Rare has officially launched the “Sea of Thieves” Anniversary Update, the game’s largest content update so far. The update introduces new game modes, requested gameplay features and enhancements that reshape the ways players enjoy the game and is free for all players with Xbox Game Pass or on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.
The update contains many anticipated features into the game, including competitive multiplayer mode The Arena, a set of narrative-driven quests in Tall Tales – Shores of Gold and fishing, hunting and cooking through the Hunter’s Call trading company.
- In The Arena, five crews will take command of galleons and set out in pursuit of the same buried booty. Being the crew that grabs the treasure and returns it safely to the new Sea Dogs Trading Company will earn your crew some valuable silver, but so will scoring hits against enemy vessels with cannon fire and taking out other players in combat. Now that ships can suffer damage to their wheel, masts and capstan, these sea battles will offer even more tactical depth and more opportunities for mayhem. The crew with the most silver at the end of each 24-minute bout will earn a well-deserved victory, and so The Arena is the perfect way to experience the hectic hilarity of a Sea of Thieves voyage when you only have a short time to play.
- Tall Tales – Shores of Gold provide narrative-focused adventures set within the shared world of Sea of Thieves and can be enjoyed by crews and solo players alike. In Shores of Gold, pirates will assemble the mythical Shroudbreaker artefact, seeking to use its power and reach a mysterious island filled with fabulous riches. Along the way, players will solve puzzles, explore ancient labyrinths, dodge traps and do battle with fearsome Skeleton Lords. The story spans nine Tall Tales, each of which has been designed to combine dramatic storytelling and narrative cutscenes (voiced by professional actors) but still be playable and enjoyable over and over, especially since they take place in that a living, unpredictable world where other players might well have their part to play in your adventure.
- The new Trading Company, Hunter’s Call, can be found at sea ports across the Sea of Thieves, and they’ll reward pirates who are able to hand over rare and exotic types of fish and other meats – especially if they’ve been cooked to perfection over a campfire or on your ship’s new stove. Of course, if you’ve dished up the perfect maritime meal, you might decide to keep it for yourself and use it as a health-boosting snack down the line. The addition of fan-favourite feature fishing will allow pirates to cast a line into any body of water and try their luck at catching different kinds of fish. Some species will respond to different types of bait, others can only be found in certain regions of the world and more elusive types won’t show so much as a tailfin unless the conditions are right.
