Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
The Sea of Thieves content updates keep on coming. So much has been added to the game of late that there’s almost too much for players to do. This latest update, Lost Treasures, adds even more in-game events, features, and mechanics while also fixing some long-standing hit registration problems and client/server instability. Let’s set sail and see what Rare has been working on!
The Lost Treasures update to Sea of Thieves is billed as update 2.0.15. These patch notes are rather extensive, address a few issues, and also highlight several exciting new events and features coming to the seas.
Probably one of the best fixes, and something we should talk about first, is the fix to hit registration. Sea of Thieves has been plagued by some spotty hitreg over the past little while. Thankfully, Rare has seemingly been able to improve hit registration and combat in the following areas:
These three areas should see the overall combat in Sea of Thieves smoothed out. It was always frustrating to get the hit markers and see the enemy swimming away entirely unscathed. It’s a relatively small talking point in the grand scheme of these patch notes, but it’s an important one.
As for the actual new features, mechanics, and events coming to Sea of Thieves, it’s best to start with Tall Tales. For a lot of players, Tall Tales means a lot of time invested, with the potential to lose it all if you have to quit for one reason or another. The Lost Treasures update adds a checkpoint system, allowing players to quit a Tall Tale and return to a checkpoint whenever they’re ready.
This Tall Tales checkpoint system shares a tab with the Voyages, which has been rebranded to Quest Inventory. In here, Voyages and Tall Tale checkpoints are stored separately for ease-of-use.
Players that enjoyed the Hunter’s Haul event will be pleased to hear that Rare is upping the frequency of similar events in Sea of Thieves. It all begins with a rather simple addition: daily bounties. These bounties are little tasks that can be completed each day that reward bonus gold or Doubloons.
Every day will also feature two Gold Rush hours. Between 6PM and 7PM BST and 6PM and 7PM PT, players will get 1.5x the amount of gold for anything sold.
On top of all this, there are also bigger events planned for players to experience. The first is called the Reaper’s Rewards where players can earn special Reaper’s Bones emotes. This event tasks players with delivering Reaper’s Bounties, Reaper’s Chests, and even Reaper’s Emissary Flags. How this last task is to be completed is going to be tough, as from personal experience not many players seem to be aware of the Emissary system let alone pledge to the Reaper's Bones.
To round out all this talk of events, the Hunter’s Haul will be having a Part 2. From May 27th until June 18th, crews that manage to catch 300 Ruby Splashtails can earn 150 Ancient Coins. Just one more way you can get Ancient Coins in Sea of Thieves. Check out the Sea of Thieves Event Hub for ongoing updates.
The Pirate Emporium has also been updated to include a free emote and a costume that makes you look like a Ruby Splashtail-human hybrid. There’s also a shipset to go with it. Duke will also be stocking more Aristocrat Equipment and Nightshine Parrot clothing. And for those that want to complete other shipsets, the shipwrights now stock a myriad of cannons, capstan, flags and wheels from sets that released back at the launch of Sea of Thieves.
As for the smaller improvements and fixes that will have a profound effect, the biggest is the addition of an armory on the Ferry of the Damned. This will give players an opportunity to change their weapon before heading back to their ship. Too many times I’ve been camped with a blunderbuss with no means of changing my flintlock and sword to something more sweaty, so this is a welcomed addition.
Anyone that’s spent any amount of time on a rowboat will also be pleased to hear that the “sit” and “open chest” interactive points on the rowboat have been improved. Now, players can interact with the chest by pressing “Y” on controller or “R” on keyboard. This should prevent unnecessary sitting when trying to get items from the chest. Though, it doesn’t really help when trying to pick up items from the floor of the rowboat.
The Lost Treasures update also includes a bevy of changes to the Emissary system. The first grade no longer rewards 25% extra gold and rep, solving the problem of players switching Emissary flags when selling their hauls. You’ll have to earn the right to bonus gold and rep, like a proper pirate.
There are more details in the official patch notes, so make sure you take a moment to check them out on the Sea of Thieves site. While you’re out there sailing the internet seas, weigh anchor at the Shacknews Sea of Thieves guide and walkthrough, it’s where we keep all our treasure.