Season 16 has arrived in Sea of Thieves! It’s been a little while since the fearsome Captain Flameheart regained his physical form, but the time has now come for him to expand the reach of his loyal followers and strengthen the standing of The Reaper’s Bones.

In this latest free Seasonal update, pirates will be able to set out on their first ever Voyages for The Reaper’s Bones and work together with the legendary skeletons of the Order of Bone and Blade to uncover Ancient secrets – and that’s just the beginning…

With their leader Captain Flameheart returned to full strength and armed with forbidden knowledge thieved from Ancient Temples, The Reaper’s Bones are making their move on the Sea of Thieves! This Season, for the first time, they’ll be offering Voyages for pirates to undertake, beginning with the Search for Ancient Secrets.

In this Voyage, players will need to work with a lost crew of skeletons from the fabled Order of Bone and Blade to unearth long-buried Ancient Sarcophagi. Along the way, Ancient Phantoms will emerge to defend their hidden secrets. You’ll need to fight them off to finish activating the mechanisms and uncover a Skull of the Banished to take back to the Servant of the Flame.

Voyaging for The Reaper’s Bones isn’t quite so simple, however: Flameheart values strength and dominance above all else, so if you want to sail in his name, you’ll have to fly a Reaper’s Mark Flag! The flag will be raised automatically whenever you undertake a Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones, revealing the location of your ship to all other nearby crews and inviting them to come and claim your loot for themselves, if they have what it takes…

The growing influence of The Reaper’s Bones is having an impact on emergent activities too. Their cunning weaponsmiths have devised a way of tapping the raw power of the Chest of Rage to construct a new, devastating weapon: the Cannon of Rage.

This portable armament grants pirates who find it the freedom to fire cannonballs from almost anywhere, then pack up the cannon and carry it on to a new location for redeployment. There’s a risk, however: whenever the Cannon of Rage fires or takes damage, it starts to overheat. Fail to give it time to cool down (or speed up the cooling process with water), and it’ll live up to its name with a violent explosion that’s liable to sink the ship you’re standing on!

Meanwhile, skeletal members of the long-lost Order of Bone and Blade have started clawing their way up towards the sandy surfaces of islands, waiting to be fully unearthed by curious passers-by. Rescue them and you’ll be friends for life – or at least until they fall in battle, as they’ll happily throw in their lot with the next pirate to revive them. You’ll find they’re also unable to leave the island to which their bones are bound! Until then, though, they can lend a hand with whatever needs doing, whether it’s demystifying tricky treasure maps, digging up treasure or helping to carry your haul to safety.

The Season 16 additions don’t end with May’s update. Over the next few months, new features will be arriving as part of our staggered Season delivery, including a second Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones and the introduction of breakable seals on Reaper’s Chests! If a crew decides to take the plunge and investigate what’s actually inside these strange glowing boxes, they might just find themselves with a sturdy crew of skeletons ready to defend their new companions to the death.

The Followers of the Flame Voyage also focuses on these mysterious treasures favoured by The Reaper’s Bones. Pirates will be tasked with using an enchanted lantern known as the Follower’s Flame to search for a new kind of Reaper’s Chest in need of recovery, helped along the way by some of Flameheart’s loyal forces.

These further additions will be arriving throughout Season 16, so be sure to keep an eye on our social channels for more news on each update as it approaches!

Any expansion to The Reaper’s Bones wouldn’t be complete without a fresh round of Commendations to work towards and the rewards unlocked by doing so. Season 16 introduces a wealth of new Reaper-inspired cosmetics to personalise your pirate, ensuring you can always show your allegiance via your wardrobe. Pirate Captains will also find that they have new Captaincy Milestones awaiting them to keep track of their contributions to Flameheart’s plans.

Beyond Commendations, Season 16 promises everything you’d expect from a new Sea of Thieves Season, including another 100 levels of Renown to climb through with daring deeds and a rich bounty of cosmetics, gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins to earn along the way. For pirates who already have some Ancient Coins ready to spend, the Pirate Emporium is ready to light up the night with its latest array of offerings, while the Season 16 Plunder Pass includes the luxurious Oyster’s Prize ship set (including Collector’s items) and matching Oyster’s Prize Eyepatch, Jacket and Belt!

The seas will be abuzz with activity during Season 16 as the Reapers roll out their plans, so keep your eye on the horizon for everything that’s coming. For a full breakdown of the features included and improvements made in this month’s update, check out the latest release notes[www.seaofthieves.com]. More information about the features coming later in the Season will be revealed in the weeks ahead, so follow Sea of Thieves on the social media platform of your choice to get all the latest updates. Good luck out there, and may the Flame burn!

Set sail on Voyages for The Reaper’s Bones, roll out the Cannon of Rage and enlist Captain Flameheart’s Order of Bone and Blade! To learn more about this new Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 16 page[www.seaofthieves.com].

Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage

• The Reaper’s Bones now offer an on-demand Voyage from the Quest Table: the Search for Ancient Secrets.
  
• This Voyage tasks crews with uncovering long-lost skeletons from the fabled Order of Bone and Blade and working with them to unearth Ancient Sarcophagi, while fighting back against Ancient Phantoms dead set on defending their secrets.
  
• Embarking on a Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones will automatically raise a Reaper’s Mark Flag on the ship, announcing your location to other crews via their Map Table.

Cannon of Rage

• The Cannon of Rage is a powerful portable cannon that can be positioned and redeployed for a wide range of tactical uses.
  
• Once deployed, it can be loaded and fired like a regular cannon, but with each shot fired the cannon generates heat and will need cooling down to prevent overheating. Players can delay their shots to allow the cannon to cool naturally, or douse it with water to speed up the process.
  
• The cannon will also overheat when taking damage, becoming a potential target for rival crews. Should the cannon reach critical heat levels, either through overuse or damage, it will result in a devastating explosion that damages anything nearby.
  
• These cannons can be found as a guaranteed reward within the Vaults of emergent Skeleton Forts, the Fort of Fortune and the Fort of the Damned. Crews may also find themselves lucky and discover them hidden in Sea Forts or washed up on beaches. Raid Voyages won’t award these volatile contraptions, so keep an eye on the horizon for those events!

Skeleton Mercenaries

• Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons can now be found partially buried on islands across the Sea of Thieves, and will assist pirates who revive them. Crews can recover multiple allies as they explore, and may even uncover an Order of Bone and Blade Captain, a more formidable defender.
  
• As allies, the Order of Bone and Blade will join the fray to protect their adopted crew. While they can fall during a fight, they can also be revived to rejoin the battle. But be warned that these mercenaries will side with whoever revives them, even if that's a rival crew!
  
• These mercenaries will follow and assist the adopted crew on their island adventures. However, their bones are bound to the island where they’re found, so they’re unable to accompany pirates on their onward journey!

Reaper’s Chest Value

• The Reaper’s Bones are seeking the power held within the Reaper’s Chest and Reaper’s Bounty to fulfil their needs, and now award increased gold and reputation to crews delivering these to The Reaper’s Hideout.

Reapers Rising Commendations and Rewards

• A range of new Reapers Rising Commendations have been added within the Reputation tab to challenge pirates. Explore the challenges under the Reaper’s Bones and Bilge Rat Commendation tabs in the Pirate Log.
  
• The Reaper’s Bones representatives now offer access to Reaper’s Bones weapons, clothing and equipment unlocked through their Commendations. These items will arrive over the course of the Season.
  
• Servants of the Flame can earn access to new Skeleton Curse cosmetics through the Bonesmith, unlocking the Skull, Upper and Lower Body parts for the Order of Bone and Blade and Captain variants along with the Rusted Raw Bones.
  
• The Outpost shipwrights offer two new items for Captains, in the form of the ‘Essence of Red Death’ and ‘Resurrection of Secrets’ Ornaments.
  
• Reapers tackling the new Pirate Milestone within the Voyager alignment can unlock access to the new ‘Digging for Victory’ Painting.

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!

Season 16 Rewards and Plunder Pass

• Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 16 will reward players with Boneward Blade clothing items and unique Season 16 rewards, alongside time-limited Bone and Blade collectibles. Head to the Seasons [www.seaofthieves.com]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 Oyster’s Prize collection, including a ship set with Collector’s items and a selection of themed clothing, all available to earn by raising your Renown. Purchase a Pass in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage[www.seaofthieves.com] or Steam Item Store.

Season 16 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘Forbidden Knowledge’ Painting, ‘Blade to the Bone’ Ornament and Guild of Elevated Evil Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.

Chest of Fortune

• The Chest of Fortune remains within the Vault of the Fort of Fortune for this season.
  
• Crews who retrieve Chests of Fortune can now earn the next Grade of the Fortune’s Favour Commendation, unlocking access to the Regal Fortune Cannons, Capstan, Wheel and Flag.

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 Regal Fortune Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach and Throwing Knives.

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[www.seaofthieves.com] to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Lamplighter Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
• Lamplighter Weapon Bundle
  
• Lamplighter Costume
  
• Lamplighter Lantern
  
• Reaper’s Heart Toucan
  
• Dark Warsmith Cabin Bundle
  
• Sting Tide Eye of Reach (free!)

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost weaponsmiths now stock the Party Boat Throwing Knives, Double Barrel Pistol, Grapple Gun and Blowpipe.

Season Nine Legacy Cosmetics

• Cosmetics previously available during Season Nine have arrived in Outpost shops and can now be yours in exchange for Doubloons!
  
• Players can now purchase the Prosperous Privateer clothing set, along with a range of unique one-off items first available during this Season. Pirate Legends can also pick up the Legendary Bone Hunter Jacket and Spyglass.
  
• The time-limited Gilded Age items, however, remain exclusive to players who participated in Season Nine.

Performance Improvements

• This update includes a range of smaller system-level optimisations to game performance, networking and memory, providing improvements across the broader experience.

Tightrope Improvements

• Players traversing a harpoon tightrope are now free to look up and down while balancing.

Game Integrity Improvements

• Improvements to game integrity on PC now detect and prevent players from manipulating game files to modify the game experience.

Network Connection Indicator

• Players experiencing an unstable network connection will now be shown an indicator within the game HUD. While this is enabled by default, it can be disabled within the HUD settings.

Improved GPU Crash Reporting

• Players on PC will find a new option in the game settings allowing extra information to be gathered when experiencing a GPU-related game crash. While this is disabled by default, it can be enabled through the Video Options settings.

Gameplay

• Captains restoring their ship at a shipwright will now consistently find the ship is returned to pristine condition.
  
• During Faction Battles, ships that are beached in shallow waters around islands can now be consistently sunk by rival crews. Once sufficient damage has been dealt to a ship, it will be considered sunk and moved to the wreckage tunnel.
  
• Players firing themselves from cannons into island shallows should no longer find they are sometimes pushed through the geometry and underneath the island.
  
• The Barnacled Dread no longer flees from an encounter when struck by a Lure Dart.
  
• Players will no longer find their ship sometimes takes damage from sea rocks when surfacing from a dive in certain world locations.
  
• Detonating a Gunpowder Barrel held by a skeleton should now consistently cause nearby Gunpowder Barrels to explode.
  
• Damage from a firebomb now consistently forces players out of a sitting spot.
  
• Storage Crates dug up from Skeletons’ Orders can now be sold at Outposts.
  
• ‘Revenge of the Morningstar’ – Starting this Tall Tale from a checkpoint and choosing to dive to the location now consistently places the required Tale items on the Quest Table.

Hunting Spear

• Hunting spears can now be sold to The Reaper’s Bones.
  
• Players are now prevented from placing a hunting spear in a Merfolk Statue while charging a throw.
  
• Hunting spears that float to the ocean’s surface after being thrown can now consistently be picked up.
  
• Hunting spears should no longer be destroyed when thrown or carried while inside the Tunnels of the Damned or when diving.
  
• Players using ‘Reduce Hold to Use item’ will find it now supports charging a hunting spear’s throw.

Megalodon Hunting Voyage

• The enraged Megalodon encountered while on this Voyage should no longer attempt to attack the ship immediately after surfacing.
  
• Appropriate battle music should now be heard during the Voyage when the Megalodon surfaces.

Wild Boars

• Grand Boars found exploring the island should now leave behind fewer items of fruit when left undisturbed.
  
• The health of wild boars now dynamically scales with the crew size in proximity, providing a balanced encounter for all crew sizes.

Environment

• Players should no longer be able to trap themselves at the Dagger Tooth Outpost shipwright when using the Grapple Gun.
  
• Invisible objects found around the environment have been removed from The Reaper’s Hideout.
  
• Improvements have been made to various parts of the environment at Ancient Spire Outpost to address visual issues.
  
• Improvements have been made to the lighting within the Vault at Hidden Spring Keep.

Visual and Audio

• The Skin Scriber Pistol and Double Barrel Pistol have had their aiming improved to ensure shots now align with the tip of the barrel.
  
• Applying tattoos should no longer change the player’s skin tone.
  
• The Stormfish Chaser Blunderbuss now sits correctly in the player’s hands.
  
• The Silent Barnacle Sails no longer have visible floating parts when equipped.
  
• Players equipping a disguise while wearing the Lightbearer Costume should now remain fully hidden.
  
• The lantern near the Sloop’s wheel will now consistently cast a visible light when moving around the ship.

Text and Localisation

• The notification for unlocking the Wild Seas Curse now displays the correct message.
  
• The Pirate of Magnificent Mischief Title now appears with the correct name when equipped.
  
• Japanese translations for the Skin Scriber set have been corrected.

Performance and Stability

• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit 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[support.seaofthieves.com].

Download Size:

• Steam: 3 GB

Faction Battles Reopened

• With the issues affecting diving to experiences now resolved, Faction battles have been reopened and crews can once again dive into battle using the War Map.

Performance and Stability

• Improvements have been made to game stability while diving to experiences. This addresses a recent regression causing black loading screens to become stuck after diving.

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[support.seaofthieves.com].

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

Season 15 has been one filled with balance. For all the monstrous maws of Ancient Megalodons, there were seagulls added to accompany your sway across the waves. As ferocious wild boars arrived to send many a pirate to the Ferry of the Damned, new fishing Voyages invited a relaxing session, assuming someone else didn’t fancy your fish. Then the Kraken must have felt a bit left out and unexpectedly started attacking every ship it saw (we calmed it down, don’t worry), so how about we try to have a civilised fashion contest to balance that?

Yep, you read the headline correctly (assuming you read the headline), #StyleOfThieves returns for its Season 15 sashay and it’s happening from May 12th–15th! Pirates of all walks are invited to embrace the swathes of cosmetics at their disposal for a spot of dress-up in the name of fun, fashion and, for 16 lucky winners, a new pair of gloves.

Maintaining the same course as its recent iterations, posts relating to this Season’s themes will appear on Sea of Thieves social media channels around 10am UTC on the dates specified below, signalling that the entry period for that day’s couture contest is open. Your task, as the highly fashionable filibusters you are, is to the show us your pirate dressed in a manner that responds to the day’s prompt, trying to stand out from the crowd in the process. How do you show us? Simple, just take screenshots displaying your full outfit and share them on your social media channel of choice (details below), stating the name of the theme with your screenshot to help with our team’s judging.

Each theme will be open to entries for 24 hours, after which time our team will scour the corners of the internet (well, the advertised avenues for entries on the internet) and pull together a shortlist of their favourite fits. These will then be hidden in a secret room within a shifting mansion that was recently left to us by an eccentric benefactor, with a member of the Art team tasked with solving the house’s secrets in order to locate the list. Assuming they manage this and don’t get stuck in a closet for the rest of eternity, they’ll choose their 16 overall winners for us to reveal on May 21st.

Before we get to the themes, we’d just like to reiterate a necessary reminder: even if you don’t win Style of Thieves, as with all our social media contests, we hope everyone who takes part simply has a good time exploring the fun of fashion within Sea of Thieves. Who knows, you may find the perfect fit for your pirate’s next adventure!

And now, without any more re-tweaked preamble, here are Season 15’s #StyleOfThieves themes:

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.

Hunter
Dress for the catch you want, not the catch you have! Unless the catch you have is a huge, ferocious monster, in which case you’re probably ready to pose for a screenshot already. Just clean your hands first, please.
Entry date: May 12th

Duvet Day
Even pirates need the occasional rest day, so pay homage to the amicable skive by donning the comfiest trousers and baggiest top you can find! Even if the closest available thing to a sofa is two wooden planks, you can still recline on it looking appropriately ready for nothing.
Entry date: May 13th

Regal
Magnificent. Dignified. Two words we’d find very hard to apply to the vast majority of pirates we meet on the Sea of Thieves, but very much the expectation for the entries in this theme, so… good luck!
Entry date: May 14th

Monstrous
If your outfit doesn’t naturally cause you to snarl and snap at passers-by, it probably needs a few more teeth, gnarly accessories, dark hues or a combination of all three.
Entry date: May 15th

Image credit: TippToppHansiI on X/Twitter

Now into the part of the article that’s the same every time, including the sentence you’re reading now (but with one new point!). We’re all over social media channels, in a friendly ‘enter however you feel comfortable’ kind of way, so you’re free to submit on a variety of channels. That said, each comes with its own quirks you need to adhere to as follows:

• To enter on X/Twitter, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves in your post.
  
• For Instagram[www.instagram.com], you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves. Same goes for Bluesky[bsky.app] and Threads[www.threads.net].
  
• Add your entry as a reply to that day’s theme post on Facebook[www.facebook.com].
  
• Post your entry with #StyleOfThieves in the #pirate-fashion channel of our official Discord[www.discord.gg] 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. Our artists 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, all shots should be solo pirates and not crews. Only the pirate(s) 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 helps, so find a well-lit spot to fully peacock your picks. Coloured or tactical lighting won’t be considered part of the outfit, and could hurt your chances of consideration.
  
• 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.
  
• Please try to keep your submissions to a 16:9 or 1:1 ratio, making sure your entire outfit is in shot, including your shoes/toes! 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.
  
• 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! Please note that we will only shortlist one costume per user per theme.
  
• While we don’t dissuade pirates from posting multiple entries on a single theme, if we spot a user sharing an excessive number of entries, they will be at risk of being considered ineligible for that theme through this unsportsmanlike behaviour.
  
• 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: JoseteAlm on X/Twitter

And that’s another article in the bag. Not actually in a bag of course, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to read these words. In a more literal universe you’ll be looking at this webpage and all that will be here is an image of an inaccessible satchel, so be sure to have a think today about how lucky you are to be in this universe, able to enjoy such an unnecessary closing paragraph.

Yes, fashion, May 12th–15th, looking forward to seeing what you find. Ta-ra!

The sun is shining and the wildflowers are running amok, which can only mean we’ve ventured deep into spring! As always, we’re making time for a look back at all the excitements arising in April, neatly summarised in this handy round-up. Let’s find out what you might have missed…

Marking the final instalment of Season 15, April’s monthly content update rolled out new Voyages for The Hunter’s Call, sending keen pirates in search of rampaging Megalodons and dangerous wild boars. Check out the release notes[www.seaofthieves.com] for the full rundown on the Hunters’ last update for now! This one arrived fairly late in the month on 24th, but that ensured there was plenty of time to slot in a quick hotfix[www.seaofthieves.com] beforehand to address a few quirks of the March update.

Just before April’s content drop, however, word started getting around that the bony inhabitants of the Skeleton Forts were up to no good, hiding vast quantities of Ashen treasure in some of their Vaults. Fortunately, plenty of pirates proved adept at liberating said fortunes during the Mega Stashes Event[x.com] that ensued, and earned some lovely new facial hair[x.com] along the way.

Following the regular This Month article[www.seaofthieves.com] to tee up April’s calendar of events, we had some big announcements to unveil, starting with Sea of Thieves’ upcoming arrival on Battle.net®[www.seaofthieves.com]! Our new friends won’t be joining us in full until Season 16 lands later in May, but be sure to give them all a warm welcome when they do. Second on the ballot was a series of substantial changes to our enforcement policy[www.seaofthieves.com]. This is the process by which we ensure that players adhere to our Code of Conduct and keep the seas safe – so the article is well worth checking out for an overview of how the new system works and where to check your own status.

Of course we couldn’t let the month go by without fulfilling a couple of regular features: our latest Community Spotlight featured #SoTShot success story and committed completionist GingerJefferson[www.seaofthieves.com], while the maestros in Sea of Thieves’ music department seized the opportunity for another soundtrack addition, ‘The Great Meg Chase’[seaofthieves.ffm.to]! Who doesn’t want a dash of monster-hunting adrenaline in their morning playlist?

The Battle.net news came with its own essential announce video in April, while some familiar faces headed on over to the Tavern for the Season 15 edition of our in-house podcast, discussing the Season so far, our ongoing work around game health and a sneak peek at what’s to come later in the year.

And even though we’re all busily lining up a new Season launch in May, the Video team wouldn’t let you miss out on April’s staples: Daryl swung by with a new episode of Sea of Thieves News, as did Drew with the latest Developer Update, alongside all the usual suspects you’d expect from a monthly update including a release trailer and an Emporium overview. News also broke that applications for our Stream Team[www.seaofthieves.com] are once again open, so if you’re an up-and-coming streamer who doesn’t quite yet meet the requirements of becoming a Sea of Thieves Partner, the Stream Team might be the place for you!

We managed to pack two thrilling rounds of #SoTShot entries into April, zeroing in on Celebratory Scenes[www.instagram.com] and Heart-Stopping Horizons[www.instagram.com], as well as a fresh set of fan creations in the Community Hub[www.instagram.com]. The mayhem-inspiring Compass of Chaos[x.com] also saw an update introducing a collection of new adventure prompts based on Season 15 features, while the latest set of Twitch Drops[x.com] offered another incentive to watch streamers exploring the new monthly update.

As you might expect from a Season focused on wildlife[www.tiktok.com], many of our community conversations this month were about animals – primarily what the new jellyfish[www.tiktok.com] like to be called[x.com] and why we’ll follow Captain Porkers[x.com] anywhere, regardless of his helmsman skills or lack thereof[www.tiktok.com]. Even the Kraken[x.com] wanted to get in on the discussion! Needless to say, that went off the rails[x.com] pretty quickly.

So as we head off to check that those excessive Krakenings have been brought under control, we’ll leave it there for another month! You can still find us in all of the social places you’d expect – Twitter/X, Bluesky[bsky.app], Facebook[www.facebook.com], Instagram[www.instagram.com], TikTok[www.tiktok.com], YouTube, Twitch[twitch.tv], the official Forums[www.seaofthieves.com] and Discord[www.discord.gg] – but until next time, that’s us. There’s some serious fishing to do before the latest Event[x.com] ends, after all…

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2025
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2025
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

“Piracy’s more of an art than a science,” some grizzled old salt probably once said. There’s no way to be completely sure, but do please give us the benefit of the doubt, or this is going to be a very awkward opening paragraph.

One thing we do know for certain is that creating a pirate paradise takes an awful lot of science and art. So much so that in 2018 we were able to release The Art of Sea of Thieves: an entire volume of concept sketches and aesthetic explorations charting the evolution of the game’s distinctively ‘wonky’ graphic style and the creation of its pirates, ships and islands.

So what’s left to show? Plenty, as it happens, as Sea of Thieves has continued to change and expand since launch and many more artistic endeavours have been undertaken. The fundamentals may have been nailed down, providing a platform for more focused creativity, but the game’s ongoing transformation has provided us with a wealth of fresh material to feast your eyes on.

New characters, ship liveries, weapons, pets, threats and destinations… hundreds of unique art pieces have been created for the game’s various updates and Seasons, ranging from on-team concept work bringing ideas to life through to promotional renders that showcase the results. That’s more than enough to fill a second book and chronicle Sea of Thieves’ seven-year journey so far, and that’s where The Art of Piracy comes in.

Due for release on May 20th – and currently available to pre-order from all good retailers, so get that gold pouch ready – Sea of Thieves: The Art of Piracy goes year by year to provide a rich visual history of piratical pursuits, from the carnivorous peril of our first major update The Hungering Deep to the resurrection of Captain Flameheart and beyond.

Want to learn more? Set a course for Titan Books’ website[titanbooks.com]!

Welcome to May, pirates! There’s a ton of fun planned for you over the next few weeks, so as is now customary, please enjoy this handy rundown of events and dates to look forward to. Grab a pen and your calendar before proceeding, because there’s plenty you won’t want to miss – including the start of a whole new Season…

Battle.net® Closed Beta – Friday, May 2nd – Monday, May 5th

For pirates preparing to set sail on Battle.net, the Sea of Thieves team are running a Closed Beta to help identify and iron out any issues before the global launch date of May 22nd. Players who’ve opted for the Sea of Thieves Deluxe or Premium Edition on Battle.net will be able to set sail on this platform for a long weekend – and, conveniently, will also get to enjoy the Festival of Fishing (see below) if they opt to play on High Seas.

Battle.net players over this period will be setting sail with players on all other platforms, so it’s a great opportunity to learn the ropes with some more experienced pirate pals!

Festival of Fishing Event – Friday, May 2nd – Monday, May 12th

The Festival of Fishing returns, bringing a brand new flavour to an old-school event. Building on the recent expansion of The Hunter’s Call, this Event tasks pirates with hauling in a variety of finned friends to complete an array of Event Goals. Two new Limited Voyages will also be on offer, along with double gold and reputation for fish handed in to The Hunter’s Call during the Event.

Players who participate in everything on offer can expect to bag the fantastic fish-themed Courageous Catch Fishing Rod, and the cracking Connoisseur of Culinary Craft Title.

Season 15 Style of Thieves Contest – Monday, May 12th – Thursday, May 15th

The latest Style of Thieves competition kicks off on May 12th, so keep your eyes trained on our official social media channels for information on the upcoming themes. The opportunity for some of our most well-dressed pirates to win a pair of Fashionista’s Finery Gloves is only a couple of weeks away!

Pirate Emporium Hidden Gems Sale – Thursday, May 15th – Tuesday, May 20th

May’s discount sale will spotlight a suite of items that haven’t been on sale for a while from the Emporium shopkeepers’ stock! Save some Ancient Coins on a range of stunning sets, with healthy discounts on the Checkmate, King’s Ransom and Ancestral Ship Collections. There’ll also be some cut-price Collector’s Pets, clothing, weapons and emotes – so make sure you browse the aisles and see if you can bag yourself a bargain while the sale is live.

Battle.net Early Access Begins – Friday, May 16th

For Battle.net Premium Edition purchasers, the six-day Early Access period will begin on May 16th! These players will be able to enjoy the final few days of Season 15 and earn some of this Season’s cosmetics by simply playing the game and raising their Renown. It’s also another chance to get familiar with the world ahead of Season 16’s launch, all while pocketing some extra gold to spend at the Outposts.

‘Reaper’s Requiem’ Release – Friday, May 16th

Our monthly musical release for May is ‘Reaper’s Requiem’, an anthemic ode to Flameheart’s Trading Company. Stream it straight to your ears via Spotify (or other streaming service of your choice) on May 16th, to get you all fired up for the Reaper-focused Season 16 landing later in the month.

The Art of Piracy Release – Tuesday, May 20th

May also sees the release of the long-awaited second Sea of Thieves art book: The Art of Piracy. Following 2018’s The Art of Sea of Thieves, this new instalment organises the game’s art into year-by-year selections that provide a rich visual history of its seven-year journey so far – featuring artwork for characters, ships, weapons, threats, pets and much more!

Although it releases worldwide on May 20th, the book is available to pre-order now from a number of retailers. Head over to publisher Titan Books’ website[titanbooks.com] for more information.

Season 16 Launch – Thursday, May 22nd

As teased on Season 15’s recent podcast, Season 16 will be all about the Reapers, who are once more out to cause chaos on the Sea of Thieves. The majority of information on this upcoming Season is yet to be revealed, so expect more details in the weeks ahead regarding the Reapers’ aggressive ambitions.

Season 16 will begin on May 22nd, alongside Sea of Thieves’ full launch on Battle.net – so if you haven’t yet raised your Renown all the way to level 100 in Season 15 and earned all the unlockable rewards along the way, that’s your challenge before the big day…

Twitch Drops for Everyone – Friday, May 23rd – Monday, May 26th

With a new Season launch comes a fresh batch of Twitch Drops! Watch any participating channel between these dates to score an assortment of free items over Season 16’s first weekend. Our approach to Twitch Drops is evolving to offer a wider variety of goodies moving forward, so expect to hear more about the items included soon.

Twitch Drops are available by linking your accounts[www.seaofthieves.com] and watching any participating Sea of Thieves streamer on Twitch. Anyone can offer this set of Drops by streaming in the Sea of Thieves category and ensuring they have Drops enabled. If you’re just watching, go ahead and tune in to your favourite participating streamer or check our Partner Directory[www.seaofthieves.com] to see who’s online when these Drops go live!

While Season 15 will be saying its final farewells this month, there’s still plenty to keep you busy on the seas – so plot a course taking in everything that’s piqued your interest, and circle back here next month for a look at what June has in store.

Wild Seas Commendation Balancing

• Commendations tasking crews with the delivery of Pristine Tusks, Scales and Teeth have been rebalanced to require fewer items to unlock. While Grades 1-3 remain unchanged, Grade 4 now requires 15 (down from 25) and Grade 5 requires 20 (down from 50).
  
• The following Commendations have been rebalanced: Master Hunter of the Savage Boar, Master Hunter of the Pristine Maw and Master Hunter of Pristine Megalodon Spoils.
  
• Players with partial progress may need to hand in a further Pristine item in order for their correct Grade progress to be shown.

Kraken Encounter Balancing

• While Kraken encounters will retain the ability to occur on a server alongside other World Events, the frequency of these Kraken encounters has now been significantly reduced.

Gameplay

• Resource Barrels released from a sunken vessel will once again float to the surface and the resources can be consistently retrieved.
  
• Crews beginning a Faction battle will be unable to receive aid from other crew members who join after the battle has begun. Additional crew members will now be held on the Ferry of the Damned until the battle is complete.

Performance and Stability

• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

Megalodon Hunting Voyage

• Players with a high-resolution display should no longer find that using the Shrouded Glass creates a picture-in-picture effect.

Hunting Spear

• Players can no longer use various methods to duplicate their stock of hunting spears.

Pirate Emporium

• The King’s Ransom Grapple Gun is no longer shown as ‘On Sale’ and has returned to its correct price of 249 Ancient Coins.

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[support.seaofthieves.com].

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

Since Sea of Thieves launched, we’ve taken thousands of enforcement actions against those who’ve acted against our Pirate Code when sailing the seas. When our enforcement system was first designed, we had a lot less experience in the live service arena – and while we were as informed as we could’ve been back then, we didn’t necessarily understand what the impact of this would be years down the line.

Over the last six months or so, we’ve been taking the time to review and analyse our enforcement strategies with a view to evolving how we move forward. While we’ve shared our plans for this in a previous Developer Update (from 7:15 in the video below), today our new policy goes live – so we wanted to take this opportunity to talk a little more about the how and why.

From today, we will be giving players more information on why we’re taking action against their accounts and an opportunity to change their ways. While, unfortunately, there are a few bad eggs in this world who do want to cause harm and distress to others, we’re conscious that some folks might just be having a bad day and immediately regret their actions – and we want to give these players room to learn from their mistakes.

Our previous enforcement system was a three-strikes-and-out policy – which has worked for us, but has also had some limitations and made it hard to take nuanced action. For example, if a player had received their third strike for a relatively minor offence, under the old system they would have received a lifetime ban – which, after a long and lengthy review on our side, felt perhaps a little too inflexible.

For someone on the end of this enforcement action, under our old policy they would have simply received a Redbeard error message upon their next attempted login, rather than any specific information on what happened and why, resulting in a lack of clarity around our decision-making. In this scenario, a user may have ended up banned without necessarily understanding why, or perhaps even thinking that we’d overreacted to a report about a smaller infraction.

With that in mind, we’ve been developing a new enforcement system that allows us to more accurately capture the nuance of offences committed, and enables us to communicate exactly why action has been taken against someone’s account. Our system is an evolution of the Xbox points system, and we’ve spent a lot of time collaborating and consulting to ensure that the new system addresses our concerns with our previous enforcement policy, while also making sure that punishment of more serious offences carries the right weight.

Under our recently introduced policy, every new player begins their journey on the Sea of Thieves with zero points, and can accrue a total of 12 points before receiving a permanent ban on their account. If a report is submitted against them, points will be administered to their account – with clear communication to the offending player(s) as to why. Varying points will be accrued for certain types of offence; the below classifications aren’t an exhaustive list, but we wanted to provide some clear examples.

• Toxic communication over text/voice chat that isn’t of a discriminatory nature (i.e. doesn’t use racist, homophobic, misogynistic or ableist terms) will – depending on the strength of the offence – earn a player from 1-3 points and a corresponding suspension of 1-3 days for each instance of this behaviour.
  
• Discriminatory toxic communication that uses slurs/prejudiced language over text or voice chat will earn players 7 points and a seven-day suspension. This means that previously, under our three-strike system, players had to offend three times to be banned – whereas with these types of offence, it’s now reduced to just two (within a given time period).
  
• Cheaters will receive 12 points immediately, plus a permanent ban.

The important thing with these offences is that the offending player is told that why they’ve received a suspension and points on their account. They won’t just log in to find a Yellowbeard or Redbeard with minimal context, but will be contacted directly with the reasoning behind the action taken.

Another thing we’re introducing with this policy is that, if a player with points has a ‘good’ month – i.e. they do not receive any more reports of poor behaviour – their total points tally will decay by 1. This means that if you receive 2 points for toxic communication, but behave yourself over the following couple of months, you’ll go back down to a total tally of 0. Our hope and intention is to communicate with these players why they received their initial enforcement action, and give them space to reflect and improve upon their conduct.

If that sounds like something it might be hard to keep track of, don’t worry – we’re bringing players’ enforcement status to their https://www.seaofthieves.com/account, so everyone knows exactly where they stand. This will also include when their access to Sea of Thieves will be restored, if they’re currently serving a temporary suspension for an offence.

For players who have recently offended and received enforcement action on any scale: we’ve had our points system up and running in the background for a little while now, so when this change comes into effect, you’ll see your score reflected when you log in to the website. We’re not wiping the slate clean on previous poor behaviour, but there will be a net benefit in that our approach to further offences will have a better-suited and more nuanced outcome.

For players who’ve experienced poor behaviour, the reporting process will remain largely the same. However, we’ll continue to work on improving the ways you can get reports and information over to us for review. To submit a report about something you’ve encountered on the seas, please head to https://support.seaofthieves.com/ to provide evidence and a summary of what you’ve experienced – or initiate a report via the in-game menu.

Although we’ve been monitoring recent enforcement activity in the background through this new lens, we’ll continue to keep an eye on scores and behavioural changes as it comes into effect. We know that there are still a few things we’ll have to refine or work on to ensure fairness across the board, but change has to start somewhere – so we hope you’ll understand and appreciate our move to a much more transparent and flexible system that looks to forgive players who can recognise they’ve made mistakes, while punishing folks who want to undermine the integrity of the Sea of Thieves experience.

While we can appreciate this is quite a significant change in how we approach enforcement, the ultimate goal is to provide transparency on why we take action, and allow players to grow with that feedback instead of rebel against it. We hope – and believe – that this will lead to a better player experience for all pirates.

Heed the call in Season 15, which brings a wealth of new incentives to The Hunter’s Call while introducing new wildlife both harmless and hostile. For an overview of the fierce features rolled out over the course of this Season, head to our dedicated Season 15 page[www.seaofthieves.com]!

Megalodon Hunting Voyage

• Crews can now take on a Voyage to track an enraged Megalodon that has been wreaking havoc across the seas, leaving vessels destroyed in its wake. This Voyage can be started from the Quest Table upon reaching rank 20 with The Hunter’s Call.
  
• While hunters will need a keen eye to track the Megalodon by the debris left behind, they'll also be provided with a handy tool: the Shrouded Glass. This enchanted spyglass is capable of showing the trail left by the enraged beast to aid in pursuit.

Wild Boars

• Wild boars now inhabit some islands across the seas. Found in small packs on islands, boars will flee when approached, leaving a trail of hoofprints and fruit. Be warned: while they may appear skittish, they will charge when provoked and can restore health by eating nearby fruit.
  
• Players can hunt wild boars in addition to the larger Grand Boar of the pack. While hunting, all boars reward the crew with meat, while the tougher Grand Boar leaves behind the Boar Tusk – a new treasure item that can be sold to The Hunter’s Call.
  
• Crews looking for loot can sneakily follow boars to their wallows, where treasure they’ve gathered can be retrieved.

Boar Hunting Voyage

• Crews can also be tasked with hunting a fierce Grand Boar in A Pirate’s Boar Hunt, a new on-demand Voyage from The Hunter’s Call available upon reaching rank 15.

Hunting Spear Balancing

• Hunting spears are now considered a resource when brought aboard the ship, and will remain when diving to a Voyage or Faction battle, or when travelling through the Tunnels of the Damned.
  
• A thrown hunting spear now deals increased damage to players, resulting in a one-hit kill on a player at full health.
  
• Hunting spears thrown or fired at creatures now deal additional damage to their target. When used to strike Megalodons or Ancient Megalodons, they now deal even more damage.
  
• Hunting spears fired into a ship’s hull now let in an increased water flow while they remain stuck in place.
  
• Hunting spears lodged in a ship’s hull now require more effort to remove, increasing the time taken to dislodge them.

Kraken and Megalodon Encounter Rewards

• Emergent encounters with Kraken and Megalodon now reward crews with additional treasure items when defeated, including a greater chance of items for The Hunter’s Call.

Megalodon Encounter Balancing

• Encounters with an emergent Megalodon will now pose a greater challenge, with Megalodons acting more aggressively towards nearby vessels.

Kraken Encounter Balancing

• Kraken encounters can now occur on a server alongside some other World Events such as Skeleton Forts. While the frequency of Kraken encounters will remain the same following this change, it allows other World Events to cycle more frequently.

Wild Seas Commendations and Rewards

• With the introduction of wild boars and new Hunting Voyages, new Commendations have been added within the Reputation tab to challenge aspiring hunters.
  
• Players can unlock the Jagged Jaws Throwing Knives after completing all hunting spear Commendations, and unlock the Wild Seas Curse upon completing all Wild Seas Commendations.

Addressing Movement Exploits

• Players finding ways for their pirate to become stuck inside moving parts of the ship or island lifts will no longer find that they are ejected through the air at abnormal speed. They will still be bumped out of the pinch point, but should no longer be able to gain a tactical advantage from this scenario.

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[www.seaofthieves.com] to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

• Skin Scriber Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
  
• Skin Scriber Costume Bundle
  
• Skin Scriber Weapon Bundle
  
• Skin Scriber Compass
  
• Waltzing Worm Emote Bundle
  
• Relaxed Sit Emote (free!)

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost shipwrights now have the Blue Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag available for purchase.

Enforcement Status

• Sea of Thieves has introduced a new enforcement policy, giving players more information when we take action against their account and providing an opportunity to change their ways. For more on why we’ve introduced this new policy, see this article: Sea of Thieves Enforcement Policy Update[www.seaofthieves.com].
  
• Players who are currently suspended or banned from Sea of Thieves will now be shown their account status when attempting to log in to the game. This shows any current enforcement, time remaining for players temporarily suspended and a QR code directing players to the Sea of Thieves website where they can view further information.
  
• Players navigating to the Sea of Thieves website will now also see their account status, along with the number of points currently on their account.

Disrupting Stream Sniping

• Improvements have been made behind the scenes to further protect our players, including creators, well-known community members and anyone who is vulnerable, by disrupting techniques used by people with malicious intent to search for specific players on the seas.

Detection Improvements for Ban Evasion

• Further detection improvements continue to roll out behind the scenes targeting players who evade game bans to regain access to Sea of Thieves. These improvements will continue to be deployed in phases to systematically crack down on banned players and prevent them from returning to the seas.

Gameplay

• An issue causing all tutorial notifications to be reshown to players has now been resolved. Players who have previously completed the criteria for clearing a tutorial will no longer be shown these in future sessions.
  
• Players using the blowpipe should now only be shown the dart switch tutorial until the action is performed, or until the tutorial is shown three times which will hide it for future sessions.
  
• ‘The Legend of Monkey Island’ – Players should no longer be able to leave their Sloop or Brigantine and return to the islands in these Tall Tales while travelling through the Tunnels of the Damned.
  
• The Lightbearer Pistol has had its aiming improved to ensure shots now align with the tip of the iron sights.
  
• Seagulls appearing alongside vessels sailing the seas will now consistently follow the ship for a short while before moving on.

Performance and Stability

• Players on PC should no longer find their DirectX Shader Cache becomes stuck in size, leading to client performance issues.
  
• Further improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session.

Sea of Thieves: Premium Edition

• Players who purchased the Premium Edition of the game should now find the intended Dire Dark Warsmith items in their various Customisation Chests.

The Hunter’s Call

• Hunter’s Call resources can now be picked up later if they were bought in a previous session and not collected.
  
• The Merchant Alliance no longer sell or buy Bait Crates and have passed responsibility to The Hunter’s Call, preventing players from purchasing and then reselling crates on the same island.
  
• The Hunter’s Call Voyage tab now displays icons for all related Voyages.
  
• The Hunter’s Call motto has been updated on the Quest Table.

Hunting Spear

• Players can no longer interact with a ship’s ladder while throwing to duplicate their stock of hunting spears.
  
• Aiming the hunting spear while sprinting will now apply the intended movement slowdown.
  
• Hunting spears fired into damaged areas of a ship will consistently display the correct water effects and sounds.
  
• Spears fired from island cannons should no longer become stuck in the surrounding environment.
  
• Attempting to pick up items from a Collector’s Chest while holding a hunting spear will no longer cause the item to disappear.
  
• Hunting Spears can now be sold to The Reaper’s Bones.
  
• Spears dropped on the ship no longer trigger the ‘Treasure Aboard Ship’ notification.
  
• The audio effects for removing a spear from a ship’s hull now loops as intended when cancelling and quickly restarting the action.
  
• Releasing or cancelling a spear throw when entering the water now consistently shows the intended throw animations.
  
• Pirates aiming a spear and jumping into deep water will now continue to appear aiming.
  
• Hunting spears now produce a splash visual effect when thrown into the water.

Fishing Voyages

• If a player dies while holding a caught fish, Treasured Fish now drop on the ground, while regular fish are added to the player’s inventory if space is available.
  
• Fish still on a fishing rod no longer disappear should the player die.
  
• Frenzy fishing spots should no longer be seen inside the ship when anchoring nearby.

Ancient Megalodons

• Crews engaging an Ancient Megalodon will now consistently hear the appropriate encounter music.
  
• Crews will now progress the Helm of Sea Beast Battles Commendation when defeating Ancient Megalodons.

Environment

• Chests placed on the lifts at Skeleton Camps will now rest properly and not appear to be floating.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Players should no longer be able to get underneath the island at various locations.
  
• ‘Captains of the Damned’ – Players are now prevented from using a Grapple Gun to reach unintended areas of the environment.

Visual and Audio

• The Regal Duke Flag now displays correctly when equipped on a Brigantine.
  
• Pigs wearing outfits now appear correctly when viewed at all distances.
  
• During the Maiden Voyage, the Pirate Lord now appears at the intended brightness when arriving on the player’s ship.
  
• Players equipping the Weighty Lower Body parts of the Skeleton Curse should now appear correctly when performing emotes.
  
• Defeating any island animal will now consistently show the appropriate death animation.
  
• The ship’s lantern near the wheel continues to emit light when moving to various locations around the stern.
  
• Firing the Radiant Comet Blunderbuss no longer allows players to see through the stock during the weapon’s recoil.
  
• The Magpie’s Glory Pocket Watch thumbnail now displays the dial in the correct orientation.
  
• Players’ hands no longer intersect with the Beachcomber’s Bounty Wheel when sailing.
  
• Players performing the Cut the Cake Emote can no longer push the camera inside the barrel.
  
• The Fates of Fortune Eye of Reach scope now appears correctly while reloading.
  
• Pirates of all body sizes now grip the Lucky Hand Double Barrel Pistol correctly.

Text and Localisation

• Improvements have been made to the Fishing Voyage Map to address overlapping text across a range of languages.
  
• The Sovereigns’ tutorial now provides accurate information about the value of selling food at Seaposts.
  
• ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ – French text in the Quest Book for this Tall Tale now displays correctly without overlapping.
  
• ‘The Journey to Mêlée Island’ – Overlapping text issues in Stan’s Sales Ledger have been resolved.
  
• ‘The Quest for Guybrush’ – Text within the Quest Book has been improved to address overlapping text in Japanese, Russian and Polish.
  
• ‘The Lair of LeChuck’ – Text within the Quest Book has been improved to address overlapping text for Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Thai, French and Italian languages.

Ship Resources

• Resource Barrels released from a sunken vessel will no longer float to the surface and will currently remain underwater. However, the resources can still be retrieved from these barrels while underwater.

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[support.seaofthieves.com].

Download Size:

• Steam: 2.2 GB