Ship Speed Rebalancing

• The Sloop, Brigantine and Galleon have all received a set of speed changes, balancing each ship type and placing more emphasis on ship direction and sail management during naval encounters.
  
• In a straight tailwind scenario, the Galleon with its three sails angled to the wind will now gain the advantage, followed by the Brigantine, then Sloop.
  
• In a straight headwind, the Sloop will have less wind resistance from its single sail and will be at an advantage over the Brigantine, and then the slower Galleon.
  
• Sidewind and crosswind scenarios will also now favour the Galleon when all sails are catching the maximum amount of wind. However, Galleon crews who mismanage the wind will suffer the largest penalty.

Sailing into a Headwind

• Ships heading into a direct headwind will now be required to angle the sails to reduce the wind resistance and maintain their speed over longer distances. Sailing with sails flat into the wind will no longer be optimal.

Double Barrel Pistol Balancing

• The damage of standard and charged shots from the Double Barrel Pistol has been increased.
  
• A charged shot now takes less time to charge, allowing players to prepare this heavy-damage attack more quickly.
  
• Hip firing the Double Barrel Pistol is now slightly more accurate.
  
• Reload time has been reduced, allowing players to reload more quickly and get back into the action.

War Chest Commendation Balancing

• Following the launch of Season 12, the team has adjusted a number of Commendations from the War Chest, reducing the criteria needed to unlock the various Grades. Players with progress already above the newly rebalanced levels will be required to perform one more action to refresh the Commendation progress.
  
• When using the Double Barrel Pistol to defeat enemy threats, the Blown-Away Bones, Blam of the Damned and Double Deep Trouble Commendations will now progress more quickly.
  
• Utilising throwing knives to attack Gunpowder Skeletons will now progress the Keg Knife Kaboom Commendation more quickly.
  
• Players using scattershot against enemy threats will find the Holey Wood Holes, Scatter Bones, Spooky Spread and Peppered Meg Commendations have been made easier to obtain.
  
• Using the Bone Caller to attack Skeleton Ships will now progress the Skeleton Squared Commendation more quickly.
  
• Crews cashing in the Horn of Fair Winds will now find the amount needed for the Storm Sale Commendation has been reduced.
  
• Players using harpoon tightropes to transfer treasure to their ship will now progress the Carry On Lootin’ Commendation much more quickly.
  
• The Rib Roast and Title Fight Commendations requiring players to best Skeleton Lords in combat have now been switched to provide progress to the whole crew when defeated, rather than only rewarding a single player.

Hit Registration Improvements

• Recent improvements to hit registration for player encounters have now been brought to threats encountered within the world, providing an improved ranged combat experience against skeletons, Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers.

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!

• Pet Protector Ship Collection
  
• Dire Dark Warsmith Ship Collection
  
• Dire Dark Warsmith Ship’s Crest
  
• Dire Dark Warsmith Weapon Bundle
  
• Dire Dark Warsmith Costume Set
  
• Paradise Garden Costume Set
  
• Paradise Garden Weapon Bundle
  
• Painted Cat Collector’s Pet
  
• Storm Strike Curse
  
• Stormfish Chaser Clothing Bundle (returning from Season Ten Plunder Pass)
  
• Baleful Bloom Costume Set (returning from Season Seven Plunder Pass)
  
• Tiny Tree Emote (free!)

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost weapon shops now stock a further range of Heavy Swords and Rapiers from the Ocean Crawler, Deep Ocean Crawler and Azure Ocean Crawler sets, locked behind their associated Commendations.
  
• The Crustacean Courtly Jacket is also available from the Outpost clothing shops for those with enough gold to spare.
  
• Players who have reached reputation level 65 with the Gold Hoarders will now unlock access to the Gold Hoarders Boots, currently found in the Outpost clothing shops but moving to the Gold Hoarders representatives in a future update.

Front End Pirate Log Access

• The Pirate Log is now conveniently accessible from the front end menu when launching Sea of Thieves! Players can now more easily check their Season and reputation progress before joining a session on the seas.

Player Reporting Improvements

• A QR code has been added to the Report a Player menu to provide easier access for console players wishing to submit a report via a mobile device.

Gameplay

• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players will no longer become stuck after the LeChuck fight or the wedding ceremony and can now once again consistently complete the Tall Tale.
  
• Crews purchasing Captain’s Supplies from the shipwright should now consistently find their supplies are delivered to their ship’s barrels.
  
• Players can no longer achieve full billow with the Horn of Fair Winds without it losing its charge when used.
  
• Players should no longer find themselves joining a session in an empty grey scene when attempting to rejoin a previous session.
  
• Attacking a Chest of Rage with a range of weapon types will now consistently enrage the chest.
  
• Players are no longer able to swap between platforms in rapid succession and gain access to exclusive cosmetics in their session.
  
• Selling Ashen Chests recovered from Ancient Vaults will now progress the correct Ship and Pirate Milestones.
  
• Players using inverted mouse controls will no longer find their input switched when diving or surfacing for a Faction battle.
  
• Food items will no longer appear in Cannonball Barrels at Skeleton Forts.
  
• When starting an Ashen Emissary Voyage as an Athena’s Fortune Emissary, the island chosen for the map will no longer be situated outside The Devil’s Roar.
  
• The Ashen Chest found inside the Vault at emergent Skeleton Fort encounters will now be unlocked by default.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players will no longer be able to defeat LeChuck while inside the church before he has a chance to retaliate.
  
• ‘Shores of Gold’ – Diving to a Tall Tale checkpoint should no longer return the crew to a nearby Outpost.

Emporium Extravaganza Event

• The Ancient Coin Trinket erroneously granted to some players during this Event has now been removed from those inventories. Players who legitimately obtained the Trinket are unaffected and will retain their reward (please raise a ticket with our Support team if you encounter any issues with this).

Throwing Knives

• Players will now be able to jump freely if they stow their throwing knife while charging a heavy strike.
  
• Players will now be able to run if they stow their throwing knife while aiming.
  
• Throwing knives embedded in ships’ ladders will no longer prevent players from grabbing on to the ladders.
  
• Throwing knives at a Gunpowder Barrel held by a player will now consistently cause the keg to explode on impact.
  
• Players fighting the Ghost of Graymarrow with throwing knives will now deal the intended amount of damage.
  
• Players engaging in Raid Voyages with throwing knives will now deal the intended amount of damage to enemy threats.

Double Barrel Pistol

• Players holding aim and fire while reloading will now consistently see the weapon switch to an aimed state and begin to charge.
  
• Players holding aim and fire then releasing while reloading should no longer see the weapon briefly switch to an aimed state before returning to idle.
  
• Players are no longer able to skip the animation for pulling back the second hammer when firing.
  
• Players fighting the Ghost of Graymarrow with a Double Barrel Pistol will now deal the intended amount of damage.
  
• Players engaging in Raid Voyages with a Double Barrel Pistol will now deal the intended amount of damage to enemy threats.

Environment

• The cannons on the north side of Kraken Watchtower are now visible when they shoot at vessels.
  
• Crews diving to a Raid Voyage within the Treasury of the Secret Wilds will no longer discover gold piles which cannot be claimed.
  
• Players will now consistently be able to pick up and take items from Collector’s Chests inside the Shrine of Ocean’s Fortune.
  
• Removed a number of areas where players could fall out of the environment within the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• The Glorious Sea Dog Tavern no longer features invisible objects around the island.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – A Vanity Chest has been added to the circus stage, enabling players to remove the Skeleton Curse if they have one equipped in order to put on the circus costume.

Visual and Audio

• Crews defeated in a Faction battle will now experience a smooth transition into and out of the Tunnels of the Damned.
  
• Players using the Skull of Siren Song will now animate smoothly between wielding and using the weapon.
  
• Sprinting onto a harpoon tightrope with a weapon equipped will no longer cause the weapon to be wielded, letting players move smoothly along the rope.
  
• Lesedi’s Spyglass will no longer change into another spyglass when the player dies or rejoins their session with the item equipped.
  
• The Barrel Bombardier and Checkmate Cannons now display correctly when viewed at all distances.
  
• The Deadlock Jailer Costume now better fits pirates of all body types.
  
• The Flaming Jackal Pocket Watch now displays the correct date.
  
• PC players using AMD GPUs and DirectX12 should now consistently see visual effects from fireworks when fired.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Items will now appear at the correct size when held by players during the Tall Tales.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – When voting on the Tall Tale, one dagger will now appear on the Tall Tale book to show the player selection.

User Interface

• Players should now be able to purchase the relevant promotions once they have reached the required Company reputation level.
  
• After purchasing a Ship Renaming Deed from the Emporium in the front end, players should be able to rename their ship without needing to restart the game.
  
• When purchasing a ship, having a ship name rejected will no longer temporarily cause the ship price to appear as free.
  
• All barrels around the Sea of Thieves will now have category item counters, as intended.
  
• Players will now see an infinity symbol on replayable Voyages in the Quest Table menu.
  
• Switching quickly through the What’s New articles should no longer display the incorrect imagery alongside a piece of news.
  
• The Guild Motto displayed in the Guild Branding screen now consistently matches the one that was selected during Guild creation.
  
• The pickup interaction for placed pets will now always be visible above the ground.
  
• Dismantling a ship no longer warns players of losing Captain’s Voyages.
  
• Playing in windowed mode on PC will now correctly display the front end session setup screen.

Text and Localisation

• The description of the Quite the Collection Commendation has been updated to include the requirement to be representing the Guardians of Fortune when handing in Reaper’s Bones Emissary Flags.
  
• Improvements made to Tall Tale Quest Books to resolve a range of text issues for those playing in Japanese.
  
• Improvements made to text sizes within Tall Tale Quest Books to resolve overlapping text across a range of non-English languages.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – The localisation of the Sword Master has been updated to follow the correct terminology in the Korean language translation.

Performance and Stability

• Players leaving a crew during a session should no longer cause other crew members to be disconnected from the game and experience a Longbeard error.
  
• Further improvements made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.
  
• Improvements made to memory management to reduce scenarios where players may experience a sudden disconnection on lower-performance PC and console hardware.
  
• Sea of Thieves on Steam will no longer unexpectedly close if the game is started on an HDR screen then dragged to an SDR screen during startup.
  
• Improvements made to texture streaming on the front end for lower-performance PC hardware, reducing scenarios where players may experience textures failing to load and leaving them shown at poor quality.

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: 3.89 GB

We can scarcely believe that we’re already into the warm tides of June, but even as we turn our attention to the upcoming delights of the month ahead, we still have one more task to complete before we fully say farewell to May: the regular round-up. So please take a moment to join us in celebrating everything that happened last month in the world of Sea of Thieves…

After the major updates in April, it was a relatively quiet monthly update this time around. Following a small hotfix at the beginning of the month, May’s main update introduced numerous tweaks and improvements to recently implemented Season 12 features, as well as a range of new stock for Outpost and Emporium stores. As always, it’s all in the release notes for exploration!

Not that it stayed quiet for long, of course; halfway through May, Gilded Voyages made their triumphant return in a special week-long Event. Pirates flocked to The Ancient Isles in search of rich rewards, not least of which was the military-minded Seamark Tribute Tattoo awaiting anyone who got to the end of one of these glittering Voyages.

Pirates eager for even greater rewards didn’t have long to wait for another treat either, with a Gold & Glory Weekend right around the corner. Who knew that a sea full of thieves could be so generous?


Outside of gameplay, May saw the much-anticipated arrival of Sea of Thieves: The Cookbook! Packed with culinary delights – even by our punishingly high standards – these recipes demand pride of place on any kitchen bookshelf. Not convinced? Maybe Daryl’s own cooking adventures will be enough to sway your opinion…

Elsewhere, it was time for another round of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks, this time offering subscribed players a chance to get their hands on the Ebon Flintlock Pistol, Obsidian Flag and an Onyx Tankard that’s perfect for the Golden Smoothie we’d just learned how to make.

And as always, we couldn’t let a full month go by without taking some time to celebrate the wonderful members of our community, and this time around that meant a Community Spotlight catching up with KeepinitTwisted! From a careful selection of panda-based ship names to the admirable and exhausting climbing of fifty-three floors to raise money for charity, the interview is a whirlwind adventure worth checking out.


Since we, for once, weren’t poised to deliver a series of content trailers, May seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Video team to try out something different. Enter our Sea of Thieves Explained video series, answering new players’ vital questions such as what is Sea of Thieves, how is Sea of Thieves and even why is Sea of Thieves? Even the most weathered of sea dogs might find a few new tips and tricks tucked away in these whistle-stop tours of the pirate life, so they’re definitely worth a look no matter your experience level.

One tradition we weren’t about to weasel out of though was Sea of Thieves News, which arrived mid-month to bring everyone up to speed on recent and upcoming changes to the game and various surrounding activities. Please be sure to enjoy the implementation of some top-of-the-range scarf animation while you watch.

Not to be outdone, the team over in Audio wanted to share some more of their own creations and released the ‘Warriors of the Waves’ track for all you music lovers. Buckle up, buccaneers, we’ve got battles to fight.


Back at the beginning of May, we were still delighting over the recent addition of owls and desperately wanted to hear what everyone had called their new feathered friends. Of course, owls weren’t the only thing added with Season 12 and we continued to explore the new features throughout May, such as experimenting with running speeds and finding out where all these windy horns keep coming from.

As always, there were several rounds of prizes to be dished out. Over in the world of screenshots, we took some time to reflect on the beauty of nature with a Stunning Sunsets round of #SoTShot. Fans of the colour orange were having a particularly excellent time. We were enjoying everyone’s pictures so much, in fact, that we threw a new round of Community Hub picks into the mix as well.

The community’s collective creativity was as inspiring as ever, and our social team decided to carry it on with a little creativity of their own – with… mixed results. Recognising that our artistic powers were simply too strong, we moved along to admiring the knife skills of dextrous pirates and musing on avian crimes. In between that and peering into the near future, we didn’t even have time for a quick nap. Maybe if our crew would give us a hand it wouldn’t be so bad…


And that was May! A mid-Season month so a little quieter than what went before, but still plenty to be getting on with, wouldn’t you agree? Let us know! You can, as ever, find us in all of the usual social places: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, or via the official Forums and Discord. Otherwise, it’s time we were getting back to work. After all, we’ve got places to be! No time to hang around…

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2024

It’s been just over a month since Sea of Thieves launched globally on PlayStation®5 – and wow, what a rollercoaster it’s been. We’ve been inspired, entertained and truly heartwarmed by the way our community has embraced the new, blue pirates who’ve set sail on our waters of late. Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of Sea of Thieves’ journey since Season 12 kicked off – it’s been such a special time here in the studio, and we can’t wait to continue this wild ride with such a spirited and united community on board.

And unite, you all did – we can’t quite believe how many of you have come together to indulge in the camaraderie of crossplay. Since we launched on PS5®, a whopping 1,797,963 crossplay crew sessions have taken place, adding up to an outrageous amount of seafaring shenanigans – with 7,283,307 hours of playtime covered in these sessions. That’s the equivalent of 831 years – you could only just finish all of Grey’s Anatomy in that time!


If you like numbers, don’t worry, we have more for you: an incredible 49.8% of all PlayStation 5 pirates have played with someone on a different platform, with so many old salts being wonderful enough to show their new pals the ropes. It’s been a beautiful thing to watch old players and new come together like this. And if you want stats on how many of our lovely new players have been sunk? We couldn’t possibly comment, but if there were any, then we’re sure they’ve learned their lesson.

We have no doubt that with the expertise of our storied and seasoned sailors, many of our brand new swabbies will make it to Pirate Legend in no time. We know that 39,431 PlayStation-based corsairs have already hit Legend status, and we’re looking forward to seeing many more join the fabled ranks of Athena’s Fortune. Of course, you know what’d help everyone grasp their goals a little more quickly, right? A big ol’ Community Weekend, with absolute stonks on offer? Well, on that note, have we got news for you. Drum roll please!

For those of you new here, Community Weekend is something we take super-seriously on Sea of Thieves. It’s a once-a-Season extravaganza of all things community, where we take a full 48 hours to reward and celebrate you all for being the kindest, quirkiest set of pirates to sail the gaming seas. We do this with generous multipliers, a smorgasbord of freebies, time-limited Pop-Up Plunder and tons more – all of which you can expect between 11am UTC on Saturday, June 15th and 11am UTC on Monday, June 17th.

So without any further ado, let’s get into exactly what you can expect during this 48-hour frenzy of fun…


To raise the Community Emissary Grade, players will once again be tasked with tuning in to Twitch to level up the generosity of our active multiplier, with the total watch time powering Grade progress. It’s simple: all you need to do to help raise the Emissary Grade – and thus increase in-game rewards – is watch any of your favourite content creators within the Sea of Thieves category between 11am UTC on Saturday, June 15th and 11am UTC on Monday, June 17th. We’ll also be hosting a very special stream on our own Sea of Thieves Twitch channel – but more on that soon…

Every time the Community Emissary Grade levels up, so does the boost to gold, reputation, Seasonal Renown, Allegiance and Guild Reputation for everyone – with the top Grade offering two-and-a-half times the rewards for your work. These multipliers affect High Seas sailors only, so make sure you plan accordingly (and keep an eye on the horizon during your Community Weekend sessions for fellow pirates looking to steal your fortune).

Of course, we also have a range of Twitch Drops for folks tuning in, with the Stormy Sea Dog Concertina, Eastern Winds Sapphire Silken Gloves, Sage Sea Dog Bucket and Eastern Winds Sapphire Padded Belt all on offer to those who spend a chunk of time watching Sea of Thieves creators over the weekend. The special Drop that will be unlocked after the magic goal of 100,000 Voyages dived to and completed will be the Obsidian Captain’s Bed – another brand new Obsidian item debuting with this special Event.


More goodies await you when you play for the first time during Community Weekend: during the Event period, pirates logging in to Sea of Thieves will swipe a blue-and-green Community Weekend Flag (matching the Picture Walls present at every Outpost!) and the impossibly cute Performing Pup Emote. We can heartily recommend pairing your brand new flag with your New Dawn Sails – a commemorative set of sails available to all who play during Season 12, with a very complementary colour palette.

We’re also bringing a new dynamic to Community Weekend, letting newer players taste the freedom of diving to more World Events! While many of these are usually locked behind Trading Company progression, for this window only we’re letting all players, of any standing, dive to Skeleton Forts for all core Trading Companies. And even better: during the course of the weekend, players will be able to undertake these as many times as they want. For Pirate Legends of any level, Skeleton Forts for Athena’s Fortune will be unlocked and repeatable too. Result.


Everyone regardless of Pirate Legend status will also be given the option to undertake a single Legend of the Veil Voyage, so newer players can get a taste of the daring and high-value Voyages that await those who cross the threshold (legitimately) into the Pirate Legend Hideout. So, not only is there lots more gold on offer this weekend, there are also a lot more ways to go about making it!

Our time-limited, social media-based loot roulette shenanigans are back for Season 12 Community Weekend! Stay tuned to our social channels for clues on where we’ve tucked away some tantalising treasures on every single High Seas server. Each dig spot will be live for one hour only, so you’ll be racing against time and other crews to make sure you’re first to the loot location.

Good luck, pirates – may your compasses point true and your spades strike our stashes swiftly.

As is customary with Community Weekend, we love taking the time to bestow both love and rewards upon the unsung heroes and MVPs of our community. The way we do this is to honour a selection of fine folks with the Hat of Unfeasibly Glorious Fame – a rare, funny hat worn by the cream of our pirate crop.

Whether you’ve performed an astonishing feat on the seas and would like us to tip the Hat in your direction, or you’d like to shout out a crewmate or friend who embodies the Be More Pirate mantra for less specific but no less worthy reasons, we’ll take nominations all the way up to, and during, the weekend. So, if there’s something or someone you’d like to draw our attention to, tell us about it on Sea of Thieves social channels such as Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram (the more info the better) with the #BeMorePirate tag. We’ll be watching!

We’re so excited to be throwing this Event for new players and old, whatever their choice of platform. Our PlayStation pirates are yet to experience the always-welcoming, sometimes-chaotic wholesome good vibes that come with our Community Weekends, and we hope every single sailor is anticipating what an adventure this first true multi-platform Event will prove to be. It’s set to be a very special event – one where you can reconnect with old friends, make new ones and then maybe sink them if you’re feeling spicy.

Either way, we hope to see you all on the seas – and if you do, please be kind to us. We’re friendly!

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 browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Deadlock Jailer Ship Collection
  
• Deadlock Jailer Costume
  
• Deadlock Jailer Weapon Bundle
  
• Deadlock Jailer Double Barrel Pistol and Throwing Knives
  
• Deadlock Jailer Trinket
  
• Crimson Crypt, Lodestar and Dark Warsmith Double Barrel Pistols
  
• Shark’s Bane Ship’s Crest
  
• Captain’s Head Ship’s Crest
  
• Stormfish Chaser Weapon Bundle
  
• Stormfish Chaser Ship Collection (returning from Season Ten Plunder Pass)
  
• Forest’s Blessing Costume Set (returning from Season Six Plunder Pass)
  
• Creeping Cold Costume Set (returning from Season Five Plunder Pass)
  
• Presentation Emote Bundle
  
• In for the Kill Emote (free!)

Emporium Post-Purchase Recommendations

• Players purchasing items from the Pirate Emporium will now be shown a recommendation, suggesting similar items they may enjoy and allowing them to fast-track to the suggested offer.

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost weapon shops now stock a further range of Heavy Swords and Rapiers from the Seared Forsaken Ashes, Scorched Forsaken Ashes, Parrot, Sunshine Parrot and Nightshine Parrot sets, locked behind their associated Commendations.
  
• The Avian Courtly Jacket is also available from the Outpost clothing shops for gold.

Gameplay

• Players joining a crew in progress near a World Event will no longer find themselves appearing on the Ferry of the Damned, and should now arrive as intended at their crew’s ship.
  
• Players are no longer able to use a fishing rod while travelling through the air to modify their trajectory.
  
• Crews retrieving treasure from on board Skeleton Ships within a Fleet encounter will no longer find those items reappear when a ship resurfaces.
  
• Crews clearing out a Siren Shrine or Treasury will now find the rewards are randomised when the location refreshes, preventing players from farming specific items.
  
• Players rolling a 20 with the Roll a D20 Emote will now unlock the Critical Roll Commendation.
  
• Burying a depleted Ashen Winds Skull will no longer replenish its power when uncovered.
  
• Crews defeated in an Hourglass battle will no longer see a low-quality scene before being sent to the Tunnels of the Damned.
  
• Captains should no longer be able to place multiple Scourge of the Sea Trinkets aboard their ship.
  
• The Captain's Logbook will now consistently appear in the wreckage of a ship defeated in an Hourglass battle.
  
• Crews raiding the Treasury Vault of an emergent Sea Fort will no longer find a suite of Order of Souls treasure, and will instead find a more balanced mix.
  
• The Eye of Reach now deals the intended amount of damage to Ocean Crawlers in vulnerable or shielded states.
  
• Players who have purchased the Parakeet Sea Dog Outfit for their parrot will now see it present in the Pet Chest.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Time spent playing the Monkey Island Shanty will now be counted in Milestone statistics.

The War Chest

• Crew members will now unlock progress towards the Title Fight Commendation when a Skeleton Lord is defeated by another member of the crew.
  
• Crew members will now unlock progress towards the Rib Roast Commendation when an Ashen Lord is defeated by another member of the crew.

Throwing Knives

• Throwing knives hitting a capstan, Ammo Box or Armoury will now disappear and not block player interaction with the object.
  
• After throwing a knife, players should now consistently be able to sprint freely without being impeded.
  
• Players aiming a throwing knife should no longer feel a stutter when moving.
  
• Players will no longer be able to perform a heavy attack and then throw a knife in quick succession when using the throwing knives.
  
• Players stowing their throwing knives while charging a heavy attack will no longer retain the charged state when equipping the weapon again.
  
• Throwing knives now deal the intended amount of damage to Kraken tentacles.
  
• Throwing knives will now behave correctly when dropped off a ship into the water.
  
• Throwing a knife and quickly switching weapons should no longer display a knife attached to the player’s hand.
  
• Throwing a knife into water now displays the full splash visual effect.
  
• Throwing knives lodged in the environment will now glint smoothly when observed while moving around.
  
• Throwing knives stuck in the environment will now fade out smoothly when they expire.

Bone Caller

• Bone Caller Skeletons will no longer appear on a sinking ship, and as a ship sinks any remaining skeletons will be destroyed.
  
• During a Kraken encounter, Bone Caller Skeletons will now wait patiently for a threat they can reach.
  
• While inside a Siren Treasury, any skeletons remaining when the water level rises will now be destroyed.
  
• Bone Caller Skeletons can no longer be summoned in the Pirate Legend Hideout.
  
• Bone Caller Skeletons summoned in the Sunken Kingdom will now attack threats on sight and will not wait to be attacked first.

Double Barrel Pistol

• Players are now able to queue up a charged shot while reloading, so that once the reload is finished the shot begins charging.
  
• Players can now consistently reload from Ammo Crates/Pouches after using the Double Barrel Pistol.
  
• The Aim Down Sights camera speed is no longer retained after firing a charged shot.
  
• Players who are killed while charging a shot will no longer fire the shot upon death.
  
• Switching equipment after firing an aimed shot with the Double Barrel Pistol will no longer cause the item to appear in its secondary use state.
  
• The Double Barrel Pistol now deals the intended amount of damage to Kraken tentacles and Gold Hoarder Skeletons.
  
• The Double Barrel Pistol now deals the intended amount of damage to Ocean Crawlers in vulnerable or shielded states.
  
• Firing a charged shot while inside a ship will now play the full firing visual effect.

Horn of Fair Winds

• The Horn of Fair Winds can now be sold to all Trading Companies for the correct price even when fully depleted.
  
• Players standing at the front of a Rowboat can now be pushed back by the Horn of Fair Winds.
  
• Burying a depleted Horn of Fair Winds will no longer replenish its power when uncovered.
  
• Crews should no longer be able to obtain additional Horns of Fair Winds from the same Sunken Kingdom location in short periods of time.

Pirate Emporium

• The Toe Reach Emote has now had its price corrected from 249 to 149 Ancient Coins. Players who purchased the emote at the incorrect price will be reimbursed 100 Ancient Coins.
  
• The Cutler Beckett Costume Set has now had its price corrected from 599 to 999 Ancient Coins.

Environment

• Players should no longer be able to see into the environment within The Reaper’s Lair.
  
• Volcano eruptions on Devil’s Roar islands should no longer create visual effect issues on the ground.
  
• Skeletons will no longer become trapped under the stairs at Keel Haul Fort.
  
• Coral Skeletons will no longer become trapped in the scenery in the Shrine of Ancient Tears.
  
• Players should no longer find pockets of water missing within the Shrine of the Coral Tomb.

User Interface

• After transitioning a Guild to a new owner, the Guild leader will now be able to begin making changes and not be required to restart the game.
  
• Renown level notifications now display the appropriate Season 12 iconography.
  
• The summary details shown in the Reputation tab for each Trading Company now correctly display the number of Titles unlocked.
  
• Navigating the Report a Player menus with a mouse and keyboard or controller is now a consistent experience.
  
• Tall Tale rewards now correctly fit within their frames when browsing the Quest Table.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Dialogue options shown during Insult Sword Fighting are now much more responsive.
  
• Map markers for completed Tall Tales will now correctly display as unlocked on the ship’s map once completed.

Visual and Audio

• Players swimming down into the Sunken Kingdom after diving for a Voyage or Hourglass battle will now see the correct atmospheric conditions on their descent.
  
• Shooting a ship’s harpoon no longer displays a white hit marker.
  
• Looking up at a nearby ship while underwater no longer displays a moving shadow effect on the water’s surface.
  
• Several keys have been reduced in size to be consistent and fit properly in players’ hands.
  
• When wielding the Stormfish Chaser Blunderbuss, players’ hands will now rest correctly on the weapon.

Text and Localisation

• Small increase made to text sizes to improve accessibility within the My Ships flow on the front end.
  
• Improvements to text sizes within the Tall Tales section of the Quest Table to resolve overlapping text in non-English languages.
  
• The Infinite Depths Weapon Pose Emote now fits neatly within the Emote Radial.

Performance and Stability

• PC players adjusting resolution scaling will now see a warning that game performance will be affected.
  
• Reduced scenarios where players may receive a Hazelnutbeard error following migration to a new server.
  
• Further improvements made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game or become 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: 4.4 GB

Well, it’s been a while since we last sat down to put together a Spotlight Showcase! Worry not though, we haven’t forgotten anyone during the intervening months, and now we’re here to bring you a bumper crop of all the Spotlights you might have missed since we last checked in. Let’s go!


First on our list from back in the mists of July is a Community Spotlight with renowned sail scrapbooker Captain Butterfinger! Alongside his efforts to catalogue the wonderful and varied sails of the Sea of Thieves, he took the opportunity to tell us about his favourite moments from playing the game and his excursions into a certain series of simian-themed ’90s point-and-click adventures.


For our first Creator Spotlight of this batch, we decided it was our turn to dig into the details with notorious nitpicker and quirky content creator, TheGeeNee. He ran us through some of his crazier stories in trademark chaotic style, from pig heists to hidden images, interspersed with some genuine advice and notes on the importance of criticism. Also doonaggles, whatever they are.


In August we followed up with another Creator Spotlight, this time with lore aficionado AShinyRay! Known in the community for his story musings and unwavering love of Captain Flameheart, he guided us through his journey from playing Spyro the Dragon on the PlayStation to producing Gears 5 content, all the way to becoming a quality-focused player in the Sea of Thieves community.


For our next Community Spotlight, we chatted with renowned pirate Sally the Swishing Slasher – or, more accurately, the shoutcaster behind Sally, Woodrow Jenkins! It was great to hear more about his history of Rare gaming, his Hide and Seek adventures and his tremendous passion for music. We didn’t even have to bribe him with extra shark content to talk to us. How lucky we are!


Next on the list was a coveted Legend Spotlight as we checked back in with the subject of our first ever Community Spotlight: IOnEI_Falcon! As one of the first people to play Sea of Thieves, he had lots of stories to share about his time on the waves and how he grew into the role of a trusted Deckhand for players worldwide. Not to mention those apparently stellar Guitar Hero skills…


Our next participant as we continued through September also landed a Legend Spotlight, as we caught up with crafty connoisseur Lizalaroo. One of the driving forces behind the ever-popular SoTFest convention, Liz recounted tales of her journey to Pirate Legend, her joyful discovery that the Legendary set matched her colour scheme and, of course, some of her phenomenal creations!


October beckoned and by this point it had been a little while since we hosted a Creator Spotlight, so we raced to catch up with famed speedster YooKay to fill the gap. A record holder for the fastest race to Pirate Legend – under five hours! – and creator of an array of video guides, he was kind enough to take a break from dispensing helpful hints and tackle some of our questions instead.


For our final Community Spotlight on this list, we wanted to go out in style, so who better to talk to than competitive legend PeiRei? Surprisingly for a winner in both the Notorious Arena League and Sea of Champions, he maintained that his fondest Sea of Thieves memory was buying the deeds to Mermaid’s Hideaway and Imperial Crown Fortress. Our estate agent isn’t quite so sure.


Our penultimate entry of this catch-up batch is the Creator Spotlight for real-life fisherman and PvP veteran, CJShiz! From starting out in the Closed Beta by sinking everyone else he came across, to catching some real-life Treacherous Plunder, his Spotlight walked us through his journey to becoming a Sea of Thieves Partner and offered tips for anyone thinking of following in his footsteps.


Taking us into December and the final Spotlight of 2023 was a Creator Spotlight on one of our newer Partners: Toxie Sinclaire. A meme queen and menace on the seas, she explained her approach to the ‘wild ride’ of content creation and the importance of being inventive, but our biggest question remained unanswered: what on earth is going on in that picture with Pendragon?

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And we’ll leave it there for now! We hadn’t meant to leave you hanging for quite so long, and the eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that there are a few more recent Spotlights not on this list. Never fear, we haven’t forgotten anyone: the next Showcase will include all the remaining interviews as well as a few yet to come. No one will be left behind!

In the meantime, why not pick some of the interviews above and click through for a complete read? Or, if you’ve already made it through the whole lot, you can check out all our historic Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights via the News page, or of course the previous Showcase round-up. There are always more sides to see of the incredible Sea of Thieves community – delve in and find out!

As spring progresses ever onward outside the windows, things haven’t slowed down for a moment inside Rare HQ! April was absolutely jam-packed with news and updates, including a PlayStation®5 launch for the very first time in our studio history, so let’s not waste time with any more preamble. From the top, here’s everything you might have missed last month!

Our main update wasn’t due until the very end of April, so we aimed to tide everyone over in the meantime with a Gold & Glory Weekend. What better way to make sure you all had a chance to get your hands on those last Season 11 rewards?

After that, it was just a hop, skip and jump into the launch of PlayStation 5 Early Access! We’d welcomed in a few players on this new platform towards the beginning of April with our Closed Beta, with a whole host of questions answered in an accompanying PS5® FAQ, but Early Access marked the first time that these players could take to the seas alongside everyone else. It was a fine sight to see so many crews rolling out a suitable welcome by flying the New Dawn Sails.

With the floodgates open, it was finally time for everyone to take the plunge into Season 12. Bringing new weapons, mechanics and the all-important owls to the seas for the first time, this update marked a major refresh for Sea of Thieves’ sandbox. Have you had a chance to dive in yet? How many times have you been sent to the brig for using the Horn of Fair Winds on your crewmates? Don’t worry, they’ll probably forgive you soon.


There was another milestone awaiting Sea of Thieves in April: the announcement that the game has now welcomed 40 million players since launch! In the six years since our shared pirate haven opened its doors, the team has delivered over 100 free updates to bring you the best experience possible – and it’s been a delight to watch so many pirates find their sea legs, make connections and chase that horizon. Thank you all so much for joining us, whether you’ve been here from the beginning or you’re just setting out on your Maiden Voyage.

Back in the here and now, as the team cooked up a storm of new features for Season 12, it seemed like a good time to share something else that was in the works: the Sea of Thieves cookbook! After giving everyone a little while to properly salivate over all the delightful dishes they’d be able to make, we came back with our latest From Concept to Cosmetic investigative article – this time dedicated to the mighty Frorb – offering everyone a little extra encouragement to complete Season 11 while they still could.

Around then, we realised it was about time for another Community Spotlight. This month, that meant catching up with lauded loot artist Cap’n Axe and finding out how he grew from streaming his pirate-themed Animal Crossing island into a renowned digital artist within the Sea of Thieves community. Give it a read!


As always, we couldn’t let the month go by without a fresh instalment of Sea of Thieves News, this time unveiling what players could expect from Season 12, the reintroduction of six-ship servers and, perhaps most notably of all, Daryl’s new haircut. Production Director Drew also stopped by for another quick chat about game health, which he followed up on later with an expanded State of Play Forum post to answer any lingering questions.

After that, it was full speed ahead into the release of Season 12 and, of course, the accompanying trailers. First, we had the Content Update trailer to lay out all the core features coming with the update, before the more condensed launch trailer landed to make sure even players who didn’t have a full minute to spare could get the highlights. And, for the fashionistas with an eye on the Emporium, we couldn’t forget our usual catwalk of new cosmetics to peruse.

And, in case that wasn’t quite enough trailer content to be getting on with, our PlayStation 5 launch felt like the perfect opportunity for a new overall trailer to show a new generation of players what they were about to get themselves into. Delightful sea-based chaos, mainly.


We really did try to start the month off calmly, but a rare fish sighting and the reveal of the latest Style of Thieves winners put a rapid end to that. We tried to claw it back with some lovely Fairy Tale vibes in the first monthly round of #SoTShot, and even the calm Fancy Fishing screenshots we explored with the next, but the chaos simply could not be stopped. Even the swabbies were getting in on it.

Some questionable parking aside, we did manage to get things back on track eventually with two Community Hub updates to celebrate some fabulous community creations. We even threw in two rounds of Twitch Drops help you earn a few extra goodies through the month, before said questionable parking forced us to make a quick PSA lest we completely drain the Outpost budget.

As you might have expected, we also spent a lot of April getting excited for the imminent arrival of owl sidekicks and how eager we were to pet them, but that wasn’t all we got up to. Our neverending hunt for loot started poorly and didn’t improve much from there, so we resorted to elaborate thievery instead. You’d think we’d have learned in six years. Maybe it’s all the lionfish’s fault…


And that was April! It’s been a really momentous time for Sea of Thieves lately and we’re endlessly thankful to have you experiencing it with us. Here’s to many more years together. For now, though, remember that you can always find us on the usual channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and the official Forums and Discord. For now, it’s about time we returned to the seas…

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2024

Sea of Thieves’ Seasons keep on turning, and the arrival of Season 12 on April 30th is a real milestone, coinciding with a huge wave of players sailing in on PlayStation®5 for the first time. This alone would mix up the everyday interactions that take place out there on the waves, but we haven’t even begun to describe the game-changing features delivered by Season 12 itself!


Every pirate’s choice of arms to carry into battle is about to be expanded, as the Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives become available to drop into weapon slots. The Double Barrel Pistol requires a closer range and deals less damage per shot than the standard pistol, but makes up for it with rate of fire and the ability to charge and unleash both shots at once.

Throwing knives, meanwhile, offer even more options: quick, light attacks in a brawl, a heavy stabbing sneak attack or, of course, a gratifying throw at a target of your choosing. If you miss, you can retrieve your knife and return it to your stash – and if someone else misses, you can grab theirs and throw it right back!

Even ship-to-ship battles now offer more choice with the introduction of scattershot. This new cannonball type breaks into smaller projectiles when fired, inflicting multiple hull breaches if you’ve manoeuvred close enough to the enemy ship to make full use of its effects.


Two new tools with multiple uses also make their debut in Season 12. The first of these is the Bone Caller, a throwable item that has the effect of summoning skeletons who’ll rally to your defence. Like many other throwables, the Bone Caller can also be fired from a cannon to cause chaos on enemy decks! Just save it until you need it, as these friendly skellies are only active for a limited time before reverting to inanimate bones.

The Horn of Fair Winds, meanwhile, proves handy in a wide variety of situations. A sailor’s first instinct would be to use it to fill their ship’s sails, and it can certainly do that – but it can also put out fires, push back attacking enemies, boost your swimming speed and even break your fall. Its charge is limited, but even drained of power it’s still worth a decent pile of gold!


All these things will help a crew greatly in their pursuit of gold and glory, and a further two additions will contribute to the dual aim of seizing treasure and getting it safely back to the ship.

Harpoons have been helping treasure hunters fill their decks for some time now, but only with the arrival of Season 12 can pirates flex their agility and walk the lines like tightrope gymnasts. Whether you’re boarding enemy ships or just seeking an easier route to an awkward spot, a whole new world of traversal awaits!

And these aren’t the only lines that will help you get around, as Season 12 sees ziplines installed at key points on a number of islands, spreading outwards from their first appearance in The Legend of Monkey Island Tall Tales. Hop on for a thrilling ride and handy transport of loot from the scene of a heist…


A new Season brings 100 more levels of Seasonal Renown to be climbed. Unique cosmetic rewards along with caches of gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins are all up for grabs as you progress, and an optional Plunder Pass adds extra prizes to the pool: for Season 12 this allows you to earn the complete Gorgon ship set including Collector’s items, a two-stage Stone Curse, the Gorgon Headband and 750 additional Ancient Coins to help recoup the price of the Pass.

It's a bumper month of new stock in the Pirate Emporium too! Owl pets have finally landed, in five different varieties, for all your non-parrot flying sidekick needs. The Checkmate ship set, costume, weapons and Ship’s Crest will help fashionable pirates raise their game, while the new throwing knives get their first makeover to match some popular existing sets. And coming to the shelves after their exclusivity to a previous Plunder Pass, the Sting Tide ship set and costume are joined by a freshly fashioned lantern.

If you’re seeking an outlet for your gold and Doubloons rather than Ancient Coins, you’ll find the Outpost shops restocked with treasures such as new Seared Forsaken Ashes ship parts and clothing, and the Refined Gold rewards from a previous globetrotting Event!


For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season 12 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. Join the ongoing adventure at https://www.seaofthieves.com/ where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!

New weapons waiting to be mastered and tools to take your tactics to the next level! Try your luck with fresh loadouts and feel the rush while riding the ziplines. To learn more about this new Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 12 page.

Throwing Knives

• These new weapons in the pirate armoury come as a set of five, which are wielded one at a time when equipped and can be restocked from any Ammo Chest.
  
• Wielding a throwing knife allows players to stab enemies with a quick melee attack or charge for a devastating downward strike.
  
• Throwing a knife allows for a high-damage ranged attack. If a thrown knife misses its target, it becomes lodged in the environment and can be recovered to replenish stock. But be aware that another player can also retrieve your knife and use it against you!

Double Barrel Pistol

• This new fast-firing weapon holds six bullets and can be fired twice before needing to be reloaded, or both barrels can be fired together by charging the shot.
  
• Shots fired from the Double Barrel Pistol have reduced range and damage compared to the standard pistol, but compensate with a faster firing speed.

Scattershot

• This new type of cannonball can be found in storage barrels across the seas, providing players with an effective short-range option for devastating enemy ships in combat.
  
• Scattershot breaks apart when fired, sending four smaller projectiles in an outward spread. These have a lower trajectory than standard cannonballs, making scattershot a shorter-range option.
  
• Each projectile deals light damage to the impact area, increasing if existing damage areas are hit repeatedly. Ship interaction points such as the wheel, mast and capstan can also be damaged by the blast, and players caught in the spread will receive light damage without knockback.

Bone Caller

• This mystical throwable item possesses the power to summon a loyal skeleton crew who will attack nearby enemies. After a time, these skeletons will expire in a cloud of bones.
  
• Bone Callers can also be fired from a cannon, giving players the ability to send a targeted package of disruption to rival ships at sea.
  
• Bone Callers can be recovered from crates left behind by defeated Skeleton Fleets, or found in barrels at Skeleton Forts.

Horn of Fair Winds

• This Siren shell is a treasure artefact that harnesses the power of the wind, and is discoverable in shipwrecks and other locations throughout the Sunken Kingdom.
  
• Crews can use it to get ahead by filling their sails to full billow, giving a boost to a Rowboat or propelling themselves through the water.
  
• Players can also harness the Horn’s powerful effects to knock back enemies, cushion a potentially fatal fall or even extinguish a blazing ship.

Harpoon Tightropes

• Players firing a harpoon line into a rock, beach, tree or even another ship can now climb onto the line and perform a tightrope walk, maintaining their balance as they go.
  
• Stepping onto a steeply descending harpoon line will allow players to slide effortlessly, even with treasure on their back!

Island Ziplines

• Navigation has been further improved with the addition of ziplines to a range of islands across the Sea of Thieves. Seek out these permanent new structures to experiment with speedier traversal!

Updated Weapon Pose Emotes

• With the introduction of the Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives, previously released Weapon Pose Emotes have been updated to support the new weapon types.

Another Season means 100 new Renown levels to climb and rewards to snag – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more! Read on for more on this plus details of other improvements landing with this Season’s launch, on top of those already applied in last week’s update...

Season 12 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 12 will reward players with Famous Pirate and Famed Buccaneer cosmetics alongside other time-limited Seasonal specials. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  
• Pick up the latest Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Gorgon set, including a full ship set and two-stage Stone Curse, all available to earn by raising Renown. Purchase a Pass in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage or Steam Item Store.

Season 12 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the Ocean of Siren Song Painting, Mysterious Siren Carving Ornament and Guild of Fearsome Depths Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  
• While Emissary Ledgers will continue to refresh each month and celebrate our most prolific pirates, the delivery of fresh cosmetics into the Ledgers’ topmost tiers is paused from this Season onwards. For the vast majority of players though, the Ledgers still hold a treasure trove of locked rewards ready to earn by competing against other Emissaries. Log in and track your performance on the Emissary Ledgers page!

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!

• Checkmate Ship Collection
  
• Checkmate Weapon Bundle
  
• Checkmate Clothing Bundle
  
• Checkmate Ship’s Crest
  
• Crimson Crypt, Lodestar and Dark Warsmith Throwing Knives
  
• Great Grey, Tawny, Snowy, Barn and Black Banded Owl pets
  
• Scrappy Weapon Pose Emote
  
• Sting Tide Ship Collection (returning from Season Nine Plunder Pass)
  
• Sting Tide Costume Set (returning from Season Nine Plunder Pass)
  
• Sting Tide Lantern
  
• Paradise Garden Pistol (free!)

Additions to the Classics Range

• The Classics range has been expanded to include a range of costumes, weapons and equipment from older sets, now permanently reduced in price.
  
• Cosmetic sets such as Shining Pegasus, Ruby Splashtail and Sea of Sands are among those that now have more than just ship liveries represented in the Classics range.

PlayStation®5 Launch Celebration

• To celebrate the official launch of Sea of Thieves on PlayStation®5, all pirates who log in during Season 12 on any platform will receive a commemorative gift in the form of the New Dawn Sails.

Gameplay

• Open Crew matchmaking has been re-enabled as an option when starting a Sea of Thieves session, allowing players to form a crew with other random players from all platforms.
  
• Players are no longer able to use a Quest Map while travelling through the air to modify their trajectory.

User Interface

• After a lobby is filled with players from different platforms, the platform icons shown next to players upon setting sail should no longer display a default image.

Full Guild Access Temporarily Disabled

• Due to a recently discovered issue, Guild Members are not currently presented with the full suite of ships pledged to their active Guilds. Guild Members will be shown any ships they have pledged, but no other ships or active sessions from others within the Guild.

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: 1.09 GB

This 2.10.3 update lays the groundwork for the full Season 12 launch coming up on April 30th, while also introducing the first pirates on PlayStation®5 to the world of Sea of Thieves during an Early Access period. Be sure to extend a warm welcome if you meet them on the seas!

Chest of Fortune

• The Chest of Fortune has been returned to the locked Vault of the formidable Fort of Fortune. Keep a keen eye on the horizon for the ominous red skull cloud in the sky when it becomes 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 Lantern, Spyglass, Compass and Bucket.

Reaper’s Chests

• Crews chasing down the tell-tale beacon of the 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 Banjo and Drum.

Hit Registration Improvements

• Further improvements have been made to calculate the location of player shots more accurately across the client and server, providing a sizeable improvement to hit registration for ranged weapons across a range of combat scenarios.

Skeleton Ship and Megalodon Encounters

• The frequency of emergent Skeleton Ship and Megalodon encounters has been reduced to match the frequency of encounters prior to Season 11.

Animation Quality Settings

• Players now have improved control over the character animation quality within the Graphics Settings. This will provide a smoother experience; however, higher settings may impact CPU performance.

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost shops have received a new shipment of items from the Seared Forsaken Ashes set, with the ship set and clothing now available to purchase with gold after unlocking the Warsmith of the Flame Commendation.
  
• The Outpost weapon shops now have the Forsaken Ashes Heavy Sword and Rapier available for Doubloons after unlocking the Devil’s Cartographer Commendation.

Legacy Event Cosmetics

• Previous rewards from the Wish You Were Here Event have now been added to the Outpost shops. The Cartographer Tattoo and the Refined Gold Cutlass, Spyglass and Speaking Trumpet are now available for Doubloons.

Season Five Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Five have arrived in Outpost shops and can now be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Players can purchase the Bell Brigade clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items that were available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also pick up Merrick’s Tankard and Grimm’s Jacket.
  
• The time-limited Ancient Gold items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Five.

Report a Player

• The in-game Report a Player tool has now been extended, providing the ability to report players for Movement Exploits, Aiming Exploits and Toxic Behaviour.
  
• As with all player reports, these will be referred to the Sea of Thieves Support team for investigation and follow-up action.

Pirate Emporium Quick Menu

• The Pirate Emporium can now be accessed via the Quick Menu, allowing players to browse the Emporium at any time!

Pirate Emporium Local Currency Purchasing

• With shopping improvements in the works for the Pirate Emporium, this update removes a lesser-used feature that provided players with the ability to make purchases within the Pirate Emporium directly using their local currency.

Port Merrick Front End Menu

• The tavern location for the front end is now using the recently constructed Port Merrick tavern.

Gameplay

• Crews diving to an experience or Faction battle and surfacing alongside another ship should no longer encounter issues where items on board their ship become non-interactable.
  
• The frequency of sharks appearing when players set foot in the water has returned to normal levels.
  
• Resolved an issue experienced during high network traffic where players bailing from a ship would find that water would only be visually thrown from a bucket, and could then be thrown a second time.
  
• Console players can once again use a mouse and keyboard with full compatibility.
  
• Skeletons have been reminded that they need to repair damage to their ships during battle.
  
• Shipwrights should now consistently deliver purchased supplies to Captains.
  
• Players losing treasure during the Merchant Alliance or Order of Souls Tutorial Voyages will now find the Voyage cancelled.
  
• Players can no longer use a cannon to generate additional throwables.
  
• All Gold Hoarders Vault Voyages have been updated to prevent crews from predicting the location of the treasure.
  
• Players will no longer find treasure from a Siren Shrine reappears after leaving and returning to a cleared area.
  
• Selling Gold Hoarders artefacts at The Reaper's Hideout should no longer progress Gold Hoarders Commendations.
  
• Captains leaving a ship damaged at the end of a session should now consistently find the ship seaworthy in their next session, but will still need to restore it to fully repair it.
  
• The following Commendations will now progress when completing the required criteria: Righteous Victory, Athena’s Shield, Order of Ghouls, Hunt Them Down, Is That All You’ve Got?, Bones, Not Bonds.
  
• Crews failing to find an Hourglass battle after diving will no longer be unable to catch fire when returning to their original server.
  
• Resource Crates placed on a docked Rowboat should now still be visible and accessible after leaving the Tunnels of the Damned.

Performance and Stability

• Players should now find in-game voice chat works consistently when playing across platforms and regions.
  
• Improvements made to shop purchasing when under heavy load, reducing scenarios where players may become stuck ‘Counting Coins’.
  
• Players should no longer become stuck waiting while attempting to purchase a Trading Company promotion.
  
• Players returning through the Tunnels of the Damned following a Tall Tale should no longer experience a Hazelnutbeard error.
  
• Further improvements made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players experience an unexpected exit from the game or become disconnected from their session.

Anti-Cheat

• Players on Steam should no longer encounter the error that Easy Anti-Cheat is not installed when installing from the Steam Store.
  
• Improvements made to Anti-Cheat detection, reducing the frequency of players encountering a Hazelnutbeard error.
  
• Improvements made to Anti-Cheat detection to further protect from external access.

User Interface

• Players can now successfully send Guild Invites to players not on their Xbox friends list.
  
• Players on PC will now find their graphics settings are consistently saved across sessions.
  
• Crewmates attacked by an enemy will now show the appropriate Crew Status Tag on their nameplate.
  
• The Ruby Stinger Cutlass shown in the Armoury preview now more closely matches the wielded weapon.
  
• The Flourishing Wild Rose items now display the correct iconography in the cosmetic chests.
  
• Viewing the Lantern Dance Emote within the Vanity Chest now displays the correct flame colour.
  
• The Noble Spartan Sails now display the correct iconography in the Ship Customisation Chest.
  
• Players attempting to close the virtual keyboard while typing in text chat will now find the menu is closed.

Visual and Audio

• Players should now consistently see their ship name adorning the Ship’s Crest when joining a session.
  
• While navigating around islands, players should no longer see leaves sometimes pop in and out.
  
• While observing shadows cast on board the ship, players should no longer see the shadows of ropes sometimes pop in and out while moving.
  
• Picking up a Captain's Key while on a Lost Shipment Voyage should now show it sitting correctly in the player’s hand.
  
• While on the Legend of the Sunken Kingdom Voyage, picking up the Gold Hoarders Medallion should no longer cause it to visually shrink in the player’s hand.
  
• Players traversing the world should no longer see large shadows pop in and out across islands or while out at sea.
  
• Players picking up the Vestige of Power or Ashes of Ruin will now find they use the correct animation when held.
  
• Players dodging repeatedly with a sword should continue to see their sword sway when returning to blocking.
  
• During cutlass battles with Skeletons and Phantoms, striking and blocking animations are now more accurately synchronised for both players and enemies.
  
• Players swimming quickly underwater will now see the correct bubble effects from both hands.
  
• ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ – The Clock Tower Key should now sit correctly in the player’s hand.
  
• ‘The Shroudbreaker’ – The Mysterious Stranger now animates smoothly during the initial cutscene.

Environment

• Crews exploring a sunken shipwreck should once again be able to easily retrieve Bounty Skulls from within the Captain’s quarters.
  
• Crews unlocking the Vault beneath the Fort of the Damned will now find the treasure placed neatly on the surfaces.

Text and Localisation

• Improvements made to Quest Books across The Legend of Monkey Island Tall Tales to reduce overlapping text in a range of languages.
  
• The Unbroken Bonds Sails now have an appropriate name when viewed in the Ship Customisation Chest.
  
• Tasha at Ancient Spire Outpost no longer has duplicated words in her dialogue.
  
• Ship names using the maximum character length will no longer overflow within the Captain’s Logbook.
  
• Text shown on the loading screen will now be displayed correctly when using an Ultrawide monitor.
  
• ‘A Pirate's Life’ – The Cursed Captain’s name should always be shown alongside the relevant subtitles in all languages.

Open Crew Matchmaking Temporarily Disabled

• Due to an issue discovered in this update, players will not currently have the option to select and join an Open Crew session from the front end menu. The team are working to resolve this issue and restore Open Crew matchmaking as part of our full Season 12 update on April 30th.

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: 8.3GB

As I’m sure you can imagine, when it comes to Sea of Thieves my days are full of numbers. Development costs, active servers, days until the next update… Sometimes, though, a truly extraordinary number stands out – a number like 40 million, which I’m incredibly pleased to say is the number of pirates who’ve now set sail in Sea of Thieves!

40 million players across Xbox, Windows 10 and Steam is an amazing milestone to be able to talk about, and of course it wouldn’t have happened without you – our brilliant, positive and welcoming community, who continue to surprise and impress us with your creativity and antics out on the waves.

That said, I also want to take this opportunity to offer heartfelt thanks to the team, who’ve worked so hard to deliver over a hundred free updates since launch and have plenty more excitement and innovation on the horizon. Season 12 is almost here, and the new additions like throwing knives and the Bone Caller are going to transform our sandbox yet again.

I’m also excited about getting to expand our community even further, as we’re just days away from launching on PlayStation®5 and introducing a whole new plethora of pirates to our shared world. The positivity and excitement coming out of our Closed Beta was infectious, and I can’t wait for even more fresh faces to arrive starting next week.

Before then, though, there’s time to celebrate this 40 million milestone during our imminent Gold & Glory Weekend. If you’re still working through Season 11’s 100 levels, this will be the perfect time to rake in that boosted Renown – along with gold, reputation and everything else. So take part, join us in both celebration of all our players and anticipation of those who are about to undertake their Maiden Voyage on PS5®, and we’ll see you on the seas!

– Joe “Three Sheets” Neate