There’s a time limited event happening in Sea of Thieves with an exclusive cosmetic reward, and a classic promotional ship set has resurfaced from the depths! Plus, a major balance change to the game is coming soon…

Ashen Expeditions- Event live until August 15th

A time limited event is going on in Sea of Thieves, and it’s a hot one!

Volcanic activity in the Devil’s Roar region of the sea has temporarily calmed down, making it the perfect time to gather Ashen Treasures- to encourage this, the trading companies are even giving boosted gold and renown on these items.

But that’s not all- mysterious Ashen Messages in Bottles have started washing up on shores throughout the region, containing quests to find valuable Ashen Treasures. You can spot them by their bright red glint, and they’ll not only lead to treasure, they also boost Emissary Grade considerably.

REWARDS: Pirates that complete Five Ashen Bottle Quests will unlock the event-exclusive Ruby Stinger Rapier cutlass cosmetic.

Mayhem Ship Bundle in the Pirate Emporium

Inspired by the Borderlands video game series, the Mayhem Ship Set has returned to Sea of Thieves, this time purchasable in the Pirate Emporium in honor of the new Borderlands Movie now in theaters!

Twitch Drops Incoming

From August 21st to August 28th, Twitch drops are back! Link your Sea of Thieves and Twitch accounts, watch any participating streamer, and you can unlock the Eastern Winds Sapphire Bejeweled Gloves, Wrap Dress, and Pristine Jacket, and Stalwart Seadog Tankard.

Head over to Seaofthieves.com/Twitch-Drops for more details!

Blunderbuss Balancing

Coming at some point during Season 13, major changes to the Blunderbuss weapon will be implemented in Sea of Thieves, with the aim to make it a more reliable defensive weapon aimed at anti-boarders, and less useful a tool for assaults:

• Damage will be reduced so at max hits it only does 90% damage, not 100% (no more one shot kills!)
• The spread at mid and long range will increase, making the gun much more effective at close range only
• a strong vertical knockback will occur at close range, sending players flying potentially knocking them overboard

These changes are still in testing but are sure to make a huge impact on combat in the game.

News Hoard: Limited Time Event and More was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 13’s headline feature is the addition of a brand new World Event- Captain Flameheart’s mighty flagship, the Burning Blade!

This isn’t just an enemy to defeat, however, as crews who manage to best the boat are given a choice: sink her to depths and collect the loot, or pledge allegiance to Flameheart and take command of the ship yourself! Finally YOU can become the World Event that other crews want to take on

Seeking the Blade

Where can I find this fiery foe?

When the Burning Blade World Event is active, players will be able to find its location by looking at their map table or for the beam on the horizon. On the map table the ship will be marked with a unique icon.

• The ship will roam the world until it has found a target, meaning that if you should stray too close to it then you may find yourself under fire!
• This warship boasts ten cannons (five a side, with two being near the wheel), three decks, a luxurious Captain’s Cabin, and the ability to launch flaming balls of fire from the prow.

• The Burning Blade can be attacked just like any ship, you can choose to fight from a distance using your firepower, or attempt to board and cut down the skeletons, but take note that the ship is immune to all fire-based attacks!
• Once the ship has taken on enough water, it will go into a defeated “idle phase”

Becoming the Blade

Pledging Allegiance to Flameheart

To pledge your Allegiance, players must board the idle Burning Blade and choose to pledge themselves via a prompt at the Table in front of the statue of Flameheart.

• Becoming the crew of the Burning Blade will cause your previous ship to scuttle. The Burning Blade will be your new respawn point, it will become your ship! So make sure to bring any treasure over from your old ship before it sinks, there are no Moving Trucks in Sea of Thieves!
• You’ll also lose Emissary Flag and Grade you had before, as the Burning Blade permanently flies its own Reaper’s Bones Emissary Flag
• Because the ship is so large and unwieldy, you’ll be joined by a crew of loyal Obsidian Skeletons to help fire cannons and repair hull damage. Otherwise, the ship is controlled just like any other

Pull the Lever…

The Burning Blade has one unique attack up its sleeve- a giant front facing Fire Ball Launching, which can be activated every so often by a lever near the ship’s helm.

Crews aboard the ship will also find Obsidian Ashen Winds Skulls to aid in attacking other pirates- don’t forget, the ship itself and the Obsidian Skeletons aboard it are immune to fire damage!

The Journey

Pledging your allegiance to the Burning Blade doesn’t just mean causing mayhem, it also comes with a goal; to seek out the Ancient Temples, collect Ancient Knowledge, and return this Knowledge to Flameheart himself.

Ancient Knowledge can be found in the Ancient Temples that lie underneath Skeleton Camps. The Skeleton Camps can be found on the map marked by the flaming heart icon, and there are six in total to be found across the Sea of Thieves.

Read more about taking on Skeleton Camps in our handy Guide

• Each time your crew completes a ritual deep beneath a Skeleton Camp, a “Ritual Completion” stat will be added to the Burning Blade ship, representing increasing ancient knowledge stored within. The more Ritual Completions, the higher value the ship contains. There is no cap to how high this value can go, but crews must cash it in at some point or risk losing it all
• At the Reaper’s Hideout, Captain Flameheart sits atop a throne and gives crews the option to return the vessel back to Flameheart and cash in the reward for their gains- a hefty amount of Gold and Reputation based on how many Ritual Completions the ship had aboard.

Burning the Blade

Sending the ship to the Depths

Rather than pledging allegiance and taking control of the ship, players can choose to continue assaulting the idle ship. If they sink it, loot will rise much like defeating any other ship on the sea

• Among the loot players will discover the sword/loot item The Blade of Souls. This can be used like a regular cutlass, but is a loot item that must be carried and dropped much like an Ashen Winds Skull, Trident of Dark Tides, etc.
• As a weapon, the sword deals fire damage to every enemy it strikes
• As loot, the sword can be sold to any Trading Company, and its value is half that of the Burning Blade Ship’s Ritual Completion value when it went down

That just about wraps up everything you need to know about the Burning Blade! This unique World Event allows players the opportunity to become the big bad, providing a challenge to those who want to see just how long they can control the ship… or those who want a skilled crew to take down. Keep your wits about you whilst the Burning Blade roams the Seas, and good luck dousing- or fanning- the Flames!

The Burning Blade World Event was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 13 brings a significant change to six islands across the main regions of the Sea of Thieves- turning them from small locations to enforced Skeleton Camps with an Ancient Temple hidden down below.

These Skeleton Camps play a key part in tandem with the new Burning Blade World Event, but can be visited at any time to retrieve the reward inside...

Skeleton Camps

Flameheart has sent his skeletal forces to excavate and take control of six islands across the Sea of Thieves. These islands have been radically transformed from their previous looks as Skeleton Encampments have been built, most notably a large tower with a flame atop. On the Map Table they can also be identified by a new icon beneath the island name.

The six islands are as follows;

Barnacle Cay and Lookout Point in the Ancient Isles

Blind Man’s Lagoon and Shiver Retreat in The Wilds

Pikaroon Palms and the Lagoon of Whispers in the Shores of Plenty

If you’re wondering what has happened to the lone occupant of the Lagoon of Whispers, Umbra has set up camp on Sanctuary Outpost using the derelict rowboats for shelter.

A Quick Tip! — If you see that the central structure has a lit flame then the Temple is active. If there is no flame then it has been recently completed.

Ancient Temples

Deep beneath each of these Skeleton Camps are Ancient Temples. These offer both a combat encounter with skeletons as well as a puzzle solving component. Players can approach these temples at any time to try and acquire the valuable Orb of Secrets loot item within, or they can dive directly with the Voyages On Demand system (but be warned that the loot at the end will be a mix of treasures suitable to the company you dive for, rather than the Orb of Secrets)

The Burning Blade’s backers

• Crews that take control of the Burning Blade Ship through the new Burning Blade World Event can take on these Ancient Temples to increase the value they hold aboard the ship.
• After solving the Constellation Puzzle in the temple, the crew gains access to the Crypt Vault, within which a ritual is being performed. Complete the ritual by lighting the flames on the braziers around the skeleton, and ancient knowledge will be gained, adding Ritual Completion value that is stored upon the Burning Blade ship.
• There is no cap to how many Ritual Completions can be done with the ship and how high the added value goes, but there is a cooldown at each Ancient Temple restricting players from completing the ritual on the same island in quick succession. When players are ready, they can cash that value in at the Reaper’s Hideout for great rewards, or they can keep pushing their luck to earn more at another Ancient Temple!

Other Curious Crews

• Crews that are not helming the Burning Blade can still visit the Skeleton Camps, however, solving the Constellation Puzzle will cause waves of Flameheart’s Obsidian Skeletons to attack players.
• Obsidian Skeletons are immune to all fire based attacks! The final wave is indicated by the spawn of the Raider of Secrets, the captain of these assailants.
• Clearing out the skeletons is the only way to access the Crypt Vault, where players will access the Orb of Secrets, a highly valuable loot item that can be sold to any Trading Company!

Solving the Constellation Puzzles

The Constellation Puzzle is the main draw of the Ancient Temples, as it is required to complete regardless of whether the crew has pledged to the Burning Blade or not.

• First, activate the Spotlight by raising your Lantern and interacting with it. The Wheel located just before the Spotlight will rotate the Star Map horizontally across the wall as the player turns it.
• The player using the Spotlight must highlight Constellations by scanning over stars, then use the secondary interact to focus the beam of light, ‘locking in’ star points to activate the Constellation.
• To open the Crypt Vault, the three Constellations shown above the Crypt Vault door must be found and ‘locked in’. There are additional Constellations around the outer perimeter of the room, which when ‘locked in’ will open for some bonus loot.

Players will need to work together to reveal the Constellations and gain access to the Crypt Vault.

Family Matters

Scattered across the six Ancient Temples are six notes. Find them and read them to discover what happened when Briggsy and Louise explored these ruins many years ago. Finding the six notes will unlock the commendation ‘Friendship and Freedom’, and finding the remains of Legendary Louise will reward curious corsairs with the ‘Lost Legends’ Commendation and an unlock of the ‘Family is the Real Treasure’ Trinket, that they can purchase when they next visit any Shipwright.

Adventures of the Unicorn — Volume 1; Temple beneath Barnacle Cay
From the entrance of the Temple, go down the stairs and immediately take a left and then another left. The Note can be found on the flat rock in the corner by the stairs, covered by foliage.

Adventures of the Unicorn — Volume 2; Temple beneath Lagoon of Whispers
Go up the ramp to the section that is above the Temple Crypt and you will find the Note near a lit flame behind the head of the statue.

Adventure of the Unicorn — Volume 3; Temple beneath Shiver Retreat
Approach the furthest coffer on the left hand side of the Temple, you’ll find the Note on flat rock to the right of the coffer. Look for the glowing lava vein to help spot it.

Adventure of the Unicorn — Volume 4; Temple beneath Pikaroon Palms
Found in a rundown cart on the left side of the Temple. To find it a bit easier, its hidden away behind a pillar as the Note itself blends in with the dusty desert aesthetic of this Temple.

Adventure of the Unicorn — Volume 5; Temple beneath Lookout Point
Found on the table in the alcove on the right side of the Temple

Adventure of the Unicorn — Volume 6; Temple beneath Blind Man’s Lagoon
Look for the large bust of an Ancient that is flanked by two lit fires. The Note can be found on the table here, near the burning incense

Skeletal Remains; Found in the Temple beneath Blind Man’s Lagoon
These are found in Temple Crypt after is has been opened, slouched near the right side stairs

Now you’ve got all the ancient knowledge you need to unlock these temples’ secrets! Make sure to read our Guide to the Burning Blade World Event for more information on helming that villainous vessel

Guide to Skeleton Camps and Ancient Temples was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 13 has pulled up to the docks and unloaded a boatload of new cosmetics for the various storefronts! The free Season Pass and the paid Plunder Pass will be refreshing alongside these new additions as it is the start of a new season.

May the flame burn… for these hot new cosmetics!

Quick Look: What’s Time Limited?

The following items or discounts are available from the Pirate Emporium for a limited time:

• FREE Sting Tide Cutlass

Season Thirteen Rewards

By levelling up your Renown throughout Season Thirteen, players can earn the Bloodstone Dragon clothing set and accessories, Flameheart’s Revenge Tattoo, Scar and Sails, a variety of Miscellaneous but fun Cosmetics, and Pirate Legends can earn Legendary Smith of Bones Belt and Hook as they work their way through the levels! Read our Guide to Season Progression Here

• Guild Ledgers have been refreshed, and work in the same way to Emissary Ledgers. Four tiers, with rewards for placing in the top three, the top one being a moving painting! For info on Guilds, check out our Guide to Guilds here
• Emissary Ledgers will continue to reset monthly and act as a leaderboard of piratey plundering, however, they will no longer reward new cosmetics to the highest tiers going forward. Pirates that have not yet earned all of the top rewards can still do so, but NEW rewards will no longer be added to the “end of the track”.
• The Fortune’s Favour and Reaper’s Riches Commendations have received new grades, allowing players to progress and unlock new cosmetics by collecting Chests of Fortune and Reaper’s Bounties/Reaper’s Chests

Commendation Rewards

• Burning Blade Reborn Ship Liveries— ‘Feeding the Fire’ Commendation
• Obsidian Bone Crusher Ship Liveries and Cosmetics — ‘Sizzling Sinker’ Commendation
• New Skeleton Cosmetics for Pirates who have unlocked the Skeleton Curse, these are unlocked via various Commendations and leveling up past 100 in Servants of the Flame

New Trinkets unlocked via Milestones

• Family is the Real Treasure- ‘Lost Legend’ Commendation
• Eye of the Forgotten Trinket— Gold earned from cashing in Burning Blade with Value
• Scourge of the Seas Painting — Burning Blades Vanquished

Outpost Shops

• Proud Plume Clothing
• Courtly Jackets in three different flavours (Avian, Crustacean, and Cephalapod)
• Carpenter Cutlass, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach and Flintlock Pistol
• Season Six cosmetics have returned — apart from the Dark Relics cosmetics

Pirate Emporium

The Pirate Emporium is the premium transaction store where real money can be exchanged for bundles of in-game currency called “Ancient Coins”.
Players can toggle between their local currency and Ancient Coins.

The store is found on the main menu or in-game above the Order of Souls vendors on Outposts. It sells unique items such as: Pets, Pet Outfits, Emotes, the Pirate Appearance Changing Potion, as well as exclusive premium Ship Sets and other Limited Cosmetic Items.

Here’s everything New in the Emporium this Update:

• SEASON THIRTEEN PLUNDER PASS- Adds an exclusive “tier” of rewards to Season Thirteen’s 100 levels of Renown. There are 13 items included, all temporarily exclusive (but will come to the Emporium separately at a later date)
  For more on Season Progression and Rewards, check out our Quick Guide

• Radiant Comet Set — Is that a shooting star or a ship I spy from afar?
  Collector’s Figurehead and Sails available separately from the bundle.

• Radiant Comet Weapon Set — can be bought individually or as part of a bundle, only contains the Flintlock Pistol, Eye of Reach, Blunderbuss, and Cutlass

• Runway Emote Set

• Radiant Comet Lantern

• FREE Sting Tide Cutlass

• Toucan Pets

After you’re done decorating your ships and dressing your pirates, make sure to read our Guide to Everything New in Season 13 for a run down of new gameplay features in the game!

Season 13 Shopper’s Guide was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Releasing July 25th 2024, Season 13 is coming in hot!

The fearsome fiery foe Captain Flameheart makes a full-bodied return to the waves as part of a new World Event in which YOU the player can take control of his flagship and become the world event!

With a host of new challenges and rewards, read on for our breakdown of the changes to Sea of Thieves in Season 13

Click here for the full Official Patch Notes

Official Season 13 Content Update Video

The Burning Blade, A Fierce New Threat

Captain Flameheart’s return brings with him his beloved flagship, the Burning Blade. Newly reborn, this warship will periodically roam the Sea of Thieves as a World Event, and players who encounter this fiery vessel can take it on in a tense battle. It has ten cannons, can launch fireballs, and is helmed by Obsidian Skeletons that are immune to fire attacks.

Those who come out victorious will have a choice given to them… Take control of the Burning Blade, or sink it to the depths. Do you reap the immediate rewards, or become the world event itself?

For more on how the Burning Blade World Event works, follow the flame this way to our in depth Guide

Ancient Temples Unearthed

Skeletons loyal to Flameheart have been digging deep, searching for long-buried Temples belonging to the Ancients. These excavations have resulted in changes to six islands, now becoming encampments guarded by the zealous undead. Navigate their depths and solve puzzles to earn the valuable new Orb of Secrets loot item.

These Temples c an be visited at any time, but they’re also a way for those pirates helming the Burning Blade ship to earn increasing riches.

Crack the earth and dig deep to discover lost secrets of the Ancients, with our useful Guide to Ancient Temples and Skeleton Camps

A New Blade to Wield

The Blade of Souls is a unique loot item in that it is both a valuable treasure that can be sold and wielded like the Cutlass. It does not go into your inventory, meaning to swap weapons you have to drop the Blade of Souls, much like wielding a Trident of Dark Tides or Ashen Winds Skull, etc.
The Blade of Souls has the ability to set ablaze any foe that is struck by it.

The Blade of Souls can only be obtained by sinking the Burning Blade ship, whether it is crewed by skeletons or by a crew of players, and it can be sold to any Trading Company, with its value depending on the amount of Value aboard the Burning Blade when it was sunk.

New Rewards

• Players that side with the Pirate Lord and sink the Burning Blade ship earn parts of the Obsidian Bone Crusher cosmetic set
• Players that take control of the Burning Blade on behalf of Captain Flameheart will earn parts of the Burning Blade Reborn ship set, as well as new skeleton cosmetics for those that have unlocked the Skeleton Curse through leveling the Servants of the Flame.
• Taking on the Ancient Temples deep beneath the Skeleton Camps will unlock access to new Tattoo cosmetics, and selling the Orb of Secrets found within can unlock the Cracked Orb Lantern, while stealing Orbs from other crews can earn the Reaper’s Bones Shattered Mask

Shopper’s Guide

With a new Season comes a new Plunder Pass and Season Pass but additionally there are new cosmetics to unlock via brand new Commendations. Significantly, Season 13 introduces more Skeleton Cosmetics for pirates who have unlocked the Skeleton Curse.

What else is being added? Our Season 13 Shopper’s Guide gives the lowdown on all the new cosmetics in this update.

That’s all for Sea of Thieves, Season 13! Will you defend the seas from Flameheart’s forces, or pledge to his cause and sail the Burning Blade yourself?

Everything New in Season 13 was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Gilded Voyages, the very lucrative time limited quests in Sea of Thieves, are finally back in a brand new format and with an exclusive Reward! On top of that, there will be some nifty cosmetic giveaways to earn on Twitch next week, among other bits and bobs. Read on for all the juicy details on these big events!

Season 12 Log-In Bonus

To celebrate the launch of Sea of Thieves on Playstation 5, any players that set sail during Season 12 will receive the New Dawn Sails.

Gilded Voyages of the Ancient Isles

Available NOW and until May 23rd (10am UTC), Gilded Voyages are BACK!

What are Gilded Voyages? They’re very rewarding voyages your pirate can gain access to for a limited time, which have much more valuable loot than usual, and with less distance to sail to collect it all. There are 4 different Gilded Voyages to play, one for the Merchant Alliance, Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, and Athena’s Fortune (for crews with a Pirate Legend in their ranks only), however, you’ll only be able to complete each of these voyages 1 time.

How can I do a Gilded Voyage? Go to your ship’s Quest Table, and you’ll find access to these limited time voyages under the “Special Voyages” section. You’ll only be able to undertake these in High Seas however, not in Safer Seas!

What’s new about these? Unlike previous incarnations of Gilded Voyages, ALL of the maps in these voyages will point players to the Ancient Isles region. That means some very busy and very crowded seas full of pirates who might be looking to rob you of your hard earned treasures. In addition to this, the voyages will reward valuable treasures usually exclusive to company Raid Voyages.

Finally, What can I earn for taking part in this Event?
In addition to the highly valuable treasures you can collect along the way, completing any 1 Gilded Voyage will unlock players the exclusive Seamark Tattoo cosmetic reward!

Twitch Drops- May 24th to 27th

Pirates that have linked their Sea of Thieves and Twitch accounts should tune in to watch their favorite Partnered SOT Streamer during this weekend to earn the Eastern Winds Ruby Tankard, Capstan, Cannons, and Sails! All the details are in the link above

That’s it for this edition of the News Hoard! Stay tuned to Golden Sands Blogpost as we cover updates to Season 12 and beyond

News Hoard: Gilded Voyages and Twitch Drops was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 12 marks a major landmark for Sea of Thieves — and for Rare, as it fully launches on PlayStation 5! Along with the raft of new pirates coming in through the Shroud, Rare have ensured there are plenty of new tools to enrich the sandbox experience.

We’ll be giving the highlights of the new content added, explaining them briefly to give you the best info before you head on to your next adventure!

Full patch notes can be found here

Season 12 Official Content Update Video

New Weapons

Since the launch of Sea of Thieves, pirates have been able to equip 2 weapons from the choices of Cutlass, Pistol, Blunderbus, and Eye of Reach. With Season 12, two new default weapon choices enter the lineup- which combination will you choose?

Throwing Knives

A sharp new melee weapon with the added utility of ranged attacks.

Choose to swing at your enemy with a flurry of swipes, a charged up strike, or dispatch from afar with a thrown knife.

Thrown knives that don’t hit an enemy NPC or rival pirate will become ‘stuck’ in the terrain, allowing any player to pick it back up for a limited amount of time. Even if you don’t have throwing knives equipped yourself you can still pick one up and it will stay as your active weapon until you use it or switch out.

Charged up strikes deal more damage than usual strikes but both have a smaller attack range than the Cutlass.

Double-Barrel Flintlock

Two flintlocks in one! Almost. Fires eight rounds before needing to be restocked, with each shot alternating between the left and right barrel.

Can be charged up to use both shots at the same time to deal more damage.

New Tools

Along with default pirate-to-pirate weapon choices, a variety of other weapons and utilities have been added to the sandbox world.

Scattershot

A new cannonball type that when fired splits into smaller chunks, inflicting more holes on the enemy ship. These holes will only be “tier one holes” (the smallest and quickest type to fix) but there will be four made when a scattershot hits. Because of the amount of holes they can create, they have a smaller range than regular cannonballs and so are optimally used when you are closer to the target!

Scattershots are a rare find in any Storage Barrel across the world, and players can only hold a maximum of five at a time.

Bone Caller

Bring some extra help to the fight by calling in some bony reinforcements!

The Bone Caller is a new throwable that summons skeletons to fight on your side when thrown down. This can be used to fend off enemy mobs on islands, or to cause more chaos on deck by using them on rival ships. These skeletons however only have a limited lifespan, turning back into bone dust after roughly a minute. They can also be slain like normal skeletons too.

Bone Callers can be loaded into cannons, and although they will not do any damage to a ship they can be fired to create skeletons on the deck of that ship and create more problems for your rivals!

Bone Callers can be reliably found in Storage Crates dropped by Skeleton Ships during the Skeleton Fleet World Event, and can be found in the Storage Barrels of Skeleton Forts across the Seas.

Horn of Fair Winds

Found emergently in Siren Treasuries, Shrines and Shipwrecks, the Horn of Fair Winds can give your ship that little extra boost to make headwinds more manageable.

When used it creates a blast of air in a cone-shape from the seashell that can affect players and mobs. This has a number of uses:

• putting out fires
• giving full billow to a ship’s sail
• Boosting a pirate through the water like a rocket
• propelling a rowboat faster through the sea
• cushioning the fall when landing from a long drop
• knocking other pirates off of your ship

The Horn of Fair Winds does have a limited amount of charge however, and will revert to being an ordinary seashell when that charge is all used up. It can be sold, charged or not.

Harpoon Line Walking

Pirates have long since gotten used to the harpoon guns on the front of their ships, but at long last they can now walk across the created ropelines like a trapeze artist!

Whilst a harpoon is attached to something, players can approach either end and choose to walk on the wire, if it is at a suitable angle. Players must maintain their balance whilst walking these lines.

Loot can be carried along the wires. If the wire breaks whilst a pirate is on it, the pirate will fall where they were.

If the line is at too steep of an angle, pirates will only be able to slide down it from the highest point.

Ziplines

Ziplines can now be found on various islands around the Sea of Thieves. These allow for fast travel from one point to another, but only go in one direction.

Shopper’s Guide

A new Season means a fresh new 100 levels of the free season pass and an optional new refreshed Plunder Pass. Highlights of the free pass this time is the Famous Pirate clothing, Wild Rose Music Box, and incredible top hat, whereas the Plunder Pass contains a new ship set and a two-part evolving Curse.
Its not just the Season Pass that has been refreshed though! Outpost stores also have new stock for you to peruse.

For a more detailed look at new cosmetics, check out our Shopper’s Guide here

That’s all for now as we enter an exciting new era on the Sea of Thieves!

Everything New in Season 12 was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 12 is upon us! And as usual this means a whole smorgasbord of new cosmetics will be gracing the Pirate Emporium and in-game shops! Dropping alongside these are returns of old Seasonal items, new Season and Plunder Passes, and refreshes for various activities.

What are we waiting for? Let’s get shopping!

Quick Look: What’s Time Limited?

The following items or discounts are available from the Pirate Emporium for a limited time:

• FREE Paradise Garden Pistol

Season Twelve Rewards

By levelling up your Renown throughout Season Twelve, players can earn the Famous Pirate clothing set and accessories, the Famed Buccaneer Sails and Flag, a variety of Cosmetics, and Pirate Legends can earn Graymarrow’s Boots and Wild Rose Music Box as they work their way through the levels! Read our Guide to Season Progression Here

• Guild Ledgers have been refreshed, and work in the same way to Emissary Ledgers. Four tiers, with rewards for placing in the top three, the top one being a moving painting! For info on Guilds, check out our Guide to Guilds here
• Emissary Ledgers will continue to reset monthly and act as a leaderboard of piratey plundering, however, they will no longer reward new cosmetics to the highest tiers going forward. Pirates that have not yet earned all of the top rewards can still do so, but NEW rewards will no longer be added to the “end of the track”.
• The Fortune’s Favour and Reaper’s Riches Commendations have received new grades, allowing players to progress and unlock new cosmetics by collecting Chests of Fortune and Reaper’s Bounties/Reaper’s Chests

Commendation Rewards

• Seared Forsaken Ashes Ship Set, Clothing, and Heavy Sword and Rapier
• Refined Gold Speaking Trumpet, Cutlass and Spyglass
• Midnight Prowl Ship Set

Outpost Shops

• Items from the Season 5 season pass will be returning to Outpost storefronts, costing a mix of Doubloons or Gold
• Cartographer Tattoo

Pirate Emporium

The Pirate Emporium is the premium transaction store where real money can be exchanged for bundles of in-game currency called “Ancient Coins”.
Players can toggle between their local currency and Ancient Coins.

The store is found on the main menu or in-game above the Order of Souls vendors on Outposts. It sells unique items such as: Pets, Pet Outfits, Emotes, the Pirate Appearance Changing Potion, as well as exclusive premium Ship Sets and other Limited Cosmetic Items.

Here’s everything New in the Emporium this Update:

• SEASON TWELVE PLUNDER PASS- Adds an exclusive “tier” of rewards to Season Twelve’s 100 levels of Renown. There are 13 items included, all temporarily exclusive (but will come to the Emporium separately at a later date)
  For more on Season Progression and Rewards, check out our Quick Guide

• Checkmate Ship Set — Pirates with a checkered past may like this chessboard-inspired ship set
  Collector’s Figurehead and Sails available separately from the bundle.

• Checkmate Clothing — Make the winning move whilst wearing this and court fortune Can be bought as a set or individually

• Checkmate Weapon Set — can be bought individually or as part of a bundle, only contains the Flintlock Pistol, Eye of Reach, Blunderbuss, and Cutlass
• Scrappy Weapon Pose Emote Set

• Throwing Knives Cosmetics for the Crimson Crypt, Lodestar and Dark Warsmith Sets
• RETURNING Sting Tide Ship Set and Costume
• Sting Tide Lantern
• FREE Paradise Garden Eye of Reach

and something else…

• OWLS! Owl pets are now available in the Pirate Emporium and come in five varieties- Barn, Black-Banded, Great Grey, Tawny, and Snowy

After you’re done decorating your ships and dressing your pirates, make sure to read our Guide to Everything New in Season 12 for a run down of new gameplay features in the game!

Season 12 Shopper’s Guide was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season Eleven comes to Sea of Thieves this January 23rd 2024, and with it brings one of the biggest shake ups since its launch in 2018. What are these changes? Read on below as we aim to summarise the big and small of this bumper Season.

Official Patch Notes in full can be found here

Season Eleven Launch Trailer

Season Eleven Deep Dive

Play The Way You Want

Season Eleven puts more power in the hands of the player in deciding how to start their sessions and the flow of their sessions. How Voyages and the world are approached have been completely re-thought resulting in Voyages being moved to the Quest Table (many may know it as Captain’s Table) of your ship. Alongside the Diving technology brought in with Season Eight, players now have more control on what content they can interact with.

Voyages, World Events (Raids), and Tall Tales are now conveniently placed in one easy to access location, and for greater ease these activities can be directly Dived to.

For the full rundown to what these changes mean to the game, read our Super Guide to the Quest Table

With Distinction

To compliment the new way to approach any given session in Sea of Thieves, the Reputation system has also received major changes. Now the level cap for each Trading Company is 100. Company specific Raids and Voyages are unlocked as you earn levels, with a new mechanic introduced when a player hits level 100 — Distinction.

When a player achieves a Distinction in a Trading Company, they can reset their level back to zero to begin working through the reputation levels again. Earning a Distinction unlocks Trading Company-specific Ring cosmetics which develop as players earn more Distinctions.
There are currently five levels of Distinctions — with Distinction 5 earning a full hand of rings.

(These changes do not apply to the Hunter’s Call as of writing)

Fortune Upon the Waves

The Chest of Fortune has been moved to the Skeleton Fleet world event. To indicate the world event has the Chest, it will appear as a red-tinted ship cloud rather than grey.
The Chest itself will only spawn once the Fleet has been completely defeated. The commendations Fortune’s Favour and Reaper’s Riches have been increased to Grade 3, ensuring new cosmetics for crafty corsairs who seek these Chests.

Shopper’s Guide — Season Eleven

Season Eleven brings in many new cosmetics across several storefronts — as well as adding in new stores for each Trading Company (minus the Hunters Call). With the new Season comes a new Season Pass, with free and paid tracks. The Pirate Emporium has recieved new stock too.

Dive on over to the full article for the details on what got added and where!

Smoother Sailing

• Changes have been made to the spawning of mobs. Phantoms will now only spawn during the night and Ocean Crawlers will now only spawn during the day
• The amount of loot found in Shipwrecks has been increased
• Emergent Skeleton Captains will drop maps to the islands they were found on, with the treasures uncovered including Reaper’s Bounty, Gunpowder Barrels, or Storage Crates containing rare resources
• Ashen Guardians now drop Maps to the islands they were found on, as well as now giving an Ashen Key
• A new rock has appeared north-west of the Sea Dog Tavern
• Nearby players will be able to hear when the last bullet has been fired from your firearm
• Additional trinket spots on all ship types via the bookshelf

Head over to Sea of Thieves’ official website for the full detailed Patch Notes for this Season 11 update!

Everything New in Season Eleven was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Season 11 is upon us! The latest seasonal update gives us a large swathe of new cosmetics to spend our Gold, Doubloons, or Coins on, refreshing the Pirate Emporium alongside major changes to the Trading Companies. Lets take a dive and look at what has been added across the board!

Quick Look: What’s Time Limited?

The following items or discounts are available from the Pirate Emporium for a limited time:

• FREE Paradise Garden Eye of Reach
• Return of Lunar Festival Weapons and Costume

Season Eleven Rewards

By levelling up your Renown throughout Season Ten, players can earn the Cunning Serpent clothing set and accessories, the Frog Lantern, a variety of Cosmetics, and Pirate Legends can earn Belle’s Dress and Briggsy’s Gloves as they work their way through the levels! Read our Guide to Season Progression Here

• Emissary Ledgers have received a refresh, with Company-themed Speaking Trumpets and Lanterns being added to the list of cosmetics pirates can earn as they achieve those Ledger placings.
• Guild Ledgers have opened, and work in the same way to Emissary Ledgers. Four tiers, with rewards for placing in the top three, the top one being a moving painting! For info on this new feature, check out our Guide to Guilds here
• The Fortune’s Favour and Reaper’s Riches Commendations have received new grades, allowing players to progress and unlock new cosmetics. There are further Fates of Fortune ship liveries to earn through Fortune’s Favour, and weapons through Reaper’s Riches, completing the set for both.

Everything New In…

The Quick Look above shows every item that’s Time Limited in nature, but that’s not all that’s been added to the game’s various shops!

Commendation Rewards

• The Maestro set of clothing, unlocked through The Artistic Souls Commendation found under Legends of the Sea

Outpost Shops

• All Trading Company Representatives now have a Shop menu, offering cosmetics themed to their Trading Company ranging from clothing to trinkets that will unlock as you progress levels through the relevant Company
• New Rings Cosmetic: These are Trading Company themed and evolve as you work through the Distinctions which are part of Sea of Thieves On-Demand Reputation change
• Wicked Web, Wanda’s Spyglass, Cursed Adventurers Cutlass, Banjo of Banishment, Capstan of Candles all return, locked behind Commendations and a Doubloon price
• New Cartographer Weapons in the weapon shops, unlocked through the Treasured Company and Treasures Fit for a King Commendations

Pirate Emporium

The Pirate Emporium is the premium transaction store where real money can be exchanged for bundles of in-game currency called “Ancient Coins”.
Players can toggle between their local currency and Ancient Coins.

The store is found on the main menu or in-game above the Order of Souls vendors on Outposts. It sells unique items such as: Pets, Pet Outfits, Emotes, the Pirate Appearance Changing Potion, as well as exclusive premium Ship Sets and other Limited Cosmetic Items.

Here’s everything New in the Emporium this Update:

• SEASON ELEVEN PLUNDER PASS- Adds an exclusive “tier” of rewards to Season Ten’s 100 levels of Renown. There are 13 items included, all temporarily exclusive (but will come to the Emporium separately at a later date)
  For more on Season Progression and Rewards, check out our Quick Guide

• Boarhunter Ship Set — Set sail on a hunt for the elusive boar, in this ship set designed after the creature itself
  Collector’s Figurehead and Sails available separately from the bundle.

• Boarhunter Clothing — Can be bought as a set or individually
• Boarhunter Trinket

• Boarhunter Weapon Set — can be bought individually or as part of a bundle

• Exercise Emote Bundle

• Lunar Festival Dragon Figurehead and Sails

• FREE Paradise Garden Eye of Reach

Season Eleven Shopper’s Guide- January was originally published in Golden Sands Blogpost on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.