# Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition changelog > Sea of Thieves is a smash-hit pirate adventure game, offering the quintessential pirate experience of plundering lost treasures,… - Vendor: Rare Ltd - Category: Games - Official site: https://www.seaofthieves.com - Tracked by: What's New (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition) - Harvested from: Steam (app 1172620) - Entries below: 16 (newest first) What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog. ## Releases ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – 3.8.1 - Date: 2026-07-23 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/714533682400985668 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-714533682400985668 - **added** — Players can now choose an emote and enter Free Camera mode to perform the emote while accessing full camera controls - **added** — A new official Pirate Practice Preset has been added for quick access to practice runs through World Events and naval battles - **added** — Session Join Code digits are now hidden when entering a custom session code to prevent sharing - **added** — Jettisoned resource barrels, Storage Crates, and Emissary Flags from sunken ships now have seagulls circling above them in Last Ship Standing for easier location - **changed** — Bone Callers used to attack other crews now summon one skeleton on a Sloop, two on a Brigantine, and three on a Galleon instead of always summoning three - **changed** — Firing ranged weapons into water now produces a visual and audible splash effect - **changed** — Last Ship Standing final battle area now slowly shrinks over 10 minutes starting at the 25-minute mark instead of remaining static - **changed** — Last Ship Standing portal will not appear until winners sail away from the final combat area - **changed** — Victorious crews in Last Ship Standing can now carry Emissary Flags as trophies into subsequent matches - **changed** — Merchant Alliance Commendations for recovering Resource Crates now accept additional new Commodities including Fruit Crates, Wood Crates, Cannonball Crates, and Gunpowder Barrels - **changed** — Miles Sailed Commendations now progress when sailing with an active Emissary Flag in addition to active Voyages - **changed** — Faction Battle Commendations now progress when crews win battles with active Streak instead of only when cashing in the Streak - **changed** — The Playing the Part Commendation now requires a single Burning Blade returned with 8 or more Rituals down from 10 Burning Blades returned - **changed** — The Feeding the Fire Commendation now progresses when crews retrieve Rituals while maintaining their active streak ##### Custom Seas 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](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-20). **Emoting with Free Camera** - Players are now able to choose an emote and enter Free Camera mode, allowing them to perform the emote while accessing the full camera controls. **Pirate Practice Preset** - A new official Preset has been added, providing players with quick access to an experience set up for swift practice runs through World Events, naval battles and more. **Session Join Code Protection** - When entering a Join Code to access a custom session, the digits will now remain hidden to prevent the code from being shared with others potentially viewing. The code can also be revealed and hidden at any time while being entered. ##### Gameplay Improvements **Bone Caller Balancing** - Bone Callers used to attack other crews’ ships have been rebalanced and are now dynamic based on ship size. When thrown, each will now summon one skeleton on a Sloop, two on a Brigantine and three on a Galleon. - No changes have been made to Bone Callers used defensively on the crew’s own ship, and they will continue to summon three skeletons on all ship sizes or when used on land. **Water Splash Improvements** - Firing ranged weapons into the water now results in a satisfying visual and audible splash. **Last Ship Standing – Shrinking Battle Bounds** - While the Battle Bounds will continue to shrink in stages early in the battle, the final area will no longer remain static during the final phases of the fight. - Crews will now find that at the 25-minute mark, the final area between the rocks will slowly shrink over the course of 10 minutes, forcing the battle towards an explosive close. **Last Ship Standing – Retrieving the Spoils of Battle** - Any jettisoned resource barrels, Storage Crates or Emissary Flags released from sunken ships now have seagulls circling above them, to make them easier to locate during the fight. **Last Ship Standing – Winners’ Grace Period** - After besting their rivals to become the Last Ship Standing, winners will now find that the portal will not appear until they sail away from the final combat area. This change has been implemented to address crews being prematurely removed from the area. - Winners are still returned to the High Seas after 10 minutes, giving them plenty of time to collect their spoils. **Last Ship Standing – Diving with Emissary Flags** - Victorious crews claiming the Emissary Flags of their rivals will now be able to return to the High Seas and dive again into their next battle, and continue to carry their Flags as trophies into subsequent matches. ##### Commendation Improvements A range of legacy Commendations have become increasingly difficult to achieve over time as the game has evolved. As part of this update, these Commendations are being extended to support additional methods of progression. **Merchant Alliance Commendation Improvements** - Merchant Alliance Commendations that task pirates with recovering various Resource Crates and resources have been reworked to provide a more predictable way for players to progress. - Four new Commodities introduced to Merchant Trade Routes give players new ways to progress the following Commendations in addition to the original requirements: Merchant Forager – Fruit Crates or Crates of Unprepared Ingredients Merchant Shipwright – Wood Crates or Crates of Crude Repair Materials Cast Iron Merchant – Cannonball Crates or Crates of Unwrought Munitions Black Powder Merchant – Gunpowder Barrels or Crates of Unprocessed Gunpowder **Miles Sailed Commendation Improvements** - Trading Company Commendations that require players to sail with an active Voyage have been updated, and will now also progress when the crew is sailing on behalf _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/714533682400985668]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – Hotfix 3.8.0.2 - Date: 2026-07-09 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/696516748689545501 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-696516748689545501 - **fixed** — The Chest of Fortune is now being awarded upon completion of emergent World Events where it was previously prevented - **changed** — Chances of finding one or multiple Chests of Fortune during emergent World Events have been significantly increased - **fixed** — Skeleton Forts, Reaper Fortresses, the Fort of Fortune, Ashen Winds, Skeleton Fleets, Ghost Fleets, the Burning Blade and the Fort of the Damned now provide a chance of discovering a Chest of Fortune as intended - **fixed** — Skeleton waves can no longer stop appearing during a Fort siege, which was halting progress through encounters in Skeleton Forts, Reaper Fortresses, the Fort of Fortune and the Fort of the Damned - **fixed** — Players can no longer scuttle prior to sinking during a Faction Battle to prevent their opponent from receiving the win and rewards - **fixed** — Challenge checklists no longer appear blank when opened during the Bilge Rats Weekender ##### Updates **Chest of Fortune Balancing** - The issues preventing some emergent World Events from awarding the Chest of Fortune upon completion have been addressed, and the Chest of Fortune is now being awarded where intended. - When tackling any of these emergent World Events, the chances of players finding one or even multiple Chests of Fortune have now been significantly increased! ##### Fixed Issues **Gameplay** - The following World Events now provide a chance of discovering a Chest of Fortune as intended: Skeleton Forts, Reaper Fortresses, the Fort of Fortune, Ashen Winds, Skeleton Fleets, Ghost Fleets, the Burning Blade and the Fort of the Damned. - Crews should no longer find that during a Fort siege, skeleton waves can stop appearing, halting progress through the encounter. This addresses issues experienced in Skeleton Forts, Reaper Fortresses, the Fort of Fortune and the Fort of the Damned. **Faction Battles** - Players who attempt to scuttle prior to sinking during a Faction Battle can no longer prevent their opponent from receiving the win and their rewards. **Bilge Rats Weekender** - Further improvements have been made to prevent Challenge checklists from appearing blank when opened during the Bilge Rats Weekender. ##### Known Issues 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](https://support.seaofthieves.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000063027-Known-Issues). ##### Full Release Notes These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our [latest content update](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/715656412138572418). ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – Hotfix 3.8.0.1 - Date: 2026-06-25 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/696516748689539527 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-696516748689539527 - **fixed** — The Fleet of Fortune should no longer appear as one of the emergent World Events taking place on the seas during Season 20 - **fixed** — Players below deck on the Sloop can no longer jump to reach through the grate and grab the cannons above - **fixed** — Resource Crates spawned in Custom Seas should now contain the intended resources and no longer appear empty - **fixed** — When changing ship sizes during a session the ship now spawns immediately, allowing players to teleport directly to them without needing to use a mermaid - **fixed** — Players will no longer be left on an endless loading screen after exiting a cannon at various Legendary Locations - **fixed** — Resetting the Free Camera settings now correctly resets the Time of Day, Depth of Field and Focal Distance options - **fixed** — Resetting a paused timer on the Scoreboard now correctly refreshes the value shown in the HUD - **fixed** — Players wielding a Grapple Gun or blowpipe now appear to hold the item correctly when viewed through the Free Camera - **fixed** — When starting a Custom Seas session at Tribute Peak, the door to the Catacombs now remains open throughout the session - **fixed** — Starting a Ghost Fleet World Event no longer causes its tornado to appear higher in the sky than intended - **fixed** — Players will no longer encounter a stuck loading spinner when repeatedly confirming the deletion of a Preset - **fixed** — Players must complete the Maiden Voyage before being able to join a Custom Seas session, with an informative error now shown to those attempting to join before completion - **fixed** — Players should no longer receive gold from certain activities in Custom Seas, with gold rewards now restricted as intended - **fixed** — When purchasing Season Pass levels, notifications should no longer display for every Pirate Profile a player owns, and only be shown for the active Profile - **fixed** — After purchasing a Season Pass level from the front-end menu, the player's Renown level and Ancient Coin balance will now refresh automatically - **fixed** — The notification when unlocking the first level of the Season Pass now appears correctly for pirates beginning a fresh Season Pass - **fixed** — The Bombardier Stash Voyage artwork now shows the correct image for the Chest of Rage - **fixed** — Further improvements to matchmaking have been made to address issues that were causing crews to become stuck beneath the waves when waiting for rivals - **fixed** — Solo pirates sailing beneath the waves waiting for a match are now consistently prevented from inviting other players to their crew - **fixed** — Crews disconnecting, closing the game or crashing while travelling beneath the waves are no longer offered the ability to rejoin their session to address instability issues - **fixed** — Players using game transcription should now find that a range of menus throughout Custom Seas are now narrated correctly when navigating - **fixed** — Improvements have been made to game stability to reduce scenarios where players unexpectedly exit the game or become disconnected from their session ##### Updates **Emergent World Events** - The Fleet of Fortune should no longer appear as one of the emergent World Events taking place on the seas during Season 20. ##### Fixed Issues **Gameplay** - Players below deck on the Sloop can no longer jump to reach through the grate and grab the cannons above. **Custom Seas** - Resource Crates spawned in Custom Seas should now contain the intended resources and no longer appear empty. - When changing ship sizes during a session the ship now spawns immediately, allowing players to teleport directly to them without needing to use a mermaid. - Players will no longer be left on an endless loading screen after exiting a cannon at various Legendary Locations. - Resetting the Free Camera settings now correctly resets the Time of Day, Depth of Field and Focal Distance options. - Resetting a paused timer on the Scoreboard now correctly refreshes the value shown in the HUD. - Players wielding a Grapple Gun or blowpipe now appear to hold the item correctly when viewed through the Free Camera. - When starting a Custom Seas session at Tribute Peak, the door to the Catacombs now remains open throughout the session. - Starting a Ghost Fleet World Event no longer causes its tornado to appear higher in the sky than intended. - Players will no longer encounter a stuck loading spinner when repeatedly confirming the deletion of a Preset. - Players must complete the Maiden Voyage before being able to join a Custom Seas session. Players attempting to join a Custom Seas session prior to completion will now be shown a Maidenbeard error that informs them how to resolve the issue. - Players should no longer receive gold from certain activities in Custom Seas, with gold rewards now restricted as intended. **Season Pass Evolved** - When purchasing Season Pass levels, notifications should no longer display for every Pirate Profile a player owns, and only be shown for the active Profile. - After purchasing a Season Pass level from the front-end menu, the player’s Renown level and Ancient Coin balance will now refresh automatically. - The notification when unlocking the first level of the Season Pass now appears correctly for pirates beginning a fresh Season Pass. - The Bombardier Stash Voyage artwork now shows the correct image for the Chest of Rage. **Last Ship Standing** - Further improvements to matchmaking have been made to address issues that were causing crews to become stuck beneath the waves when waiting for rivals. - Solo pirates sailing beneath the waves waiting for a match are now consistently prevented from inviting other players to their crew. - Crews disconnecting, closing the game or crashing while travelling beneath the waves are no longer offered the ability to rejoin their session. This has been done to address a wide range of instability issues caused by players rejoining sessions. **Accessibility** - Players using game transcription should now find that a range of menus throughout Custom Seas are now narrated correctly when navigating. **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. ##### Known Issues 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](https://support.seaofthieves.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000063027-Known-Issues). ##### Full Release Notes These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our [latest content update](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/715656412138572418). ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – 3.8.0 - Date: 2026-06-18 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/715656412138572418 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-715656412138572418 - **added** — Create and host Custom Seas lobbies with up to 24 players and six crews, with full control over ship types and expanded crew configurations - **added** — Use Switches to customize settings that modify how the world operates in a Custom Seas session, including categories for players, ships, emergent creatures, World Events and treasure hand-in locations - **added** — Select from Rare-curated Presets including Adventure, Competitive Pirates, Competitive Sandbox, Social and Creative to quickly begin customizing a Custom Seas session - **added** — Access a Command Menu in-game to control the session, manage the roster, edit ships and crews, control World Events, change settings and spawn items - **added** — Begin World Events on demand from the Command Menu, choosing the Event type and location, and control the time of day and reposition weather events - **added** — Use silver as a temporary currency in Custom Seas sessions to keep score with configurable scoreboards - **added** — Configure scoring switches that define how and when silver is earned, including scoring start conditions, time limits, score limits and team or individual scoring - **added** — Access a Free Camera from the Quick Commands Menu with customizable settings for movement speed, field of view, depth of field and environmental conditions - **added** — Lock the Free Camera onto players, ships or creatures for dynamic shots - **added** — Hold Custom Seas sessions in iconic Legendary Locations including Old Sailor Isle, Tribute Peak, the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern and the Damned Sea Dog Tavern - **changed** — Season Pass now offers 50 levels of rewards instead of the previous structure - **changed** — Every five levels in the Season Pass, players can earn Doubloon Pouches, playable Voyages and a choice of cosmetic rewards previously available from the Pirate Emporium - **changed** — Plunder Pass is now named Premium Tier - **changed** — Premium Tier players completing the Season will earn back a total of 1000 Ancient Coins - **changed** — Premium Tier players receive a boosted rate of Renown progression for the Season - **added** — Earn Renown from completing Voyages, Tall Tales and World Events and selling treasure discovered - **added** — Earn Renown by sinking Emissary Ships or other rivals in Faction Battles and Last Ship Standing - **added** — Earn Renown by joining in the festivities during the Bilge Rats Weekender - **added** — Completing Season 20 rewards the Star Prize: the Greed's Reach Cutlass ##### Custom Seas 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](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-20). **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. ##### Season 20 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 _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/715656412138572418]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – Hotfix 3.7.2.1 - Date: 2026-05-29 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/707773210124354490 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-707773210124354490 - **changed** — Battle Bounds in Last Ship Standing now remain at a larger size during endgame to provide more space for crews to battle - **changed** — Prolonged Last Ship Standing battles over an hour are now forced to an end with Battle Bounds shrinking to a final match ending zone - **changed** — Winners of Last Ship Standing are now given additional time to collect spoils and head to the final portal - **fixed** — Fixed crews surfacing from beneath the waves experiencing a stuck loading screen that prevented them from joining a Last Ship Standing battle ##### Last Ship Standing **Shrinking Battle Bounds** - While the Battle Bounds will continue to shrink at the same stages early in the battle, during the endgame the area will now remain at a larger size to provide more space for crews to battle. - While most battles will end naturally in a flurry of cannon fire, prolonged battles of over an hour will now be forced to an end with the Battle Bounds shrinking to a final ‘match ending’ zone to ensure one ship can be crowned victorious. **Winners’ Grace Period** - After besting their rivals to become the Last Ship Standing, winners are now given additional time to collect their spoils and head to the final portal. ##### Fixed Issues **Last Ship Standing** - When enough rivals are found, crews surfacing from beneath the waves should no longer experience a stuck loading screen that prevents them from joining the battle. (Released previously as part of an interim update.) ##### Known Issues **Last Ship Standing – Waiting for Battle** - While travelling beneath the waves waiting for a Last Ship Standing battle, players may experience rubberbanding when moving around their ship. The team are aware of the issue and working to address it as part of a follow-up update. - While waiting for a Last Ship Standing battle, crews are currently prevented from loading cannons and interacting with the ship’s Ammo Crates. This is not consistent with Faction Battles and will be addressed as part of a follow-up update. **Last Ship Standing – Quick Requeue** - Following a Last Ship Standing battle, the ability to requeue into the next fight has been temporarily disabled to address instability. The team are aware of the issue and working to address and return this feature as part of a follow-up update. 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](https://support.seaofthieves.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000063027-Known-Issues). ##### Full Release Notes These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our [latest content update](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/666114279352565993). ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.7.2 - Date: 2026-05-21 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/666114279352565993 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-666114279352565993 - **added** — Introduce Last Ship Standing, a mass battle between up to six Sloops in the Seas of Sailor's Grave within the Sea of the Damned - **added** — Enable solo and duo Sloop crews to join Last Ship Standing battles during Act 3, with separate matchmaking for fair fights - **added** — Add three distinct environments in the Seas of Sailor's Grave: the Fingers of Dread, Fate's Passage, and the Ruins of Lost Freedom - **added** — Implement shrinking Battle Bounds during Last Ship Standing that contract at set intervals to bring ships together and end battles climactically - **added** — Award Allegiance to all participating Sloop crews based on final placement, with the last ship standing earning a significant amount - **added** — Introduce new Act 3 rewards including Champion of Flame and Champion of Fortune Battle-Scarred Sails, Hulls, and Flags - **added** — Provide Faction Storage Crates to participating crews with low stocks to ensure competitive readiness without prior stocking - **changed** — Increase Reaper's Chests reward to 20 Doubloons when handed in to The Reaper's Bones - **changed** — Improve audio and visual treatment of Battle Bounds by retaining deep red sea colour while shifting player screen to greyscale instead of red - **changed** — Soften audio mix when players are caught in Battle Bounds to provide danger cues without overwhelming players - **changed** — Modify deck grates on each ship to prevent throwables from being thrown through, causing them to explode on impact instead - **changed** — Expand Streamer Mode Support section to include Mute All Other Crews' Voice, Text and Phrases Chat controls during sessions - **added** — Add Painted Peacock clothing set for purchase with gold at Outpost clothing shops - **added** — Introduce Shoreline Scouts Ship Collection, weapon bundle, clothing bundle, spyglass, and compass to the Pirate Emporium - **added** — Add Crustacean Celebration Emote and Mystery Egg Emote to the Pirate Emporium - **added** — Return Shovel Skills Emote to the Pirate Emporium as a free item - **fixed** — Optimize client framerate in scenarios where multiple objects are created in rapid succession, such as approaching busy gameplay areas or spawning large enemy groups - **fixed** — Address hitches impacting smoothness of high-framerate gameplay with a range of smaller improvements ##### Last Ship Standing Join a mass battle between up to six Sloops in the strange surroundings of the Sea of the Damned! Last Ship Standing's debut appearance will be live for the duration of Season 19: Act 3. **Solo and Duo Sloop Battles** - Sloop crews can now join in a battle to the death within the Sea of the Damned to become the Last Ship Standing! During Act 3, both duo and solo Sloops will only battle in Last Ship Standing, while Brigantines and Galleons will continue to dive into 1v1 Faction Battles. - Crews ready to fight should choose their Faction at the Hourglass of Fate, unfurl the War Map and prepare to dive. Solo and duo crews are matched separately to ensure a fair fight. - All participating Sloop crews will be held beneath the waves until six ships are ready to battle. If matchmaking cannot find enough rivals for the fight after a short time, it will reduce to five and then further to four to allow battles to commence in a timely fashion. - On arrival, all crews will be eligible for Faction Storage Crates if their stocks are low, ensuring they can be competitive without prior stocking. During the battle, resources from sunk ships will continue to resurface and can be collected for mid-battle restocking. - During the fight, the Battle Bounds will shrink in size at set intervals to bring ships together, discourage fleeing and ensure the fight is brought to a climactic end with one crew victorious. **Seas of Sailor's Grave** - Last Ship Standing takes place in a new location within the Sea of the Damned: the Seas of Sailor’s Grave. This battle area has three distinct environments, each with unique characteristics to provide a varied landscape for crews to master in battle. - The Fingers of Dread test crews’ navigation through a jagged gauntlet of towering stones; Fate’s Passage has low-lying sea stacks perfect for trading shots at distance and retreating for cover; and the Ruins of Lost Freedom are littered with crumbling structures perfect for hide-and-seek engagement. **Earning Allegiance** - Ships sunk during the battle are returned to the High Seas, but will be rewarded with Allegiance for their chosen Faction based on their final placement. The last ship standing will earn a significant amount of Allegiance and is then free to leave through the portal when ready. **Act 3 Rewards** - Crews diving into Last Ship Standing and completing Act 3’s Deeds can earn new ship items to proudly represent Athena’s Fortune or the Servants of the Flame in battle. - Servants of the Flame can earn the Champion of Flame Battle-Scarred Sails, Hull and Flag, while those battling on behalf of Athena’s Fortune can earn the Champion of Fortune Battle-Scarred Sails, Hull and Flag. ##### Gameplay Improvements **Reaper’s Chests** - Reaper’s Chests handed in to The Reaper’s Bones now reward crews with 20 Doubloons, and continue to offer boosted returns when sailing as a Reaper’s Bones Emissary! **Shrinking Battle Bounds Improvements** - The audio and visual treatment of the Seas of Fate found at the edge of Faction Battles has been improved to address player feedback. - Crews sailing into the Battle Bounds will find the sea retains its deep red colour to signify the perilous nature of sailing near to the edge. The player’s screen, however, will no longer turn red and will instead shift to greyscale, ensuring players retain the danger cue but can still stay competitive during the battle. - When players are caught in the Battle Bounds, the audio mix has been softened to continue providing clear danger cues but not overwhelming players navigating through this perilous zone. **Deck Grate Improvements** - The deck grates on each ship now prevent throwables from being thrown through and will instead cause them to explode on impact. Players will, however, continue to be able to shoot and bail water through the grates. **Performance Improvements** - This update includes an optimisation to provide a smoother client f _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/666114279352565993]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.7.1 - Date: 2026-04-16 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/623327006824595495 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-623327006824595495 - **added** — Bilge Rats Weekender event running April 16th to April 20th, 2026 with special Voyages and Challenges to earn Doubloons - **added** — Outposts and Seaposts decorated for the Bilge Rats Weekender with Larinna present in taverns - **added** — Bilge Rats Firework Display events at select Outposts each evening at 9pm in-game time during the Weekender - **added** — Bilge Rats Fireworks Crate available for purchase from Larinna - **added** — Smuggler's Doubloon Run Voyage rewarding Doubloons for smuggling cargo along a marked route - **added** — Recovery of a Secret Shipment Voyage rewarding Doubloons and cosmetic items for recovering Smugglers' Shipwreck cargo - **added** — Bilge Rats Challenges offering lighthearted themed activities in High Seas with Doubloon rewards - **added** — Festival of Fishing returns during each Bilge Rats Weekender with limited Voyages, Event Goals, and Doubloon rewards - **added** — Hunter's Call offering free Emissary Flags, boosted Emissary Grade progression, and gold and reputation boosts for fishing during Festival of Fishing - **added** — Bilge Rats Black Market now offers cosmetics previously earned through Seasonal Renown purchasable with Doubloons for over a year - **added** — Smugglers' Market hidden location on the seas offering previously time-limited and new cosmetics for Doubloons lasting over a year - **added** — Midnight Prowler weapons including Cutlass, Pistol, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach, Heavy Sword and Rapier available at Outpost weaponsmiths - **added** — Red Resolute Sails, Hull and Flag available at Outpost shipwrights - **changed** — All items previously available at Outposts priced in Doubloons are now exclusively available for purchase with gold - **changed** — Doubloon wallets now have an earnings cap of 4000 Doubloons - **changed** — Crews returning more than three Doubloon Crates or Secret Shipment Crates receive gold instead of Doubloons for subsequent hand-ins - **changed** — Existing Doubloon totals reset and converted to gold on starting first session following the update - **added** — Doubloons earned from climbing Seasonal Renown levels in Season 19 are returned to player wallets after conversion ##### Bilge Rats Weekender Undertake special Voyages and Challenges to win Doubloons in this recurring pirate celebration! The extended debut of the Bilge Rats Weekender is live from April 16th to April 20th, 2026. **The Celebrations Begin!** - With the Bilge Rats Weekender now active, the Outposts and Seaposts are decorated for the occasion! Larinna can be found inside the tavern and will share more details on this month’s Event, along with access to the Bilge Rats Black Market. - During the Weekender, each evening at 9pm (in-game time) a select Outpost will host a rousing Bilge Rats Firework Display, with the best viewing location clearly laid out. Larinna will inform pirates of the schedule for upcoming shows, allowing crews to plan their evening activities. - Players can join in the festivities themselves by purchasing a Bilge Rats Fireworks Crate from Larinna. **Bilge Rats Voyages** - While the Weekender is live, all pirates can take on two new limited Voyages: the Smuggler’s Doubloon Run and Recovery of a Secret Shipment, each rewarding crews with the now sought-after Doubloons. - The Smugglers’ Doubloon Run dares crews to smuggle valuable cargo along the marked route. Players should keep an eye on the horizon for rivals while sailing this perilous route, if they want to claim the Smugglers’ reward of a sizeable amount of Doubloons upon completion. - The Recovery of a Secret Shipment tasks crews with tracking down a Smugglers’ Shipwreck and reclaiming the valuable cargo within. Players can earn a cosmetic item from previous Seasonal rewards for returning their first Secret Shipment Crate during the Weekender, and Doubloons for recovering additional crates. - Crews returning more than three of their own Doubloon Crates or Secret Shipment Crates will find that subsequent hand-ins award gold in place of Doubloons. Relieving rival crews of their crates during the Weekender, however, will continue to reward Doubloons for each crate handed in. **Bilge Rats Challenges** - Each Weekender also offers a set of Bilge Rats Challenges, lighthearted themed activities that celebrate the more playful side of _Sea of Thieves_. - Challenges are available when sailing on High Seas, can be completed in any order and reward Doubloons for each one completed, whether they’re tackled solo or as part of a crew. **Festival of Fishing Returns** - During each Bilge Rats Weekender, a popular Live Event from _Sea of Thieves_ history will return. For this first Weekender, the Festival of Fishing returns with two limited Voyages available in High Seas, Event Goals and Doubloon rewards on offer. - While this Event is active, The Hunter’s Call will also offer bonuses including free Emissary Flags, boosted Emissary Grade progression and gold and reputation boosts for fishing. ##### Outpost Shops and Black Market **New Bilge Rats Black Market Stock!** - Larinna has reopened the Bilge Rats Black Market and offers a range of items that could previously be earned by climbing levels of Seasonal Renown, now purchasable with Doubloons. These items will remain available in the shop for over a year, giving players plenty of time to earn Doubloons and pick up their favourites. - The Black Market has received new stock for Season 19: o Bloodstone Dragon Hat, Pegleg, Gloves and Shirt o Shadow Tide Mask, Hook, Belt and Serene Hair o Hungering One Hunter’s Hook, Eyepatch, Trousers and Boots o Famous Pirate Jacket, Dress, Boots and Belt o Scorecard and Shimmy Dance Emotes o Wild Rose Music Box and Legendary Smith of Bones Belt (requires Pirate Legend status) **New Smugglers’ Market Stock!** - Duke has set up shop in a hidden location on the seas, and crews who determine his whereabouts can browse the new Smugglers’ Market – the contents of which will remain hidden until discovered. - This new shop not only brings back some previously time-limited items but introduces a few new cosmetics too. Duke’s stock will remain available for _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/623327006824595495]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.7.0 - Date: 2026-03-19 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/507356684541231471 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-507356684541231471 ##### Improved Faction Battles Season 19 kicks off by overhauling the Hourglass of Fate, later promising a festival-themed Event and a new battle mode for Sloop crews! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our [dedicated Season 19 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-19). **Shrinking Battle Bounds** - During a Faction Battle, the Battle Bounds will now shrink in size at set intervals during the encounter to discourage fleeing, encourage more exciting battles and ensure fights are brought to a climactic end. - The starting battle size remains unchanged, allowing crews the space to test their rivals. The area will then shrink twice during the battle, bringing crews together, before settling on an intense final area – where the only option is to fight to become the victor. - Crews will be notified on-screen and hear clear audio cues when the Battle Bounds are changing. These are also clearly visualised at all times, both on the water’s surface and on the Ship’s Map. - Crews pledging to a Faction and making a defensive stand on the High Seas against rivals will now find that if they are located nearby or purposefully hidden within the bounds of an island, the shrinking Battle Bounds will consistently force them further out into open waters for the final battle area. **Faction Storage Crates** - When entering a Faction Battle, ships low on supplies will now find a Faction Storage Crate near the mast to help their crews get straight into the fight with sufficient resources to be competitive. - Upon diving to a battle, the crew’s current supplies spread across any barrels, Storage Crates, player inventories and loaded cannons will be tallied against a minimum threshold. A Faction Storage Crate will then be provided that resupplies resources for any item found under the threshold. **Automatically Raising Emissary Flag** - Crews entering a Faction Battle using the Hourglass of Fate will now have an Emissary Flag raised automatically on behalf of their Faction, reducing the time needed to prepare for battle at the start of a session or following a loss, and ensuring crews earn Emissary Grade progression from all Faction Battles. - Crews representing the Guardians of Fortune will have their Emissary Flag raised for Athena’s Fortune, while those representing the Servants of the Flame will raise a flag for The Reaper’s Bones. Crews who do not own an Emissary Flag for their Faction will not have an Emissary Flag raised. **Quick Requeue** - Crews losing a Faction Battle will now be offered 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. **Faction Battle Entry Requirements** - New players are now required to complete a set of High Seas activities before their crew is eligible to participate in Faction Battles with rival crews, establishing a greater time investment before players unlock access to on-demand battles. - All members of the crew are now required to have completed the Maiden Voyage and the Tutorial Voyages for the Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls and Merchant Alliance, and reached rank 25 with The Reaper’s Bones during High Seas play. - Previous techniques used to skip the Maiden Voyage or Trading Company Tutorial Voyages are no longer possible, requiring players to complete these fully before they can become eligible. - Veteran players will find that they have retained their access to Faction Battles following this update, even if they have not completed all the entry requirements. These new requirements have been established for any new players or new accounts starting their journey on the seas. **New Guardians of Fortune Allegiance Rewards** - Players earning Allegiance in Faction Battles and progressing through ranks 1-100 with the Guardians of Fortune will now un _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/507356684541231471]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes – Hotfix 3.6.2.1 - Date: 2026-03-12 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/541133047968301185 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-541133047968301185 ##### Fixed Issues **Gameplay** - Players dying while wearing a Disguise or mimicking another player should no longer appear invisible to others when returning from the Ferry of the Damned. - Crews with rival ships nearby are once again blocked from server migration until ships are a safe distance away. (Released previously as part of an interim update.) - Crews should no longer encounter the possibility of treasure on board their ship vanishing in certain ship migration scenarios. (Released previously as part of an interim update.) **Ashen Garrisons** - Pirates using the Rowboat found within the Ashen Garrison should no longer find the Rowboat is destroyed and treasure on board lost when the Ashen Garrison resets. - If all crew members are defeated by the Captain of the Vault and sent to the Ferry of the Damned, the Captain should now remain active at the Garrison upon the crew’s return. - Crews should no longer find an abundance of Ashen Keys when besieging an Ashen Garrison and will now need to be more selective with which compartments they choose to unlock. - After returning to a previously cleared Ashen Garrison, crews should no longer encounter extra waves of enemies on subsequent siege attempts. ##### Known Issues 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](https://support.seaofthieves.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000063027-Known-Issues). ##### Full Release Notes These release notes cover a hotfix. For full details on recently added game features, see the release notes on our [latest content update](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/520866219114365080). ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.2 - Date: 2026-03-05 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/520866219114365080 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-520866219114365080 ##### Secrets of the Banished: Act 3 Take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our [dedicated Season 18 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-18). **Ashen Garrisons** - Flameheart’s forces have constructed two new Ashen Garrisons deep within The Devil’s Roar. Crews are tasked with assaulting these heavily fortified skeleton strongholds to crack open the Treasuries and reap the rewards within. - Crews must navigate perilous waters and scale the outer walls to begin their assault, then battle across the ramparts, unlocking access to the Guardhouse before they can enter the central Garrison structure. - With the main door unlocked from within the Guardhouse, crews must then battle through waves of Flameheart’s forces defending the inner Garrison before dispatching the Custodian of the Treasury to unlock access to the Treasury and the riches held within. - Servant’s Oath Garrison and King’s Chalice Garrison have unique layouts, and crews can find new Lighthouse Logs held within lockboxes in each Garrison. - Crews can sail directly into The Devil’s Roar to assault these new Ashen Garrisons, or begin a Raid Voyage for their chosen Trading Company from the Quest Table and dive on demand to earn Company-specific rewards. **Chest of Bones Mega Stash** - For the duration of Act 3, Ashen Garrisons will have a chance for their Vaults to be boosted by a Chest of Bones Mega Stash, replacing the contents of the Treasury with an immense treasure pile of significantly higher value including a stash of Ashen Chests of Bones. - Both emergent Ashen Garrisons and on-demand Raid Voyages can result in a Mega Stash. However, the chance of this boost is much higher when encountering an emergent Ashen Garrison in the world. - Ashen Garrisons taken on in Safer Seas always provide the same treasure and will not be boosted by a Mega Stash. **Act 3 Commendations and Rewards** - Act 3 introduces new Adventures at Sea Commendations, challenging crews to take on the fearsome Ashen Garrisons. Completing these Commendations unlocks access to the Dark Skies ship set and weapons, Forsaken Ashes Makeup, ‘The Ghostly Writer’ Painting and Garrison Gatecrasher Title. - Crews completing Act 3’s Deeds can also earn the Ashen Garrison Sails to commemorate their feats. **Chest of Fortune** - During Act 3, the Chest of Fortune will return to the Fort of Fortune Vault. ##### Gameplay Improvements **Increasing Player Sightings on the Seas** - Crews diving to an experience from the Quest Table will now find they can emerge within sight of other ships on their new server. This allows servers more space to bring in crews and maintain the target of six ships on a server. - Servers that experience a low population for prolonged periods of time will now be more reactive in moving crews onto busier servers. Servers that recognise their low population can now migrate crews who are travelling across the seas at faster speeds and no longer have to wait for ships to become stationary, ensuring they can safely migrate all crews when required. - As part of this update, these changes to the experience will be monitored and tweaked where necessary in the live game. Players may therefore experience changes to these systems outside the usual game updates. **Message in a Bottle Balancing** - Crews discovering a washed-up Message in a Bottle should now more commonly locate green bottles containing Quest Maps for the various Trading Companies. Coral and Smuggler’s variants are now a much rarer find. **Self-Righting Ship Buoyancy** - Ships that capsize due to reckless behaviour by their Captain or through discovery of a rogue Black Powder Barrel will now right themselves at sea and consistently return to an upright position in order to continue sailing. **Chest of Bones Map Visibility** - The Chest of Bones is no longe _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/520866219114365080]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.1 - Date: 2026-01-22 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/509603414731130311 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-509603414731130311 ##### Secrets of the Banished: Act 2 Take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our [dedicated Season 18 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-18). **Molten Sands Fortress** - For the duration of Act 2, Molten Sands Fortress will be the site of a fierce encounter with Flameheart’s forces, and highly sought-after treasure can be seized by crews who dare to take on the challenge. - Crews must first prove their worth to their preferred Trading Company and reach Emissary Grade 5, then claim a unique Emissary Quest from that Company. Emissary Grade progress is accelerated during Act 2 – but crews can still be targeted by prowling Reapers! - This Emissary Quest will lead to a showdown with a formidable Eternal Guard. Valiant crews who defeat the Guard will be awarded the Molten Sands Key, which can either be sold for gold and reputation or taken into The Devil’s Roar to activate the Molten Sands Fortress battle for even greater spoils. - The Fortress battle will be fierce, pitting crews against an army hell-bent on protecting the Vault, including waves of Banished Skeletons, Shadow and Gold Skeletons, imposing Skeleton Lords and even deadly Ashen Lords. - Crews who survive this encounter will uncover a wealth of loot within the Vault, such as Ashen Treasures and the all-important Orb of the Banished. For the duration of Act 2, the Vault at Molten Sands is also the home of the Chest of Fortune. **Act 2 Time-Limited Rewards** - Crews taking on Molten Sands Fortress during Act 2 can unlock a variety of time-limited Trading Company-themed Ship’s Crests for representing them as an Emissary. This includes the Hoarders’, Merchants’, Order’s, Hunter’s, Fortune’s and Reaper’s Exiled Ship Crests. ##### Pirate Emporium 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](https://www.seaofthieves.com/pirate-emporium) to browse and buy the latest additions! **New Items – Now in Stock!** - Lone Night Wulf Ship Collection - Lone Night Wulf Weapon Bundle - Lone Night Wulf Costume - Lodestar Cabin Bundle - Tankard Scalding Emote – Free! ##### Outpost Cosmetics **New Outpost Stock!** - The shipwrights have restocked this month with the tropically themed Palm Resolute Sails, Hull and Flag. ##### Updates **Cross-Region Matchmaking Improvements** - To improve matchmaking times in Oceanic regions when diving to Faction Battles and other experiences, players in Australia will now have their search extended to include crews in Southeast Asia should worthy opponents not be found in their home region. - Players wishing to wait for a match in their home region can opt out of Cross-Region Matchmaking from the Game Settings at any point. **Text Chat in Game Options** - The Text Chat option within the Game Options menu has been moved down below Crew Management to improve speed of access to more commonly used options. ##### Events **Season 18 Community Weekend (January 31st – February 2nd)** - Your favourite 48-hour Event is back for Season 18! Enjoy free gifts, pose at Picture Walls, embark on Ashen Message in a Bottle Voyages, solve puzzles as you seek Pop-Up Plunder, and make use of reward boosts thanks to the Community Emissary Grade raised by watching _Sea of Thieves_ streamers on Twitch. - Find out more in January’s [This Month in _Sea of Thieves_](https://www.seaofthieves.com/news/this-month-january-2026) article, and stay tuned for a full rundown closer to the date! ##### Fixed Issues **Gameplay** - Improvements have been made to how players attach to, release and climb ladders. Players should therefore no longer experience unintentionally slow movement on ladders and should now consistentl _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/509603414731130311]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.0 - Date: 2025-12-11 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/491584577841661649 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-491584577841661649 ##### Secrets of the Banished Get ready to take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our [dedicated Season 18 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-18). **The Eternal Guard** - Pirates can now encounter a resourceful new enemy – the Eternal Guard. Crews out scouring islands across the Sea of Thieves may stumble across ancient sarcophagi, and perform a summoning ritual to bring forth these ferocious combatants. - The Eternal Guard use ancient magic to cloak and stalk their targets around the battlefield. They are invulnerable while cloaked, so crews should keep an eye on their surroundings and seek the telltale signs of a Guard readying an attack. - When ready to strike, the Guard will cross the veil to take mortal form and unleash attacks with blowpipe, spear and poison bomb before returning to the shadows. - During this encounter, pirates should also be prepared to face off against Banished Ancient Skeletons who can be summoned by the Eternal Guard during a challenging encounter. - Upon defeat, the Guard will release a powerful shockwave – so stay back! Pirates who take down one of these uncanny enemies will be rewarded with a key to unlock a nearby Sanctuary of the Banished. - While they are most frequently discovered in The Devil’s Roar, the sarcophagi of the Eternal Guard can now also be discovered on large islands in other regions. **Sanctuaries of the Banished** - The Smugglers’ League have excavated three Sanctuaries in The Devil’s Roar. These Ancient structures can be found hidden beneath Cinder Islet, Flame’s End and Brimstone Rock, and each site is shown on the ship’s map. - Crews using a recovered Sanctuary of the Banished Key to make their way inside will discover Ancient Treasure littering the Sanctuary and the new Trident of the Banished weapon. Locked compartments can be opened with Ashen Keys to fully plunder the Sanctuary. **Trident of the Banished** - The Trident of the Banished is a corrupted weapon, enhancing the power of the Trident and inflicting poisonous effects. - A small bubble can be charged quickly and releases a fast-moving shot to deal both direct damage and lasting poison effects. - A medium-sized bubble deals greater damage than its Trident of Dark Tides counterpart with a larger blast radius, also poisoning enemies in the area. - The largest bubble deals high damage and poison; however, it moves very slowly when fired, allowing pirates to follow-up with a well-aimed shot to detonate it. **The Devil’s Roar** - Crews venturing into The Devil’s Roar will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts by the local Trading Companies and Smugglers. Cashing in loot within The Devil’s Roar during Season 18 will offer boosted gold and reputation depending on the representative. - Crews exploring this volcanic region will find that the frequency of discovering the ferocious Chest of Rage in their treasure hoard has increased across a range of activities. - Across The Devil’s Roar, environmental hazards have been rebalanced to reduce frustration while adventuring. Crews should continue to watch their step and keep a keen eye on the horizon, however, as this volcanic region remains a dangerous part of the seas. - Morrow’s Peak Outpost is now a potential starting location for crews at the beginning of a session. **The Smugglers’ League** - The Smugglers‘ League have established two new trap-laden hideouts in The Devil’s Roar. Elias operates from a cave beneath Fetcher’s Rest and Lucia can be found in a tunnel cutting through Ruby’s Fall. Both contacts are now available as delivery locations for Smugglers’ treasure. - The Smugglers’ Route Run has now shifted location into The Devil’s Roar and this new treacherous pathway has been marked on the ship’s map for all to see. **Sandbox Balancing** - With Season 17 drawing to a close, the Smuggle _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/491584577841661649]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.0 - Date: 2025-12-11 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/571524191533138008 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-571524191533138008 ##### Secrets of the Banished Get ready to take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our [dedicated Season 18 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-18). **The Eternal Guard** - Pirates can now encounter a resourceful new enemy – the Eternal Guard. Crews out scouring islands across the Sea of Thieves may stumble across ancient sarcophagi, and perform a summoning ritual to bring forth these ferocious combatants. - The Eternal Guard use ancient magic to cloak and stalk their targets around the battlefield. They are invulnerable while cloaked, so crews should keep an eye on their surroundings and seek the telltale signs of a Guard readying an attack. - When ready to strike, the Guard will cross the veil to take mortal form and unleash attacks with blowpipe, spear and poison bomb before returning to the shadows. - During this encounter, pirates should also be prepared to face off against Banished Ancient Skeletons who can be summoned by the Eternal Guard during a challenging encounter. - Upon defeat, the Guard will release a powerful shockwave – so stay back! Pirates who take down one of these uncanny enemies will be rewarded with a key to unlock a nearby Sanctuary of the Banished. - While they are most frequently discovered in The Devil’s Roar, the sarcophagi of the Eternal Guard can now also be discovered on large islands in other regions. **Sanctuaries of the Banished** - The Smugglers’ League have excavated three Sanctuaries in The Devil’s Roar. These Ancient structures can be found hidden beneath Cinder Islet, Flame’s End and Brimstone Rock, and each site is shown on the ship’s map. - Crews using a recovered Sanctuary of the Banished Key to make their way inside will discover Ancient Treasure littering the Sanctuary and the new Trident of the Banished weapon. Locked compartments can be opened with Ashen Keys to fully plunder the Sanctuary. **Trident of the Banished** - The Trident of the Banished is a corrupted weapon, enhancing the power of the Trident and inflicting poisonous effects. - A small bubble can be charged quickly and releases a fast-moving shot to deal both direct damage and lasting poison effects. - A medium-sized bubble deals greater damage than its Trident of Dark Tides counterpart with a larger blast radius, also poisoning enemies in the area. - The largest bubble deals high damage and poison; however, it moves very slowly when fired, allowing pirates to follow-up with a well-aimed shot to detonate it. **The Devil’s Roar** - Crews venturing into The Devil’s Roar will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts by the local Trading Companies and Smugglers. Cashing in loot within The Devil’s Roar during Season 18 will offer boosted gold and reputation depending on the representative. - Crews exploring this volcanic region will find that the frequency of discovering the ferocious Chest of Rage in their treasure hoard has increased across a range of activities. - Across The Devil’s Roar, environmental hazards have been rebalanced to reduce frustration while adventuring. Crews should continue to watch their step and keep a keen eye on the horizon, however, as this volcanic region remains a dangerous part of the seas. - Morrow’s Peak Outpost is now a potential starting location for crews at the beginning of a session. **The Smugglers’ League** - The Smugglers‘ League have established two new trap-laden hideouts in The Devil’s Roar. Elias operates from a cave beneath Fetcher’s Rest and Lucia can be found in a tunnel cutting through Ruby’s Fall. Both contacts are now available as delivery locations for Smugglers’ treasure. - The Smugglers’ Route Run has now shifted location into The Devil’s Roar and this new treacherous pathway has been marked on the ship’s map for all to see. **Sandbox Balancing** - With Season 17 drawing to a close, the Smuggle _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/571524191533138008]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.5.3 - Date: 2025-11-13 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/600795065086902310 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-600795065086902310 ##### Gameplay Improvements **Improved Weapon Switching** - When players switch between ranged weapons, the animation and switching times have been reduced, providing a snappier and more responsive experience when firing two shots. The time between firing two ranged weapons is now one second. - Previous guards that forced players to observe the full duration of weapon wield animations when switching between ranged weapons have now been removed, allowing players the freedom to cancel animations when moving through the world. While players can once again cancel these animations, they will still experience a one-second gap between firing two weapons. **Weapon Animation Improvements** - Wielding any ranged weapon from stowed is now faster, allowing players to react more quickly in combat. - Players wielding a weapon while jumping or falling will now see the wield animation at the correct speed. The result is a more consistent visual read for when a weapon is ready to fire. - Players attempting to aim down sights while crouched will now stand with their weapon able to fire much more quickly. **Addressing Extended Loading Times** - Improvements have been made to how players load back onto their ship after leaving the Ferry of the Damned or when travelling large distances using a mermaid. - These improvements should provide a much more consistent experience when returning to the ship, and address the common causes of loading screens becoming stuck. This should also reduce the frequency of seeing glowing green skeletons for an extended duration after returning to the ship. - Loading optimisations have been introduced, targeting lower-spec hardware. These should improve the loading times experienced on lower-spec console, PC and handheld devices. **Reaper’s Chest** - Crews unlocking the Vault at the Fort of the Damned will once again discover Reaper’s Chests within the treasure hoard. ## Updates **Immerse Spatial Audio Integration** - Immerse Spatial Audio has now been integrated into _Sea of Thieves_, providing enhanced depth and precision to the world when playing with headphones. This experience has been fine-tuned by the teams at Rare and Embody for the _Sea of Thieves_ soundscape. - Players can enable Enhanced Headphone Mode with a Generic Profile for free within the game settings. - To enable a personalised audio experience, players can purchase the Immerse Gamepack from the Pirate Emporium or from Enhanced Headphone Mode in the game settings to create a Personalised Profile. Purchasing the Immerse Gamepack will also unlock the Coconut Headband in-game cosmetic. - All players are offered a 14-day free trial of the personalised audio experience from Enhanced Headphone Mode in the game settings. After the free trial has expired, players can still choose to enable the free Generic Profile. - Players who create a Personalised Profile can now choose to have their facial scan deleted directly from the Embody page after completing setup. ##### Pirate Emporium 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](https://www.seaofthieves.com/pirate-emporium) to browse and buy the latest additions! **New Items – Now in Stock!** - False King’s Ransom Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest - False King’s Ransom Weapon Bundle - False King’s Ransom Crown, Jacket and Boots - King’s Ransom Jacket and Boots - Inner Sanctum Ship’s Crest - Hear No Evil Emote (free!) - Highborn Variety Ship Bundle (mixed bundle of existing items) ##### Outpost Cosmetics **New Outpost Stock!** - The shipwrights have restocked with the new Purple Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag. - The Outpost shops now offer the Regal Hound equipment and instruments. ##### Fixed Issues **Gameplay** - Players with the Midnight Blades Hat equipped should no longer find they _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/600795065086902310]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.5.2 - Date: 2025-10-16 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/658213406635982993 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-658213406635982993 ##### Smugglers’ Tide: Act 3 New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated [Season 17 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-17). **Reaper Fortresses** - Skeleton Forts across the seas have been upgraded to Reaper Fortresses with devilish traps and reinforced defences. These new encounters will be signalled by a menacing new Skull Cloud visible across the waves. - With these Fortresses now an active battleground between The Reaper’s Bones and the Dark Brethren, players looking for loot must battle through the surrounding Ghost Ships before making landfall and taking on both Phantoms and Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons. - During the siege, defeating the Master of Arms will award players with the Skull of Arms. This serves as the key to a nearby Weapons Cache, providing useful munitions and supplies to help turn the tide. - Crews will encounter these new Reaper Fortresses emergently in the form of regular World Events. Pirate Legends can also begin a Legendary Raid for Athena’s Fortune from the Quest Table. - For the duration of Act 3, Reaper Fortresses have a chance for their Vaults to be boosted by a Mega Stash, replacing the contents with an immense treasure pile of significantly higher-value rewards. - Both emergent Reaper Fortresses and on-demand Athena’s Fortune Raid Voyages on High Seas can award a Mega Stash. However, the chance of this boost is much higher when encountering an emergent Reaper Fortress in the world. **Smugglers’ Tide: Act 3 Commendations and Rewards** - Act 3 introduces new Adventures At Sea Commendations, challenging crews to take on the deadly Reaper Fortresses. Completing these Commendations unlocks access to items in the Brethren’s Masquerade ship set, along with the ‘Brethren of Shadow’ and ‘Gaunt and Gnarled’ Trinkets. - Crews completing Act 3’s Deeds can also earn the ‘Banner of Bone and Blade’ Ornament to commemorate their feats. **Chest of Fortune** - During Act 3, the Chest of Fortune will reside in the Vaults of Reaper Fortresses and can only be obtained by overcoming these newly contested battlegrounds. ##### Pirate Emporium 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](https://www.seaofthieves.com/pirate-emporium) to browse and buy the latest additions! **New Items – Now in Stock!** - Alter Ego Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest - Alter Ego Weapon Bundle - Alter Ego Costume Set - Alter Ego Concertina - Skeleton Toucan - Crimson Crypt Cabin Bundle - Expanded Jack O’ Looter Collection: Collector’s Figurehead, Collector’s Sails, Ship’s Crest, Trinket and Lantern - Expanded Silver Sepulchre Collection: Double Barrel Pistol and Throwing Knives - Pocket Bat Emote - See No Evil Emote (free!) ##### Outpost Cosmetics **New Outpost Stock!** - The shipwrights have restocked with the new Orange Resolute Hull, Sails and Flag. - The Outpost weaponsmiths now offer the Lucky Rover Pistol, Cutlass, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach, Heavy Sword and Rapier. ##### Gameplay Improvements **Retrieving Items from Skeletons** - Players can now retrieve items being held by allied skeletons more easily. Hitting the skeleton anywhere with a Grapple Gun or harpoon will retrieve the item, even if the skeleton is facing away from the player. **Performance Improvements** - This update includes a system-level optimisation to CPU performance across the whole experience, to reduce the frequency of framerate drops and provide a smoother framerate during gameplay. - Further optimisations have been made to the way treasure items floating in water are managed, to improve performance on the server. ##### Updates **Second Chance Policy** - Following the recent [enforc _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/658213406635982993]_ ### Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.5.1 - Date: 2025-09-18 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/543368994111882281 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/sea-of-thieves-2026-edition/releases/steam-543368994111882281 ##### Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2 New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated [Season 17 page](https://www.seaofthieves.com/season-17). **The Smugglers’ Heist** - For the duration of Act 2, a daring Heist at Royal Crest Fortress will regularly be available via a note pinned to the ship’s mast, allowing all crews to join The Smugglers’ League in their task. - Once the Heist has begun, crews will need to follow directions to retrieve a key from a Smuggler contact and then set sail to Royal Crest Fortress in search of a precious painting. - Players must stick to instructions sent by The Smugglers’ League to ensure the correct painting is retrieved. There are many decoy paintings which can also be found and sold, but only the target painting will allow you to become the victor of the Heist! - Crews that hold the target painting should be ready to fend off Ocean Crawler ambushes while aboard their ship. Other crews can also join in the Heist at any stage, so be prepared to use any means necessary to get the painting safely back to the designated Smugglers’ Hideout. - Successful crews will earn a hoard of 175,000 gold for returning the correct painting, while Guilds will receive a significant bonus to their Guild Reputation! **Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2 Rewards** - Crews taking on the Heist at Royal Crest Fortress can unlock the Royal Crest Fortress Plans and Royal Crest Fortress Blueprints Trinkets to commemorate their daring accomplishments. **Smugglers’ Route Run Balancing** - The frequency of Phantom encounters while taking part in a Smugglers’ Route Run Voyage has now been reduced. ##### Gameplay Improvements **Improved Field of View** - Players can now extend their field of view above the previous limit up to 110, providing a range of wider view options. - To give players more control over their field of view experience, the graphics settings now provide individual field of view override settings for areas where players dock to an object such as the ship’s wheel, Rowboat or ladders. **Cinematic Banner Improvements** - The cinematic banners shown on the HUD have been extended to provide support for a reduced banner option that retains visibility of the player’s health and ammunition during gameplay. - Players can navigate to the HUD Settings and switch between Full (default) or Reduced Lower Banner Style. **Underwater Animation Improvements** - Players swimming in water and making quick changes to their pitch and rotation will now find their pirate moves more smoothly when viewed by others. - These changes aim to reduce the impact of players making fast movements with their mouse or controller to avoid damage during gunplay while underwater. **Ashen Skull of the Banished** - The Ashen Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage in The Devil’s Roar now rewards players with the new Ashen Skull of the Banished, replacing the Skull of the Banished on this Voyage. **Ashen Chest of Bones** - The Ashen Followers of the Flame Voyage now rewards players with an Ashen Chest of Bones, offering higher value than the Chest of Bones. - The Ashen Chest of Bones retains the same number of charges as a Reaper’s Chest, but will not reinforce crews with Order of Bone and Blade Captains. **Displaying Trophy Tiers** - Captains who have earned multiple tiers of a Trophy are now able to decorate their ship with all previous tiers when interacting with a Trinket location. **Skull of Siren Sorrow** - Players are now able to sprint when holding the Skull of Siren Sorrow. **Sunken Merfolk Statues** - Merfolk Statues found within the Sunken Kingdom will now only store treasure that can be discovered while exploring the various Shrines and Treasuries, and Trading Company items recovered during Raid Voyages. ##### Pirate Emporium Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pic _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1172620/view/543368994111882281]_