I just came up with this while responding to another fellow, and now I'm wondering what other people think.
1 - The Hunter's Call pursues the Leviathan into the icy North through sleet and snow where the fishing is more dangerous and more profitable.
2 - From beyond the Devil's Roar strange new pirates arrive bringing Junks and throwing knives from the far East.
3 - The Grand Maritime Union invades from the West, building stone forts on two islands to use as their foothold in the Sea of Thieves, bringing bayonets and the Ship of the Line.
(Could even be a 10 man ship for a new gamemode, 2 ships, large crews, 1 tense battle)
4 - Captain Flameheart grants his "Gift" for his most loyal servants in the Reaper's Bones, and turns them into Skeleton Lords upon reaching Rank 6 (until they are killed, and are deemed unworthy of retaining his boon until they prove themselves again)
5 - Wielding his baleful trident, the Father of Storms awakens in the South to challenge the Pirate Lord and Captain Flameheart for control over the Sea of Thieves, bringing violent thunderstorms, whirlpools, and uncovering sunken ruins rich with relics.
6 - Wicked cackles echo off the waves from Isla de la Bruja. The Bokor has emerged from the jungles to challenge the Order of Souls for the powers that the sprits offer, bringing Jumbees/zombies, giant wildlife, and man-eating plants.
7 - Shipwrights have come to the Sea of Thieves offering their services, allowing players to swap out their harpoon guns for swivel-guns, and bringing grapeshot and sea mines into the world.
^All of these encourage the players to work together and sink each other, honoring the PvEvP core of the game while adding to it to ensure it stands head-and-shoulders over other games of it's like :)
