Sea of Thieves is a 2018 action-adventure game created by Rare and published by Xbox Game Studios. Players take on the role of pirates who complete missions for different trading companies. The game allows multiple players to explore an open world from a first-person view while sailing on a pirate ship. During their journeys, players may meet others, forming teams or competing against each other.
The idea for Sea of Thieves began in 2014. Rare was inspired by players of games like Eve Online (2003), DayZ (2018), and Rust (2018), who used game tools to create their own stories. Rare tested different themes, such as vampires and dinosaurs, before choosing a pirate setting influenced by movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Goonies (1985). The game includes a system that rewards players with cosmetic items, such as clothing or ship decorations, to encourage both casual and experienced players to play together. Rare broke from its usual habit of keeping projects secret by allowing fans to test early versions of the game.
Sea of Thieves was released in March 2018 for Windows and Xbox One. It was one of the first games made by Microsoft to be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Reviews of the game were mixed: critics praised the ship battles, multiplayer features, visuals, and physics, but noted issues with the game’s progression, gameplay, and limited content. Rare planned Sea of Thieves as a "game as a service," meaning it would continue to add new content over time. These updates improved the game’s reception. Sea of Thieves became a commercial success, becoming Microsoft’s most successful original game from the eighth generation of consoles. By April 2024, it had attracted over 40 million players. A version of the game for Xbox Series X/S was released on March 13, 2024, and it was later released for PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2024, making it Rare’s first game on a PlayStation console. Gregg Mayles, a veteran game designer, directed Sea of Thieves, and it was the last Rare game he worked on before leaving the company in 2025.
Gameplay
Sea of Thieves is an action-adventure game played from a first-person perspective. At the start of the game, players choose a randomly created character and begin sailing on the ocean. They complete voyages and quests for different trading companies in the game. Completing these tasks rewards players with treasure, which can be sold to representatives of trading companies at outposts to earn reputation. The game takes place in a shared world, meaning players will meet other players during their adventures. These encounters often include naval battles and attempts to steal treasure from one another.
Solo and duo players sail in a small, fast ship called a sloop. Players in groups control larger ships, such as a three-person brigantine or a four-person galleon. Group members work together by taking on different roles, such as steering the ship, operating cannons, navigating, boarding enemy ships, and scouting from the crow’s nest. Players can save their ship’s setup and customize the ship’s hull, figurehead, sails, and captain’s quarters once they have enough gold. They can also name their ship. Occasionally, players may face attacks from other players using cannonballs or boarding their ship. If damage occurs below the deck, water will enter the ship through holes, causing it to fill with water. Players can repair holes with wooden planks and remove water using buckets.
Players can form alliances with other crews. When a member of an alliance sells a treasure item, other members receive half the gold and reputation points from the sale. Ships in an alliance display the same flag and are visible on maps for other alliance members. Alliances do not stop players from attacking each other. If a player dies, they can be revived by crewmates or allied players within a limited time. If not revived, they are sent to a ghost ship called the Ferry of the Damned until they can return to their crew’s ship. A competitive multiplayer mode called "Arena" was added in an anniversary update, allowing six teams to compete by collecting silver on smaller maps. This mode was later removed due to low participation and replaced with a new mode called "Hourglass" in Season 9. A player-versus-environment mode named "Safer Seas" was introduced in December 2023.
Players can complete voyages offered by multiple trading companies, including Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, and the Merchant Alliance. Gold Hoarders give players treasure maps or riddles to find treasure. Order of Souls challenges players to defeat waves of skeletons on specific islands. The Merchant Alliance requires players to deliver animals or cargo to vendors within a time limit. Three smaller factions also exist, including the Reaper’s Bones, which does not offer quests but pays for treasures and accepts cursed items or stolen flags. Players must deliver treasure to representatives of the faction that gave the quest, even though the player holding the treasure is vulnerable to being attacked. Selling treasure earns gold, which can be used to buy cosmetic items. Additional items, such as pets and emotes, can be purchased using real-world currency through the Pirate Emporium store.
Doubloons, earned by completing tasks from the Bilge Rats, a fourth trading company, can be traded for cosmetics, gold, or reputation with other factions. The anniversary update introduced "Tall Tales," which are structured story missions. Selling treasures to any of the main trading companies, Reaper’s Bones, or Athena’s Fortune earns reputation points. These points unlock more complex quests and additional cosmetic items. When players reach rank 50 with any three of the six trading companies, they earn the title "pirate legend," which grants new cosmetic items, access to a hideout called the Tavern of Legends, and a special trading company called Athena’s Fortune.
Players can explore the game’s open world alone or with others. On islands, players can find resources like bananas, coconuts, and mangos to restore health, as well as wood planks, firebombs, and cannonballs. Rowboats help carry cargo while avoiding dangers. Players can choose from eight weapons, including cutlasses, pistols, and harpoon guns, to fight enemies.
While sailing, players may face storms, shipwrecks, or encounter messages in bottles, skeleton ships, or ghost fleets. Two monsters, the megalodon and the kraken, also appear. Skull-shaped clouds mark the locations of Skeleton Forts, which are raid events. Players can interact with others using emotes, text, or voice chat. They can also play musical instruments, drink at taverns, and engage in activities like fishing, hunting, and cooking, which were added in the anniversary update.
Development
Sea of Thieves was created by Rare, a game development company based in the United Kingdom. Most of Rare's 200 employees worked on the game. The team started planning the game in 2014 and wanted to make a game where players could work together to create their own stories. It took the team five months to build a playable version of the game, called Athena, using the Unity game engine. After testing Athena, Microsoft leaders, including Phil Spencer and Kudo Tsunoda, approved the game's development. Rare employees also provided the voices for all non-playable characters in the game. Sea of Thieves marked Rare's switch from using its own special engine to using Unreal Engine 4.
Before Sea of Thieves, Rare was known for keeping its work private. Since Sea of Thieves is a game focused on playing with others, the studio became more open about its development to better connect with players. The team let fans join the Insider's Program, which gave players early access to the game. This program helped Rare test new ideas and collect player feedback. Participants could also talk to developers in a private forum. More than 30,000 players joined the program. Through the program, Rare learned how players interact and used this information to shape the game. For example, the team added the option to play alone after many players asked for it.
Some players enjoy how the world of Sea of Thieves changes based on what players do. For example, a real player named Black Beard became part of the game's story, which is hard to do if the game's story is already planned out.
Studio director Craig Duncan called Sea of Thieves the "friendliest" multiplayer game. Rare usually makes games for consoles, but it noticed how players in games like DayZ, Rust, and Eve Online created their own stories using tools in the game. However, these games can be very difficult, so Rare wanted to make a version that was easier and more fun. Sea of Thieves was designed as a "light canvas of a world" where players create their own stories. The game did not have a story at launch because the team believed a planned story would make the experience feel too fixed. Joe Neate, the game's executive director, compared the game to an "improv" comedy, where players go "off-script." The team made the game's world and story reflect what players do, including special details to celebrate their actions. The team thought adding a planned story would make it harder to include players' actions in the game's story.
Rare tried different ideas for the game, like vampires and dinosaurs, but chose pirates because it fit the game's goal of encouraging teamwork. Pirates also had fewer competitors in the market. The pirate theme lets players explore freely and decide how they want to play. The team looked to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Black Sails for inspiration. Designer Mike Chapman said Sea of Thieves is similar to The Goonies, where friends work together to find treasure. Neate said the game's goal was to create a sense of travel, exploration, and discovery, inspired by the 2002 game The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Instead of letting players customize their characters, the team used an "infinite pirate generator" to avoid players making characters that didn't match the game's style. The game has a colorful, hand-painted look. Duncan said the team chose this style to make the world feel "timeless" and "joyful."
Rare noticed that in many multiplayer games, experienced players focus on earning rewards instead of playing with others, while new players worry about falling behind. To fix this, Rare added free items like coins and gold that only give players cosmetic rewards, not better gameplay. This system encourages experienced players to help new players. As a "shared world" game, Rare kept players in separate groups on the same server to let them meet others regularly without being too close. Chapman estimated players might see another ship every 15 minutes to an hour.
The game was designed to encourage players to work together and use their problem-solving skills. For example, players must learn to read maps to solve challenges. The team did not include a tutorial because they wanted players to learn the game on their own. They also avoided strict rules to let players be creative. However, the team added places like shipwrecks and forts to create opportunities for players to interact. Chapman called these locations "catalysts for stories" that bring players together. Random encounters with sea monsters add unpredictability. Because of this, Sea of Thieves was called a "watchable and sharable game," which might attract players who watch others play on platforms like Twitch.
While the game allows solo play, it is designed for teamwork. Chapman said working together makes sense in the game's world. The game does not have character classes to encourage players to take different roles. The maximum number of players in a group is four because Rare thought larger groups might reduce teamwork and communication. Neate called the game a "friendship creation tool" and hoped it would help players make friends. Rare also wanted to create a positive online environment. For example, players in the same group cannot hurt each other, and rewards are shared equally
Release
Sea of Thieves was introduced during Microsoft's press event at E3 2015, with Duncan calling the game the "most ambitious project" from Rare. The game was first planned to launch in 2017 but was delayed until early 2018 to allow more time for development. Microsoft promoted the game heavily. Players who pre-ordered the game received the Black Dog Pack, which included special cosmetic items and access to a closed beta. Players could also buy a Sea of Thieves-themed Xbox wireless controller. Anyone who purchased the Xbox One X console between March 18 and 24, 2018, received a free digital copy of the game. Microsoft's Australian team worked with the music group Captain Hellfire & The Wretched Brethren to host a two-day event where the pirate band performed sea shanties requested by players. The event was broadcast on Facebook, Mixer, and Twitch from March 24 to 25, 2018. Microsoft also launched "The Quest," an alternate reality game where players solved riddles. Winners received one of four golden bananas (each worth £20,000). Rare hosted a competition asking fans to create achievements for the game. Multiple stress tests and betas were released before the game's official launch on March 17. At launch, many players had trouble logging in. Duncan said Rare did not expect the high number of players, which caused server issues. Fixes were later released to improve the game's online system. Sea of Thieves was released on Steam on June 3, 2020, and reached the "global top sellers" list that week. The game was released for the PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2024, as part of Microsoft's plan to bring its games to competing platforms. It became the most downloaded game on PlayStation 5 in North America in May 2024.
Sea of Thieves is available as an Xbox Play Anywhere title and was added to Xbox Game Pass at launch. However, crossplay between PC and Xbox One players became optional in February 2019 to ensure fairness for all players. Initially, the PC version was only available through Xbox Game Pass and the Microsoft Store. In April 2020, Microsoft announced a Steam release. Players started creating their own rules, challenges, and events. To support this, Rare planned to add private servers to the game.
Rare intended Sea of Thieves to be a "game as a service" and expected updates for ten years. After fixing technical problems, the team focused on player feedback. They noticed players wanted more activities and aimed to provide what players wanted while keeping it in the game's universe. Four teams worked together to create expansions, allowing frequent large updates every six weeks to two months. "Bilge Rat Adventures," which are limited-time challenges, filled gaps between expansions. The first major expansion, The Hungering Deep, was made in two months. The second expansion, Cursed Sails, added skeleton ships controlled by AI. Despite earlier plans to avoid it, the team added the feature due to fan demand. The Anniversary update, which included Tall Tales and Arena mode, was so large it was called a "relaunch." All expansions are free to avoid splitting the player base. Smuggler's Fortune, released in September 2019, added the Pirate Emporium, a store that supports microtransactions. A new currency called "Ancient Coins" could be bought in-game or through the Xbox store. Monthly updates with new content, modes, quests, and features were released until December 2020.
In December 2020, Rare stopped monthly updates and switched to a "battle pass" model, similar to games like Fortnite and Fall Guys. Each season, lasting about three months, introduced new content or ways to play, with regular live events. The "Plunder Pass" was added as an optional premium tier with free rewards. The first season started in January 2021, and the second in April 2021. Rare also stopped updating Arena mode because most players preferred cooperative adventure mode. Arena mode was shut down in March 2022. Rare called 2022 the "biggest year yet" for Sea of Thieves, planning to add features like Adventures, which are story-driven events lasting two weeks, and Mysteries, which unfold over months. Adventures were designed as chapters in a long story to create a sense of ongoing danger. Mysteries were inspired by alternate reality games, with hints given both in and out of the game.
Sea of Thieves had many collaborations with other Microsoft games. The Bird and Bear Figurehead, based on Rare's Banjo-Kazooie series, was released in July 2018. Ships based on Halo and Gears of War were added in June and November 2019, and a ship set based on Ori and the Will of the Wisps was released in March 2020. Rare also expanded the game to other media, partnering with Mongoose Publishing to release a tabletop game titled Sea of Thieves Roleplaying Game in October 2019. Titan Comics started a comic series in March 2018, and Titan Books published an art book titled Tales from the Sea of Thieves. A free expansion called A Pirate's Life, based on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, was released on June 22, 2021, and included five Tall Tales. The expansion took about two years to develop. A second free expansion, The Legend of Monkey Island, based on Lucasfilm Games' Monkey Island series, was released on July 20, 2023, and included three Tall Tales.
Reception
Sea of Thieves received mixed or average reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. Most critics believed the game had the potential to be successful but pointed out that it lacked enough content. They also questioned Rare’s decision to release it as a full-priced product. The game’s graphics and physics were praised by critics.
The multiplayer portion of the game was well received. Jordan Devore from Destructoid noted that with a full crew, the game could become chaotic and situations could turn volatile quickly. He added that working with strangers could create unforgettable experiences for players. Peter Brown from GameSpot enjoyed coordinating with other players and having fun, though he mentioned that some players acted in a way that made the experience frustrating. Kyle Hilliard from Game Informer said that each session "results in a story" because of the way players interact, and praised Rare for creating an excellent "pirate simulator" and a fun "digital playground." Sam Loveridge from GamesRadar said the game is "an anecdote generator at its very best" because of its storytelling. Brandin Tyrrel from IGN said the game works well when treated like a chat room or party game, where it helps people have a good time together.
The gameplay received generally negative reviews. Devore said the quests were repetitive and the world had few interesting things to do. Paul Tamburro from Game Revolution agreed, saying the quests had little variety and did not allow creativity. He praised the sandbox format but said there were not enough secrets or stories to discover. Loveridge called the voyages "elaborated fetch quests." He said there was no option to turn off player-versus-player (PvP) combat and players could not customize their characters. Russ Frushtick from Polygon said misbehaving players could make the experience frustrating because PvP could not be disabled. He also said the game did not give players a reason to engage in PvP combat. Hilliard said the game lacked enough content to keep players interested and that the combat felt unexciting. Many critics said players would not want to complete quests because only cosmetic items were unlocked. Tyrrel praised the ship combat but said the respawn system was too forgiving. Christian Donlan from Eurogamer called the ship combat "thrilling" and the general combat "crunchy, pleasantly basic." Tyler Wilde from PC Gamer liked exploring shipwrecks, saying it made players feel like they were discovering something new, though he wished more events happened in the ocean. Solo play received mixed opinions. Some critics said it was difficult, boring, or frustrating, while others said it was entertaining, satisfying, or relaxing.
After a year of updates, the game received more positive reviews. Following the Anniversary update, IGN said players should try the game again and called it the "perfect time" to return. David Jagneaux from IGN praised the Tall Tales and their riddles, calling them "brain teasers that really challenge [player's] detective skills." He said the game is a "pirate fantasy sandbox with an enormous amount of things to do, made unpredictable and exciting by the addition of other players." Nicole Carpenter from Polygon praised the post-launch updates for making the game more structured and directed. The game also received PC Gamer’s Best Ongoing Game 2019 award and was listed by Gameindustry.biz as one of their Games of the Year in 2019.
Sea of Thieves was a commercial success, attracting more than 1 million players two days after its release. During its first week, it was the best-selling retail game in the UK, the sixth best-selling in Switzerland, and the second best-selling in the US in March 2018, behind Far Cry 5. On 28 March 2018, Microsoft said the game was the fastest-selling new IP for the Xbox One. Rare said the game’s success was partly because it was released for Xbox Game Pass subscribers at launch, which helped it reach sales targets quickly. Game Pass contributed to half of the game’s sales, though Microsoft said it also sold well in retail and digital formats. The game reached 5 million players in August 2018. In January 2020, Rare said the game was "the most successful IP [Microsoft has] released in the generation," with more than 10 million players. The game was also popular on Twitch, being one of the most watched titles in January 2019 after the Shrouded Spoils update.
The game launched on Steam on 3 June 2020. By July 2020, Sea of Thieves had more than 15 million players, including 1 million units sold on Steam and over 3.3 million players logging in during June 2020. The number of players continued to grow, reaching 20 million by March 2021. In June 2021, after the release of the Pirates of the Caribbean crossover update, 4.8 million players logged in, setting a new record. In October 2021, the game reached 25 million players. On Steam, 5 million units were sold by December 2021. During the 2022 Xbox/Bethesda Games Showcase, a trailer for Sea of Thieves Season 7 showed the game had reached over 30 million players. In April 2024, Sea of Thieves reached 40 million players.