The Perks of Being a Sea of Thieves Captain

Following a recent revisit to Sea of Thieves’ Captaincy system and changes made to streamline player progression (which we encourage you to read about in more detail), we thought it’d be well worth recapping the reasons why you might want to buy your own ship and set sail as a Captain in the first place. So here’s a handy reminder of the perks available to our Captains of Adventure!

A Home on the Seas

Say goodbye to rentals – your ship is now your own, purchased with hard-earned gold and gaining its own history and reputation as you sail upon it. There’s a certain amount of pride that comes with adventuring on something that’s been by your side through naval battles and Kraken attacks, rather than something you set foot on for the very first time that day.

Conversely, the sweet sorrow of sinking is so much more painful when it’s your own vessel descending into the murky depths, the battle scars that persist across your ship’s hull when it’s hauled back to the surface serving as a sharp reminder of your defeat. However…

Battle Scars, Begone

If the hull of your ship looks like a slice of Swiss cheese and you’d rather it was as smooth as the skin of a freshly picked banana, being a Captain can help with that too. Visit a shipwright at any Outpost and they’ll be able to make your ship look box-fresh and beautiful again!

A Ship By Any Other Name…

“A good name is rather to be chosen than riches,” as they say, and as Captain you get to bestow the name of your choice upon your ship. Provided it meets the criteria, the Pirate Lord himself will officially recognise your chosen name, engraving it on the Ship’s Crest and stern the first time you set foot on deck.

Even better, other pirates who spy your ship from across the sea will be presented with a Ship’s Banner letting them know your ship’s name, and the name of the Captain at its helm. Will you choose a name that strikes fear into the heart of all who see it? One that taunts other pirates into attack? Or will you take the opportunity to make a joke so daft that those who see it are rendered helpless with laughter? That’s the great thing about being a Captain – the choice is yours.

Deck-orate Your Own Ship

Speaking of choice, Captain status also brings far greater control over how your ship looks. Channel your inner designer as you customise your chair, bed, table and more to create the Captain’s cabin of your dreams. Then you can further decorate your ship with Trinkets, be they knick-knacks purchased from the shipwright or Trophies unlocked via your daring deeds.

So that you don’t have to spend your precious plunder procurement time fiddling around in the Ship Customisation Chest, you can save the inner and outer customisations so that your ship looks ship-shape, shiny and ready to go at the start of each and every session.

Say Ahoy to the Sovereigns

Being a Captain comes with a certain amount of prestige, and you may find that people who ignored you before are now very interested in hearing what you have to say – and sell. The Sovereigns have set up their fancy marquees at every Outpost, and they’re so keen to make friends with pirate Captains that they’ll deliver your treasure to the Trading Companies on your behalf. They’ve even installed Rowboat docks and harpoons to make unloading treasure easy for anyone sailing on a Captained ship.

No more separating your Castaway’s Chests from your Coral Skulls and Cannonball Crates – hand it all in to your local Sovereign, then kick back and enjoy the view as the gold and reputation come rolling in.

Oar-inspiring Perks

It’s not just the Sovereigns, though. Being a Captain unlocks other bonus services that were previously unavailable to you. Instead of having to scour an Outpost’s barrels for supplies and lug anything you find across the island, onto your ship and below deck for storage, a quick visit to the shipwright’s shop (and a palm full of gold to sweeten the deal, of course) can see your barrels stocked up with cannonballs, meat, fruit, wood, bait and even throwables like firebombs and blunderbombs.

The shipwrights also sell special Captain’s Voyages to keep on the bookcase on your ship ­– these span a variety of Trading Companies and give you more control over what your Voyage will entail and how long it will take you to complete.

And that wraps up our whistle-stop tour of Captaincy benefits! We hope it was enlightening to all those fresh-faced pirates who’ve taken their maiden voyage since Captaincy arrived back in Season Seven, and reinvigorating to any Captains who’ve already dabbled but still have much more to explore. As recent changes have made the rewards more achievable than ever, now’s the perfect time to do it!

– Amy “Infamy” Jones, Producer