Release Notes

Build new game modes to challenge your friends, record unrivalled cinematics and experience the Sea of Thieves like never before! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 20 page.

Session Lobbies

• With the keys to the seas, players can now create and host a Custom Seas lobby and invite up to 24 players and six crews, with full control over ship types and expanded crew configurations.

• Session Owners can invite others via platform invites or a Join Code, promote Session Leaders with deeper access and launch directly onto the seas with their chosen setup.

Switches and Presets

• Switches allow Session Owners to customise a range of settings that modify how the world operates once a session is started. These include categories that control players, ships, emergent creatures, World Events and treasure hand-in locations.

• A set of Rare-curated Presets are also available to help quickly begin customising a session, including Adventure, Competitive Pirates, Competitive Sandbox and Social. A Creative preset is available for owners looking to start from scratch. Once a Preset is selected, a session can be modified further with fine-grained access to all available switches, and can be saved for future use.

Command Menu

• Once in-game, a Command Menu can be accessed from the Game Options that provides a suite of in-game commands to control the session, from managing the roster, editing ships and crews through to controlling World Events, changing settings and spawning items.

• From the Command Menu, players can begin a range of World Events on demand, choosing the Event type and (where applicable) its location. Players can also control the time of day and reposition weather events like storms and fog.

• A Quick Commands Menu is also available, providing fast access to useful commands like Fly, Quick Sail, Quick Spawn and Free Camera.

Silver and Scoring

• While no progress or gold is earned during Custom Seas sessions, silver can be used as a temporary currency to provide a way of keeping score. Session Owners can configure scoreboards for this, providing flexibility for a range of different experiences.

• Scoring switches define how and when silver is earned, including scoring start conditions, time limits, score limits and team or individual scoring. Silver rewards can be assigned to player actions, creatures, ships, World Events and loot hand‑ins, with support for both positive and negative values.

• When inside a session, players will be notified when earning silver and can view both a live scoreboard on the HUD and a full scoreboard showing detailed standings, objectives and active limits.

• The Command Menu provides in‑session control over starting, pausing, resetting or ending scoring and timers.

Free Camera

• The Free Camera can be accessed from the Quick Commands Menu, and various camera settings allow for a customised experience ranging from movement speed, field of view and depth of field to manipulation of environmental conditions.

• The Free Camera can be moved manually or locked onto players, ships or creatures for a dynamic shot.

Legendary Locations

• Custom Seas sessions can now take place in a variety of iconic locations from Sea of Thieves. Legendary Locations include Old Sailor Isle, Tribute Peak, the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern and the Damned Sea Dog Tavern.

Another Season means 50 new Season Pass levels to climb by raising your Renown, with racks full of rewards to snag along the way – and an optional Premium Tier adding even more!

Season Pass Evolved

• The Season Pass now offers 50 levels of rewards to progress through. Every five levels, players can earn Doubloon Pouches, playable Voyages and a choice of cosmetic rewards previously available from the Pirate Emporium.

• Progressing to level 50 and completing this Season Pass will reward players with the Star Prize: the Greed’s Reach Cutlass.

• Players can also purchase a limited number of Season Pass levels in each Season. There is a limit of 10 levels which can be purchased for 150 Ancient Coins each, directly from the Season Pass. These will be granted to all Pirate Profiles. All newly unlocked rewards from purchased levels can be claimed immediately from the Season Pass.

Season Pass: Premium Tier

• The Premium Tier is the new name for the Plunder Pass, adding Ancient Coins and an exclusive new ship set to the mix. Premium Tier players completing the Season will earn back a total of 1000 Ancient Coins to spend as they wish in the Pirate Emporium, or to purchase next Season’s Premium Tier!

• Fully completing this Season Pass will reward players with all available pieces of the Sirens’ Splendour ship set, including Collector’s Figurehead and Sails.

• Players purchasing the Premium Tier will also receive a boosted rate of Renown progression for this Season, accelerating their journey through the Season Pass and Premium Tier levels.

• The Premium Tier is purchasable in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage, Microsoft Store, PlayStation™Store or Steam Item Store!

Earning Seasonal Renown

• Crews will now earn Renown from more deliberate actions at sea, such as completing Voyages, Tall Tales and World Events and selling any treasure discovered. Exploration and fishing will also continue to reward Renown in small amounts.

• Players joining in the festivities during the Bilge Rats Weekender can also earn Renown.

• Crews looking to progress through the Season Pass by taking on other players can now earn Renown by sinking Emissary Ships or other rivals in Faction Battles and Last Ship Standing.

Season 20 Deeds and Rewards

• Season 20 does not operate with an Act structure, and with the launch of Custom Seas, players can tackle a range of time-limited Deeds exclusively within Custom Seas to earn a boost to their Seasonal Renown (awarded when returning to High Seas). Completing all available Deeds in Season 20 will award the Custom Crafter Sails!

Season 20 Emissary Ledger Rewards

• This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the ‘Below Wonderlit Skies’ Painting, the ‘Riches of Friendship’ Ornament and Guild of Bespoke Briny Seas Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.

• The Hunter’s Call Emissary Ledger now offers the Living Depths Eye of Reach and Living Depths Blunderbuss along with the Assailant of Extraordinary Imagination Title. These new rewards are earnable by Hunters representing the Company as Emissaries.

Chest of Fortune

• During Season 20, the Chest of Fortune will no longer be confined to a single World Event and will instead stand a chance of being found across a range of emergent World Events.

• The following emergent World Events will have a chance for the Chest of Fortune to be part of the treasure on completion: Skeleton Forts, Reaper Fortresses, Fort of Fortune, Ashen Winds, Skeleton Fleets, Ghost Fleets, the Burning Blade and the Fort of the Damned.

• Vanquishing one of these emergent World Events can reward players with one of three loot hauls: a regular loot pile, a lower chance of a regular loot pile with a Chest of Fortune, or a rare chance of a regular loot pile and three Chests of Fortune.

Experiment – World Event Raid Voyages

• During Season 20, all on‑demand World Event Raid Voyages have been removed from the Quest Table.

• The World Event Raid Voyages disabled are: A Duel with an Ashen Lord, A Raid on a Skeleton Fort, A Battle with a Skeleton Fleet, A Raid on a Reaper Fortress and A Battle with the Burning Blade’s Armada.

• While these World Events are no longer available as on-demand Raids, they will continue to appear emergently on the seas and when encountered will offer the highest value on completion.

• This is a time-limited live experiment, allowing the team to learn how this change alters the dynamics on the seas. The success or failure of this experiment will inform potential future permanent changes to the experience.

Last Ship Standing – Quick Requeue

• Crews losing a Last Ship Standing battle will now be given the ability to dive straight back beneath the waves and search for their next opponent. Using Quick Requeue also offers the benefit of the provided Faction Storage Crates and automatic raising of the Emissary Flag, ensuring crews are prepared for their next battle.

Last Ship Standing – Winners' Grace Period

• After besting their rivals to become the Last Ship Standing, winners are now given even more time to collect their spoils and head to the final portal.

Double Barrel Pistol Improvements

• Improvements have been made to the Double Barrel Pistol to enhance the in-combat experience when stashing, reloading and restocking ammo.

• After firing a shot and having the second barrel ready to fire, players attempting to stash and re-wield or restock ammo from a crate will now find the weapon consistently remains in a ready-to-fire state with its second barrel. Previously, performing one of these actions would force the weapon to fully reload both barrels before being able to fire, losing the player crucial seconds in a fight.

• Players may now find they are required to reload manually in these scenarios, but can now choose to do that at a time that suits them during combat.

A Pirate’s Life Anniversary Celebration (June 22nd – September 17th)

• Celebrate five years of Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life! Complete any of the associated Tall Tales before Season 20 ends to unlock the Sea of Thieves Sea King’s Cutlass.

Season 20 Community Weekend (June 26th – June 29th)

• Back once again for Season 20! Enjoy free gifts and Twitch Drops, seek out sneaky Pop-Up Plunder, pose in front of Picture Walls (including new ones at Legendary Locations in Custom Seas) and make use of Community Emissary Grade reward boosts, raised by watching Sea of Thieves streamers on Twitch.

• The Meridian Hunter Eye of Reach is on offer for completing Event Goals, and if players collectively complete enough World Events during Community Weekend to meet the Community Spirit Goal, the Meridian Hunter Cutlass will also be unlocked for everyone taking part.

• Keep an eye on our dedicated Community Weekend page for a complete breakdown of what’s included closer to the date!

Last Ship Standing (July 3rd – July 10th)

• The Seas of Sailor’s Grave reopen for the return of Last Ship Standing, with Solo and Duo Sloops able to dive into battle from the War Map.

• Alongside boosted Allegiance, crews can earn 200 Doubloons for their first win and 100 Doubloons for their first top 3 finish.

Weekly Fight Nights (starting July 14th)

• Fight Nights return as a regular event in Season 20! For 24 hours every Tuesday (starting 10am UTC), when Last Ship Standing is not active, earn double Allegiance and gold for every Faction Battle fought.

Bilge Rats Weekender (July 17th – July 20th)

• New Challenges task crews in High Seas to perform musical stunts, daring deliveries, Skeleton Ship antics and various hijinks with other crews.

• The spirit of Legends Week returns for this Weekender, which brings back Legendary Messages in a Bottle. These grant Athena’s Fortune quests with boosted gold and reputation – while Event Goals earn crews those sought-after Doubloons.

• Players should check with Larinna to find out more details on the Weekender and the location of the next Bilge Rats Firework Display!

• The Black Market will receive new stock during the Weekender for players with Doubloons to spend:

  • Shadow Tide Jacket and Boots

  • Spider’s Venom Dress and Hook

  • Hungering One Hunter’s Gloves

  • Bloodstone Dragon Gold Pin Hair 

  • Master of the High Seas Shirt

  • Famous Pirate Eyepatch

  • Power Chord Emote

  • Legendary Hunter’s Call Pistol (requires Pirate Legend status)

• Letters of Recommendation on sale in the Black Market will refresh as part of the Bilge Rats Weekender moving forward, and will no longer refresh during Sea of Thieves game updates.

• The Smugglers’ Market will also have new items in stock for Doubloons, the contents of which will remain hidden until Duke is discovered in his new location!

New Outpost Stock!

• The Outpost clothing shops now offer the Silver Coin clothing set for purchase with gold.

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!

• Scene Stealer Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest

• Scene Stealer Weapon Bundle (Cutlass, Pistol, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach)

• Scene Stealer Clothing Bundle (Hat, Jacket, Trousers, Gloves, Boots, Capitano Mask, Vecchi Mask, Zanni Mask)

• Bilge Rats Bull Terrier 

• Ghostly Curse Owl (requires Pirate Legend status)

• Table Flip Emote

• Dog Dance Emote – now returning for free!

Gameplay

• Players retrieving items from a barrel will now consistently take items from the selected stack.

• Ships docked to the south side of The Reaper's Hideout will now be in range of the Ship Customisation Chest, allowing crew members to customise and decorate their ship.

• Several pistols have been reviewed and their aiming improved to ensure shots now align with the tip of the barrel, or the iron sights for those that have them. Improved weapons include the Legendary Flintlock, Legendary Fortune Pistol, Pistol of the Bristling Barnacle, Rococo Pistol and Paradise Garden Pistol.

• Ships entering the Tunnels of the Damned are now consistently repaired.

• The Map Table and various hanging points should no longer allow multiple pirates to occupy the same location at the same time.

• Players rejoining a session while migrating to a new server should no longer find they are unable to use items and resources from their inventory.

• Players meeting all the necessary requirements and speaking to Lottie should now be shown the appropriate choices in her dialogue.

Last Ship Standing

• While a rare occurrence, crews entering a battle should no longer experience their ship being flipped into the air and their battle abruptly ended.

• Crews aligned with the Guardians of Fortune sinking other Guardians of Fortune vessels should now recover Emissary Flags showing as won in battle.

• Ships destroyed by shrinking Battle Bounds now release Emissary Flags that show as won in battle.

• Cancelling a battle while sailing beneath the waves waiting for rivals no longer causes players to become stuck on a black loading screen.

• Cancelling a battle while sailing beneath the waves should no longer display an Hourglass value awarded notification when arriving back at an Outpost.

• The Fiery Treble, Fiery Quintuple, Fiery Strike, Athena Treble, Athena Quintuple and Athena Strike Commendations now consistently progress as intended when crews with active streaks win a Last Ship Standing battle.

• Voting for Last Ship Standing should no longer display the Faction Treasure Onboard Grade counter.

• Bone Caller Skeletons now appear when Bone Callers explode on players’ and rivals’ ships.

• Players disconnecting and rejoining the game after winning a battle should now still find the portal is present to return to High Seas.

• Players leaving and starting a new session while sailing beneath the waves waiting for rivals should no longer find that when voting for a Last Ship Standing battle in the new session, they are not given the option to cancel matchmaking.

Environment

• Players can no longer use the Grapple Gun to climb into the ceiling of caves on Crescent Isle.

• Improvements have been made to areas of the environment at Mercy’s End Fortress to address visual issues.

• Players stepping on lit campfires at Picaroon Palms will now catch fire.

• Skeleton Ships navigating near the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern no longer become stuck on surrounding rocks.

Visual and Audio

• Players retrieving a throwing knife from the environment after throwing will now consistently hold it in the correct position when viewed by others.

• The Doubloon Crate and Secret Shipment Crate now glint correctly when viewed from a distance.

User Interface

• The Legendary Sea Dog Blunderbuss now has the correct iconography when browsing the Armoury.

• Players can now use a customised emote radial while under the effects of the Mimic Dart.

• The ‘More’ prompt no longer appears on the Pirate Wheel of Emotions or the Disguise Radial when there is only one page of options.

• Players on PC choosing to Disable Controllers will no longer find their controller remains disabled when playing on the same account on a console platform.

• Pet pigs shown while browsing the Pirate Emporium are now animated.

• The Gorgon Cannon Flare now shows the correct icon when browsing the Pirate Emporium.

Accessibility

• Players are now free to set Translate Other Players and Speech-To-Text Override independently and should no longer find that changing either of these settings affects the other.

Text and Localisation

• During the Secret Shipment Voyage, players using Russian language settings should now see notifications translated correctly.

Performance and Stability

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

• This update includes a range of smaller improvements to high-framerate play, addressing hitches that impact the smoothness of gameplay.

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:

Xbox Series X: 3.66 GB
Xbox Series S: 3.21 GB
Xbox One X: 2.6 GB
Xbox One: 3.21 GB
Microsoft Store: 2.7 GB
Steam: 3.3 GB
PlayStation®5: 1.66 GB
Battle.net: 14 GB

XBOX INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

PC INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.

PS5® INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.