced a touch of friction with the naming and shaming of crewmates, and toyed with implementing a highly requested feature to keep people on their toes. And, leaving chaos in our wake, it was time to wrap things up with an utterly baffling addition to our TikTok channel and, finally – blessedly – a nice sit down. What a month.


So ended November! It’s a bit of a whirlwind rush from here on as we speed towards the end of the year, with just one more month left to go before we can say our goodbyes to 2023. For now, make sure you stop by and see us on TwiXer, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Twitch or the official Forums or Discord to stay in the loop as things happen. Otherwise, we hope you have an excellent festive season, and we’ll see you again in the new year!

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2023
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2023
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

Update November 2024: As explained in a recent episode of Sea of Thieves News, Safer Seas mode is undergoing a rebalance. Starting from the December 2024 content update, players on Safer Seas can earn a full 100% of the gold and reputation available to players on High Seas, raised from 30% – but Trading Company progression will be capped at rank 25 instead of 40. This supersedes the figures given in the original article below.

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Original article: After two months of back-to-back content updates, Sea of Thieves completes the trio promised back at the start of Season Ten by introducing a brand new game mode for players to explore: Safer Seas! Allowing exploration and adventure on a single-crew server, either alone or with a crew of chosen friends, this update opens the door to an entirely new way of playing the game.

In Safer Seas, players can elect to sail solo or with a crew of up to three friends, with no other player-controlled crews present in the world. For fresh-faced pirates just starting their journey, this means a chance to learn the ropes without having to keep an eye out for hostile rivals, and an opportunity to understand the world and its key mechanics before diving into the traditional mayhem of the main Sea of Thieves game mode, now known as High Seas.

There’s no shortage of content in Safer Seas for players old or new to tackle. As in High Seas, a wide range of Voyages can be undertaken for the various Trading Companies, while World Events are frequently encountered, from fending off a Megalodon attack to striking down fearsome Ashen Lords. The ability to unlock the corresponding Commendations for these activities will also be present in Safer Seas.

For story-hungry pirates, Safer Seas still gives access to all the game’s narrative-driven Tall Tales, including the crossover experiences that make up 2023’s Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island and 2021’s Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life. In the absence of enemy crews, you’ll now be able to immerse yourself in all this lore at your leisure, without the risk of being interrupted by anyone who thinks you might have valuable loot tucked away.


While Safer Seas presents players with a wealth of content to explore at their own pace, there are of course some aspects of the game incompatible with a strictly single-crew experience. As a result, Safer Seas has a slightly reduced range of activities in comparison to High Seas.

For instance, content built around player vs. player interactions has no place in Safer Seas by design, such as Faction battles using the Hourglass of Fate or the competitive Skull of Siren Song Voyage. Similarly, The Reaper’s Bones Trading Company will not be accessible there due to its focus on player combat.

There are also some limits placed on progression within Safer Seas to account for the reduced risk in the absence of other players. Gold and reputation rewards will be accrued at 30% of that awarded in High Seas, and Trading Company reputation levels are capped at 40. This means that players will not be able to obtain the coveted title of Pirate Legend without venturing onto High Seas and, correspondingly, Safer Seas isn’t the place to engage with the Pirate Legend-focused Trading Company, Athena’s Fortune.

These limitations have been put in place to maintain a balance between Safer and High Seas, and to encourage players to try out both modes to see which suits their play style and needs. Even with these in place, however, Safer Seas presents a world alive with opportunities, whether it’s diving into Sea of Thieves lore through the Tall Tales, spending an undisturbed evening working on your fishing skills, or getting to grips with the game’s combat mechanics by taking on veritable hordes of skeletons. After all, Safer Seas isn’t entirely without risk – with or without roving pirate crews, the Sea of Thieves is a perilous place!


One thing remaining consistent across Safer and High Seas is pirate style. The Outpost shops and Pirate Emporium are accessible in either mode, and Ancient Coin earnings won’t be subject to the 30% cap on gold and reputation. Seasonal Renown can also be earned at the same rate across both High Seas and Safer Seas, so your progress towards the active Season’s cosmetic and currency rewards (and the rewards themselves) will be consistent no matter how you choose to play.

If you’ve picked up the Season Ten Plunder Pass, you’ll still be able to work towards unlocking the Stormfish Chaser ship set and clothing alongside all the usual gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins available through the 100 levels of Renown on offer during this Season.

Over in the Pirate Emporium, a range of time-limited seasonal goodies make a comeback this month, including the Festival of Giving weapons and pet outfits. The Bonechiller Costume is also back for the holidays, and this time it’s bringing with it an entire ship collection and bundle of weapons to fill out that frightfully festive look. Combined with the Ransacking Emote, you shouldn’t have any problem getting into the holiday spirit…


Of course, Safer Seas is far from the only content to explore in Season Ten. December’s monthly update is the third to arrive this Season, following the introduction of Guilds in October and the Skull of Siren Song Voyage in November.

With Guilds, players can team up with fellow sailors beyond the usual limit of a four-person crew. By forming or joining a Guild, pirates can contribute to its shared Guild Reputation and unlock exclusive rewards for all Guild Members as they progress. And, for those of a less collaborative persuasion, the Skull of Siren Song Voyage sees the notorious Captain Briggsy summon pirates from across the waves into a competitive race to claim an ancient and powerful artefact.

All these new updates have been accompanied by a host of improvements and fixes to various areas of Sea of Thieves, to ensure that you’re able to have the experience you want out on the waves. With Safer Seas, that personalized experience is more accessible than ever, and we can’t wait to see you out there!


For more information on this Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players 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!

Following Guilds in October and the Skull of Siren Song Voyage in November comes Season Ten's third major feature update: Safer Seas, a new mode that offers a way to find your sea legs, immerse yourself in adventure and explore the world as you like with no other player crews present. Available now!

Welcome to Safer Seas

• Whenever you play, you can now choose to play on either Safer Seas, which gives you a private world in which to sail solo or with your own crew, or on High Seas, the traditional Sea of Thieves experience with other roaming player crews added to the mix.
  
• Safer Seas mode allows access to the vast majority of content in the game, including all our story-driven Tall Tales. Notable exceptions are PvP-focused elements such as The Reaper’s Bones and Faction battles.
  
• To balance the reduction in risk from the absence of other players, gold and reputation are earned more slowly on Safer Seas, and Trading Company rank is capped at 40. Pirate Legends are only forged on High Seas!
  
• To learn more about Safer Seas, head to our dedicated Season Ten page or check out the official Safer Seas Explained video.

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 to find out more!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Bonechiller Ship Collection
  
• Bonechiller Ship’s Crest
  
• Bonechiller Weapon Bundle
  
• Bonechiller Costume Returns!
  
• Ransacking Emote
  
• Festival of Giving Weapons (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Festival of Giving Pet Outfits (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Stand to Attention Emote (free!)
  
• Festive Fright Bundle (Steam Store)

Sail Visibility Changes

• A range of sails have been identified that provide an unintended visibility advantage over other sail designs. These sails have now been brought to a visibility level consistent with our other designs, ensuring players have a vast set of customisation options for their ship and aren’t encouraged to use specific sails in order to gain an advantage.
  
• The following sails have been updated: Dark Adventurers, Lunar Festival (and Collector’s), Kraken, Venomous Kraken, Ghost, Guardian Ghost, Magpie’s Glory, Nightshine Parrot, Ghost Captain, Blighted (and Collector’s), Shrouded Ghost Hunter (and Collector’s), Thriving Wild Rose, Sea of Champions, Collector’s Dark Warsmith.

Skull of Siren Song Voyage Frequency

• To ensure the Skull of Siren Song remains a coveted trophy for crews to contest, this Voyage will now become rarer on the seas. Keep a keen eye out for Briggsy’s note and get in the fight!

Aiming Accessibility Improvements

• Players using the Aim Assist audio accessibility option will now find that the audio cues when aiming at a target are much clearer, with different audio effects for horizontal and vertical positioning to help improve accuracy when aiming at targets.

Gameplay

• The Captain’s Skull of the Damned and Skull of the Damned now award the player with the correct amount of reputation when handed in to The Reaper’s Bones.

Skull of Siren Song Voyage

• When the Voyage is active on a server, but a crew has not opted in, losing their ship no longer places them near other crews.
  
• Crews who have opted in to the Voyage and attempt to scuttle from the Crew Settings menu will now be moved out of harm’s way, away from other crews, not towards Voyage objectives.
  
• The Skull’s curse now continues to affect sailing ships even when placed on a docked Rowboat.
  
• Players can no longer stash Voyage items in unreachable locations on Port Merrick.

Guilds

• If a player is unable to join a Guild, a notification will now appear and inform them why they were unable to join.
  
• The Guild Invite Emote will now reflect players’ ‘Hide Guild Names from Me’ settings.
  
• Moving away from the Guild Invite Emote will now automatically close the invite.
  
• Improvements made to Guild Chronicles, ensuring that a single entry is consistently created per ship and entries display correctly following server migration.
  
• Players will now be able to apply cosmetics to ships they don’t own, even if the player who owns the ship does not have those cosmetics in their inventory.
  
• Players will now correctly receive the correct amount of Guild Reputation when delivering cargo.

‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’

• Mêlée Island has received a polish pass, with environmental improvements across the map.
  
• Players joining a crew or dying during the Tale will now appear closer to locations of importance.
  
• Items carried by players into the fog will no longer reappear instantly.
  
• The Storekeeper now has improved animations and greetings when approached.
  
• Red Herrings will now be the only fish you can catch on Mêlée Island.
  
• Barrels found around town will now contain food.
  
• The Skeleton Arm in the Clock Tower will now appear in the correct location for all players on a crew when one player has removed it.
  
• During Guybrush’s introduction, the player’s Meet ‘n’ Greet Ticket is now removed without a notification.
  
• Doors to various areas will now remain open once the Tale has been completed.
  
• Unlocking a Tale checkpoint will now be clearly signalled to players.

‘The Quest for Guybrush’

• Mêlée Island has received a polish pass, with environmental improvements across the map.
  
• Players joining a crew or dying during the Tale will now appear closer to locations of importance.
  
• Players are now able to board the Headless Monkey ship in the second and third Legend of Monkey Island Tall Tales.
  
• Insult Sword Fighting now dynamically scales to different crew sizes, ensuring that smaller crews only need to strike a few times after a successful insult compared to larger crews.
  
• Improvements made to Insult Sword Fighting, ensuring players cannot skip past retorts and will hear the appropriate audio cues, smoothing out the experience.
  
• Murray’s dialogue during Insult Sword Fights will now be played correctly.
  
• Players can no longer collide with LeChuck in the Tunnels of the Damned cutscene during the Tall Tale.
  
• Crews entering the Tunnels of the Damned on a Brigantine will now see LeChuck’s crew in the correct locations.
  
• When starting the Tall Tale from a checkpoint after the Trial of the Sword, the Legendary Machine should now be present in Captain Smirk’s house.
  
• Stan’s dialogue asking the player to go and see Meathook will now repeat until the player has spoken to Meathook.

‘The Lair of LeChuck’

• Monkey Island has received a polish pass, with environmental improvements across the map.
  
• The battle against LeChuck’s ship has received a visual effects polish pass.
  
• Players joining a crew or dying during the Tale will now appear closer to locations of importance.
  
• Barrels found around Monkey Island will now contain food.
  
• The number of Insult Sword Fighting rounds needed to win against LeChuck at the end of the Tall Tale has been reduced.
  
• Players will now find that their sword blows land with more accuracy during the final battle with LeChuck.
  
• Players are now able to use the front chaser cannons on the Headless Monkey.
  
• Players can now offer the Head of the Navigator to other players without needing to drop it first.
  
• Players will now focus on LeChuck’s face when entering into an Insult Sword Fight.
  
• Captain Kate Capsize’s voice now correctly matches the subtitles.
  
• Improvements made to the Quest Book for players choosing Thai as their language.
  
• The log on Herman’s trap will now behave correctly, both before and after the trap has been activated.
  
• Players are no longer able to lose the Head of the Navigator after dying. The item will reappear in an easy-to-reach location.
  
• The time between destroying LeChuck’s ghost ship and the subsequent cutscene has been reduced to improve the flow of the Tale.
  
• Players will now be able to hear LeChuck’s voice lines during their fight with him in the final act, even if they are standing further away.
  
• Players can now re-enter the church to fight LeChuck if they rejoin the session during the wedding sequence.
  
• Controller rumble will now be felt during LeChuck’s final defeat.
  
• Guybrush will no longer call the crew to gather if the whole crew is already near him in the Catacombs.
  
• Pirates with larger body types will now appear to hold the Monkey Head Idols correctly.
  
• Memoir spots have been restored around Mêlée Island.
  
• The Glad to Be Dead Commendation now unlocks consistently when defeating LeChuck’s ship.

Environment

• Pondies can no longer be caught on the outskirts of Port Merrick, because it’s not a pond.
  
• Further improvements have been made to remove areas where pirates can push through the environment into the sea within the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• Vault doors on Mermaid’s Hideaway, Ashen Reaches, Crescent Isle and Kraken’s Fall should now sink all the way into the ground.
  
• The lift at Thieves’ Haven has now been added to the Ship and Quest Maps for this island.
  
• Skeletons at Skeleton Forts have undergone training and should no longer become stuck on fences or platforms around the Forts.
  
• Objects placed on the ground will no longer seem to disappear at Tribute Peak.
  
• The plank on the end of the jetty at Galleon’s Grave Outpost no longer appears to be floating in mid-air.
  
• There is no longer a gap visible through the stone structure at Traitor’s Fate Fortress.
  
• Players will no longer become stuck on a palm tree near the Order of Souls tent on Morrow’s Peak Outpost.
  
• Players can no longer become stuck in a palm tree located on Ancient Spire Outpost.

Visual and Audio

• Ashen Tomes now fit snugly inside Collector’s Chests.
  
• The Gold Leaf Hook now holds wooden planks correctly.
  
• The Courage of Captaincy Gloves no longer appear locked in position when holding equipment.

Text and Localisation

• Improvements made to text placement on notes discovered during the Legend of the Sunken Kingdom Voyage.
  
• Placeholder text is no longer visible in the daily section of the Captain’s Logbook.

Performance and Stability

• Improved server stability to avoid instances of players being 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: 7.9 GB

Sea of Thieves Season Ten is well underway, with its third feature, Safer Seas, due to arrive this very week, on December 7th. But if there’s one remaining activity that’s been on the mind of at least tens of pirates, it’s when they’ll get another chance to play dress-up for prizes in a fresh bout of Style of Thieves.

Well, good news, you fashion-hungry freebooters, because these words exist to tell you that Season Ten’s Style of Thieves contest – and your next opportunity to win a pair of the delectable Fashionista’s Finery Gloves – will be taking place from December 11th–14th!

While you’re more than welcome to rummage through your wardrobe and take your pictures in advance, these four days will each offer a 24-hour window in which to enter a different theme via social media channels. Once a theme opens for entry (you’ll know because we’ll make a post saying exactly that), it’s up to you to share your stylish screenshots, including the name of the theme you’re entering in your post and any other relevant information. Scroll down and read the How to Enter section for a rundown of the full rules.

Then, once a theme has closed, our crew will wade through every entry to select the sailors they feel finds the perfect fit, or at least makes them raise an eyebrow in appreciation. That list is then scrawled hastily onto some parchment, stuffed into a grubby receptacle and hurled in the general direction of a member of our Art team, and they’ll have the final decision on up to 15 winning marauders.

Three winners per category will take home a pair of the Fashionista’s Finery Gloves – and for the first time in a main Style of Thieves contest, one of our categories is open to duos! The plan is then to announce the winning pirates via social channels on December 21st. So without further waffle, here are…


Each theme will start at 10am UTC on the dates detailed below with entries accepted via a variety of social media channels for a full 24 hours.

Festive Cheer
From bright baubles to party hats, don an outfit that says you’re ready to embrace the time of year and spread some good cheer to those around you, and that you’ll happily accept any revelry that another pirate might be offering.
Entry date: December 11th

Dynamic Duos
Whether it’s you and another scoundrel, perching alongside your favourite pet or standing as sidekick to one of the Sea of Thieves’ resident legends, we want to see pairs of pirates posing as powerful couples! Cosplays of actual twosomes and completely original getups both encouraged. And yes, you read that right, two players may enter together (and both win Gloves!), just please remember to name the other pirate you’re posing with.
Entry date: December 12th

Winter Wear
Time to ferret out the fluff and start accessorising for warmth – we want to see snug smugglers doing their best to keep out the cold for this chilly category.
Entry date: December 13th

Smart Casual
What does smart casual even mean, anyway? Is it an admiral’s coat with ripped trousers or would fine boots paired with a striped shirt be equally acceptable? Navigate this modern conundrum in Sea of Thieves style and you could have a pair of lovely gloves to show for your dressing dexterity.
Entry date: December 14th


Image credit: @TiaLoquita_ on Twitter

We’ve got eyes everywhere, in a nice ‘enter however you feel comfortable’ kind of way, so you’re free to submit on a variety of social channels. That said, each comes with its own quirks as follows:

• To enter on Twitter/X, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves in your post.
  
• For Instagram, you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves.
  
• Add your entry as a reply to that day’s theme post on Facebook.
  
• Post your entry with #StyleOfThieves in the #pirate-fashion channel of our official Discord server.

And regardless of where you’re sharing your entry, be sure to include the name of the theme you’re entering in your post, along with any extra info called for by the theme.

We’ve put together some handy hints and rules to make sure you capture your pirate’s best side and don’t accidentally enter an ineligible picture:

• No Costumes on the catwalk – we want to see your creativity and individuality in how you mix and match items, so no all-in-one Costumes.
  
• Complete cosmetic sets are not permitted. We designed those items to go together and, again, we want to see stylish creativity. Ideally an outfit should contain no more than four items from the same named set, but as long as creativity from multiple styles is evident then your outfit will be accepted.
  
• Unless a theme calls for it, like the Dynamic Duos theme above, all shots should be solo pirates and not crews. Only the pirate in the picture will be eligible for the prize.
  
• Find a simple or plain background to pose against to let your outfit pop. Backgrounds and locations will not be considered when judging the outfit.
  
• Lighting is key, so find a well-lit spot to fully peacock your picks. Coloured or tactical lighting won’t be considered part of the outfit.
  
• Toggle off your HUD for a clean snap and avoid a name getting in the way! If you haven’t set it, the Toggle HUD command can be assigned to a button from the HUD category of the Keyboard and Mouse or Controller area of your Settings menu.
  
• Screenshots should be a reflection of the game – no external editing or filters should be applied.
  
• Keep your submissions to a 16:9 or 1:1 ratio, making sure your entire outfit is in shot. This will help us when framing winners, and ensures a degree of parity when comparing submissions.
  
• While you may use any emotes for your shot, any features added to the outfit via the emote (e.g. oars, weapons, sparklers) won’t be taken into consideration as part of an outfit during judging. The exception to this rule would be using a Pocket Pet Emote for the Dynamic Duos category – this will be accepted.
  
• One shortlist will be compiled per theme, using entries across all platforms, meaning it’s not necessary to post your submission to all channels. If you make sure you use the correct tags, we will see it!
  
• The unique prize means you can’t win more than once in Style of Thieves, but you’re more than welcome to continue entering for the fun of it!

Image credit: @Sailors_Bounty on Twitter

And there you have it, everything you need to know to enter the next round of Style of Thieves between December 11th and 14th. Now off you go, find your frocks and ponder your pants, and good luck! See you on the catwalk…

Skull of Siren Song Curse Balancing

• While all ships continue to be afflicted by a curse once the Skull of Siren Song is on board, Galleons and Brigantines will now be further slowed by its effects.

Skull of Siren Song Voyage

• The Chest and Key recovered during the Voyage can now consistently be used together to unlock the Skull.
  
• Crews returning the Skull of Siren Song to Captain Briggsy should now consistently find that she is able to take the Skull and complete the Voyage.
  
• ‘Lords of the Sea’ – Players are now prevented from taking Skull of Siren Song Voyage items into the Siren Spire during this Tall Tale.
  
• Crews who have engaged in an Hourglass battle will now be able to participate in the Skull of Siren Song Voyage, but will experience a grace period after their battle before the note is delivered.
  
• Players in larger crews should no longer receive multiple ‘Quest Received’ notifications when starting the Skull of Siren Song Voyage.
  
• Players are now prevented from burying Voyage items that had only been partially uncovered.

Performance and Stability

• Improved game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game.

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: 5.71 GB

The second major update in Sea of Thieves’ Season Ten has arrived! Building on the new content introduced with Guilds in October, this update unleashes a new type of World Event in the form of the Skull of Siren Song Voyage. This emergent, competitive Voyage pits crews against one another in a race to unearth and claim the titular artefact, all at the behest of the legendary Captain Briggsy.

The hunt for the Skull of Siren Song introduces a new competitive event to Sea of Thieves. When a Voyage begins, all players on a server will find a ghostly note pinned to their ship’s mast, offering them the chance to set off in search of this ancient and potent prize. If they accept, they’ll find themselves in possession of two maps directing them to the Skull of Siren Song Key and Chest – but the catch is that every other crew joining the Voyage will receive the same maps.

From there, players will have to battle it out to locate the Key and Chest on separate islands and bring them together to release the Skull of Siren Song within. Making things more challenging is the fact that once the Chest and Key are claimed, their locations will be broadcast to all other crews by means of map markers and eye-catching beacons on the horizon, leading potential rivals straight to the pirates who possess them. By fending off their foes long enough to unlock the Chest, players can finally get their hands on the fabled Skull of Siren Song.


Even then, the mission is not over as the prize must be delivered to Captain Briggsy. In this, the Skull is both a help and a hindrance: it contains tremendous power that can be used to bombard enemies with blasts of deadly soundwaves, but it also carries a heavy curse. On land, the Skull will summon Coral Skeletons to its defense, and at sea, it causes a ship’s progress to be considerably slowed, allowing rival crews to more easily close the distance.

The Voyage concludes with a race to Briggsy’s beacon to hand over the Skull, leaving a single crew to emerge victorious and claim the spoils!

Fending off all other crews is no mean feat, and the rewards for delivering the Skull reflect that. The hefty pot of gold is just the start: you’ll also begin unlocking new Commendations that track how many times you dig up a Chest or Key, how many Chests you unlock and much more.

Compete in enough Voyages and you’ll earn exclusive rewards. With a Flag, Figurehead, Sails and Trinket on offer, you’ll be able to redecorate your ship to celebrate your victories, while Captain Briggsy’s Jacket and Mask present a more personal alternative to update your style. There’s even the coveted Composer of Siren Song Title awaiting pirates who truly prove their mettle in battle and complete all Siren Song Commendations.


Elsewhere in November’s content drop, a new update means new Pirate Emporium stock! This month, shoppers can get their hands on the Ravenwood ship set previously exclusive to the Season Eight Plunder Pass, plus the newly added Ravenwood Spyglass and weapons to match. As is traditional at this time of year, the Festival of Plenty musical instruments and pet outfits also make a return for a limited time. As always, the new additions are accompanied by a freebie that any pirate can drop by and pick up, this month in the form of the Angry Scribe Emote!

Over in the Outpost shops, the Gold Leaf set introduced last month expands to include some fine matching clothing, letting pirates flaunt their purse-liberating habits for all to see. And if there are outfits you wish you’d been able to keep while experiencing the three Tall Tales of The Legend of Monkey Island, this update introduces a little cosmetic incentive to play through them one more time…


Guilds and the Skull of Siren Song Voyage aren’t the only things on offer in Season Ten. Still to come, the third major Seasonal update will introduce Safer Seas: a new game mode allowing players to sail the Sea of Thieves in private for the first time, alone or with a single crew of hand-picked friends.

With no enemy crews present, Safer Seas will offer a more peaceful, more predictable gameplay cycle to help new players get to grips with all the systems on offer. It will also enable existing players to interact with the more PvE-focused aspects of the game without disruption, such as completing Tall Tales or fishing. At the same time, the reduced risk of Safer Seas will correspond to reduced rewards and slower progression.

Keep an eye on Sea of Thieves’ social channels for more information regarding Safer Seas as we get closer to its release. For now, Captain Briggsy is calling!

For more information on this Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players 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!

Following on from Guilds in October, the second of Season Ten’s major features is this brand new competitive Voyage – delivered as a shared emergent World Event that can be joined by any or all crews on a server, triggering a dynamic race for the prize. Available now!

Seeking the Skull of Siren Song

• When a ghostly note appears pinned to the ship’s mast, accepting this Voyage will see Captain Briggsy bestow the crew with maps to the Key and Chest of Siren Song.
  
• With other crews in competition for the same Key and Chest, players must get their hands on both items by whatever means necessary to release the powerful Skull within – but possession of each item shows the crew’s location to other players!
  
• The Skull of Siren Song is a formidable short-range weapon, but also carries a curse that slows down the ship and summons Coral Skeletons to its aid on land.
  
• The crew with the Skull must head for Briggsy’s beacon and hand it over to claim rewards and make progress towards unlocking unique themed cosmetics!
  
• To learn more about the Skull of Siren Song Voyage, head to our dedicated Season Ten page or check out the official Skull of Siren Song Explained video.

Since the launch of Season Ten, the team have been assessing the progress made by Guilds across a range of different play styles. November’s update brings some balance changes to ensure that various play styles allow for Guild progress at similar rates.

Guild Reputation Balancing

• Crews cashing in treasure across all Trading Companies will now earn significantly more Guild Reputation for their efforts, allowing these Guilds to progress much more quickly.
  
• Guild Reputation earned by crews through the Hourglass in the Battle for the Sea of Thieves will now be slightly reduced.

Gunplay in Motion

• The removal of quick switching in October’s update created an unwanted wield delay during regular gunplay, preventing players from firing quickly after moving.
  
• While preserving the original quick switching fix, this update now readdresses the change to ensure that when firing a weapon and switching, players who move a short distance are no longer forced to use the full wield delay and can fire much more quickly.

Improved Hit and Kill Markers

• The hit markers shown when striking targets with a projectile weapon have been redesigned with a more distinct style. Shots that kill the target now also show a red kill marker, confirming the kill directly from the server for improved accuracy.
  
• The Graphics Settings menu also offers the option for a High-Contrast Kill Marker to improve visibility for those who need it.

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 browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Ravenwood Ship Collection (returning from Season Eight Plunder Pass)
  
• Ravenwood Weapon Bundle
  
• Ravenwood Spyglass
  
• Festival of Plenty Instruments (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Festival of Plenty Pet Outfits (time-limited, will return next year)
  
• Angry Scribe Emote (free!)
  
• Wind and Weapon Pose Bundle (Steam Store)

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost clothing shops have received their latest shipment from the Gold Leaf set. Players are now able to purchase Gold Leaf clothing items, all available for gold.

New The Legend of Monkey Island Cosmetics

• New cosmetic rewards are now available for completing the Tall Tales that make up The Legend of Monkey Island. Players with prior progress will need to complete each Tale once more in order to earn these rewards.
  
• Players can unlock the Tavern Chef’s Uniform from ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’, the Circus Superstar Costume from ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ and The Legend of Monkey Island Cutlass from ‘The Lair of LeChuck’.

Weapon Accessibility Improvements

• Players will now hear a subtle audio cue after firing their last bullet, letting them (and other players) know they are out of ammo.

Season Ten Community Weekend

• From Saturday, December 2nd to Monday, December 4th (11am 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, player stories to share and the return of Pop-Up Plunder!
  
• As always, raising the Community Emissary Grade (by tuning in to streamers within 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 Ten Community Weekend news article.

Gameplay

• Rowboats that have been saved to Captained ships no longer pass through the environment on contact.
  
• Selling Athena’s Fortune Emissary Flags will now progress the Pathetic Tokens Commendation.
  
• Players should no longer experience server migration during playing the Maiden Voyage.
  
• Crews are now correctly notified when discovering all the map pieces during a Wayfinder Voyage.
  
• Players can once again begin Lost Shipments Voyages in The Devil’s Roar and progress the Get Wrecked achievement.
  
• When a Captain’s ship leaves the session, the Captain’s Logbook left behind will continue to be readable by other crews.

Guilds

• Players attempting to join an active Guild session at the same time as the crew leaves should no longer experience server instability.
  
• Guild names now consistently display correctly on the Guild Emissary Table, Logbook, Plaque and Guild Invite Emote.
  
• Players joining a Guild will now see the correct Guild level when browsing the Guild menus.
  
• The Guild name and logo will now appear clearly to pirates viewing their Guild Plaque on console.
  
• Pirates will now see the Guild Invite Emote is locked if they do not have permission to invite others to the Guild, or if the Guild is full.
  
• Players now gain the intended amount of Guild Reputation and Emissary Value from Hourglass battles when no one on the crew owns either the Athena’s Fortune or Reaper’s Bones Emissary Flags.
  
• Guild Members should now earn the intended Doubloons while selling items as a Guild Emissary.
  
• Players performing the Guild Invite Emote while on the Ferry of the Damned can now invite others to their Guild.
  
• The notification received when a player is removed from a Guild now shows the Guild name even if the player is not currently sailing for that Guild.
  
• Information on the Guild Invite Emote now actively updates in-game.
  
• Players who receive a permanent ban from Sea of Thieves will now be automatically removed from any Guilds they belonged to.
  
• After a Captain and their ship are removed from a Guild, the Logbook and Plaque will now update accordingly.
  
• Guild names can now be created using Thai characters.

‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’

• Characters across all three Tall Tales in The Legend of Monkey Island now feature mouth animation that more closely matches their voice lines.
  
• Crews returning to this Tall Tale from a checkpoint or rejoining a session will now see characters in the correct locations and the correct notifications as they continue to play through the Tale.
  
• Players are now returned to the Sea of Thieves when finishing the Tale, even if their ship has been sunk.
  
• Attaching multiple skeleton parts to Walt’s remains after attaching Murray’s skull will no longer cause Murray to remain on the floor.
  
• Murray’s head can no longer be attached to the skeleton body during dialogue.
  
• Players can only catch Red Herrings around Mêlée Island.
  
• Murray’s dialogue when entering the General Store can no longer be started when jumping over the building from the Clock Tower.
  
• The coins on the table no longer disappear when the player steals the Clock Tower Key.
  
• The Root Beer Bottles now float naturally if dropped into water.
  
• The ‘History of Mêlée Island’ book now behaves correctly if dropped into water.
  
• The final battle now continues even if players move away from the area.
  
• Pirate Phrases are now correct when holding the ‘History of Mêlée Island’ book.
  
• If a player is killed while inside the mansion, they will now return inside the mansion.
  
• Players now appear to hold the Gunpowder Gummies correctly when viewed by others.
  
• The member of LeChuck’s crew playing violin in the alley will no longer disappear when players get too close to him.
  
• Subtitles for the Storekeeper’s dialogue will now be visible at a greater distance from the character.
  
• The slicing visual effects now play during all interactions with the ingredients.
  
• Captain Coco will now consistently face in the correct direction.
  
• The ingredients needed for the stew can no longer be seen sinking into the stove below the pot.
  
• The femur bone needed for Murray’s body will now appear to be correctly held in the player’s hand.
  
• Players will no longer be able to take the Red Herring with them after finishing the Tale.

'The Quest for Guybrush’

• Crews returning to this Tall Tale from a checkpoint or rejoining a session will now see characters in the correct locations and the correct notifications as they continue to play through the Tale.
  
• Players leaving the area after completing the Trial of the Sword will now still be able to collect the Medallion.
  
• Crews who experience issues migrating back to the Sea of Thieves after completing the Tale will no longer become stuck and can pass back through the portal again.
  
• The Sword Master and Captain Smirk now remain in the correct positions after defeating Ribbsy.
  
• Players will now only be able to pour the Mojo Potion of New Horizons into the campfire from the correct spot.
  
• The player is no longer able to leave the area while holding the Golden Chest of Treasure Huntery.
  
• Knocking on the door of Stan’s wardrobe after having already pushed it at least once no longer causes it to lose any further interactions.
  
• Ribbsy will now begin his fight against players at full health as intended.
  
• Players are no longer able to walk through the barrel behind the Mêlée Storekeeper.
  
• Stan’s Sales Ledger now has the correct label when discovered by a player.
  
• Players are no longer able to use The Beast’s cage lever after The Beast’s cage is locked.
  
• The Grog Bottle no longer appears full if placed down after a player has drunk some grog from it.
  
• Meathook’s sign will no longer appear to flicker when players are using the zipline that takes them to his house.
  
• There is no longer a delay before the player’s health bar depletes when losing an Insult Sword Fight.
  
• The ‘Take The Beast’ prompt will no longer be present before the player is able to take it from another player.
  
• Guybrush is no longer returned to his chair if the player leaves the room before handing him the potion during the ending sequence.
  
• The memoir spot located in Captain Smirk’s hut will remain accessible throughout the Tall Tale once the location has been accessed.
  
• The music remains playing consistently after clearing the fog.
  
• Murray now speaks at the correct times when players are engaged in Insult Sword Fights.
  
• When the player is taking part in the circus event, Alfredo will now be seen holding a stopwatch.
  
• Insult Sword Fighting opponents will now drop their swords smoothly when losing a battle.
  
• Players are no longer able to reach Stan’s area before the intended time.
  
• The Beast now faces in the correct direction when placed down by the player.
  
• The Ghost Ship’s compass now points in the correct direction.
  
• Other characters’ animations now appear correctly when talking to the Men of Low Moral Fiber at the end of the Tall Tale.
  
• The death audio effects play in a timely fashion when the Sword Master and Captain Smirk defeat their opponents.
  
• Players can no longer talk to the Men of Low Moral Fiber during their final cutscene.
  
• Guybrush’s audio now plays in sync with his animations when you speak to him at the end of the Tale.
  
• The levers used to fix The Beast’s cage now animate correctly after being put into position by the player.

‘The Lair of LeChuck’

• Crews who experience issues migrating back to the Sea of Thieves after completing the Tale will no longer become stuck and can pass back through the portal again.
  
• Following the defeat of LeChuck and after exiting the lava tunnels, players will now gracefully find themselves sailing back to Mêlée Island for the final scene.
  
• The audio effect that plays when searching inside the cereal boxes will now only play when necessary and will stop at the correct time.
  
• The player is now able to board the Headless Monkey at the docks on Mêlée Island.
  
• The glint from the sun will no longer block the player's view when using a spyglass.
  
• Trees at the edge of the island near the Monkey Head will now appear with the intended level of detail.
  
• Cannonballs from LeChuck’s ship now use the correct audio effects depending on the surface they strike.
  
• Guybrush’s necklace no longer disappears after he puts it on.
  
• Herman's Rowboat instructions are now properly labelled as ‘Instructions’ rather than a ‘Map’.
  
• Players are now able to walk around the left side of the table on the Headless Monkey.
  
• Players are no longer able to get stuck in the front section of the sunken ship.
  
• All parts of the destroyed mast now have the correct collision.
  
• Players are no longer able to walk through Herman when he is hanging in his trap.
  
• Herman’s Chest Key will no longer disappear briefly after being dropped.
  
• The prompt to shake Herman when he’s caught in the trap now appears at the correct height within the player’s eyeline.
  
• The empty jar found in the stockade now has a Banana Grease label on the outside.
  
• Herman’s trap peg will now reset to its original position if players let go of the button during the interaction.
  
• Herman’s Banana Soup will now show a notification when players collect it from his cache, and also when the item is lost and returned to its original location.
  
• The broken mast trap is now centred in the player’s view when looking through the stockade spyglass.
  
• The Black Pearl’s sails no longer disconnect from the ropes when viewed in the Tunnels of the Damned.
  
• When locked in the wardrobe, Stan’s voice lines can now be heard while the player is underwater.
  
• Falling rocks in the Catacombs will now show visual effects when they hit the lava.
  
• Players now hear the appropriate audio effect when raising the Head of the Navigator.
  
• Wind will now be behind players’ sails after exiting the Tunnels of the Damned towards Monkey Island.
  
• LeChuck’s ship will no longer be destroyed in the first two phases of the fight and will instead fade out.
  
• Water thrown from buckets during this Tall Tale will now animate as expected.
  
• Guybrush will no longer get stuck while invisible in the Catacombs if players misplace the Head of the Navigator.
  
• The Root Beer Bottles found in the crate during the final fight now appear full and ready for battle as intended.
  
• LeChuck will no longer appear to fade out when players approach him during the final fight at the church.
  
• Guybrush will stop waiting for longer than intended after players have caught up with him in the Catacombs.

Environment

• Items placed on the pier at Galleon’s Grave and Sanctuary Outposts are no longer floating.
  
• Players should no longer be able to get stuck on palm trees at Keel Haul Fort.

Visual and Audio

• The Ship’s Map now shows the starting location for The Legend of Monkey Island Tall Tales.
  
• The loading spinner is now clearly visible on the new style loading screens.

Text and Localisation

• The Quest Book for The Legend of Monkey Island Tall Tales no longer displays overlapping text issues when viewed in Russian, Japanese or Polish.
  
• The Silken Gloves of the Ashen Dragon now have the correct name and description.
  
• The Hardy Ruffian Sea Dog Belt now has the correct description.
  
• When browsing the Pet Chest, Spiffy the Dog is now correctly seen holding a bone in his icon.

Performance and Stability

• Players who completed the necessary criteria to unlock an achievement during a recent outage will now find their historic progress has been updated and achievements will unlock on their next login.
  
• 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: 9.56 GB