First unveiled as part of this summer’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase – via a jaunty musical number, no less – the seventh Sea of Thieves Season is here, heralding the arrival of ship Captaincy! As one of the features most anticipated by our community, we’re excited to give players the chance to name their ships for the first time, try out a wealth of new decorative choices and dive into the Captain’s Logbook to review their accomplishments across the waves.
If you’ve been itching to carve a maritime moniker into a Ship’s Crest and set sail as a Captain, you’ll be glad to know that Season Seven is now available as a free update for all players on Steam.
As with all past Seasons, Season Seven also offers 100 levels of rewards free to all Sea of Thieves players, with summer-themed cosmetics and plenty of other goodies to be earned as you build Renown by living your pirate life. If you want to further your Seasonal ambitions with more premium items not yet available elsewhere, you can pick up the latest optional Plunder Pass! Find out more about Seasons in our Seasons Explained and Plunder Pass Explained articles.
Captain on Deck!
What is it that might inspire a pirate to splash out and spend gold on a ship of their own? To begin with, Captains are able to bestow a name of their choice upon a new vessel for all to see, visible both on the Ship’s Crest or in Ship’s Banners when someone spies you at a distance.
Captains can also purchase a wealth of new decorative options for their quarters (ranging from rugs to the Captain’s Table itself), not to mention make the ship feel truly unique by picking out places to display Trinkets. A huge selection of ornaments can be purchased right away, while trophies can be earned by establishing yourself as a consummate Captain and will reflect your time at sea.
Whether you’re a dedicated treasure-taker, fishing fanatic or simply can’t get enough of smashing skellies, your actions will be reflected in Pirate and Ship Milestones, a new form of progression that encourages different play styles. New rewards will become available along the way, and you can show off your favourite accomplishments in the Captain’s Logbook, which handily also keeps track of your current sailing session.
Shipwrights and Sovereigns
The Outposts are more than ready to handle the arrival of Captained ships. For a fee, shipwrights will save the customisation of a Captain’s vessel ready for future sessions, meaning it’ll be just as you remember it next time you wake up in the tavern. Scuffs and scars from previous repairs will mount up over time, so pirates can opt to restore these at the shipwright too, bringing even the scruffiest ship back to pristine condition.
Shipwrights can also deliver premium supplies to the barrels on a Captained ship. This courtesy extends to Captain’s Voyages, which are stored aboard ship rather than in your pirate’s pockets and let you influence the difficulty and duration of your next objective – so anything from a swift skeleton hunt to a lengthy, lucrative commission can be plucked straight from storage.
Eager to ensure the shipwrights don’t take all the glory, the swanky Sovereigns have arrived at Outposts ready to deal with Captains of all kinds. They act as highly convenient intermediaries, accepting most treasures at their marquee on behalf of the other Companies and permitting Captained ships to make full use of their facilities when offloading valuables.
Of course, you don’t need to be a Captain to enjoy the next instalments of our ongoing, time-limited Adventures. These continue on August 18 with ‘A Hunter’s Cry’, which sends pirates on a risky rescue mission into hostile waters in the hopes of saving the captured hunter Merrick.
Along with 100 levels of Seasonal Renown to reap, new Commendations and achievements and the continuing intrigue of our first Mystery, there’s plenty waiting in Season Seven for every pirate to sink their teeth into!
The Emporium Expands
Naturally, a new Season brings a bevy of new treasures. The Season Seven Plunder Pass offers advance access to the Baleful Bloom Costume – which sees your pirate gradually succumb to a horticultural hex – and the Beachcomber’s Bounty ship set, created by a marooned mariner who got themselves seaworthy with whatever they could lay their hands on. As ever, once a Pass is purchased these items are unlocked by raising your Renown and climbing the levels of the new Season, and are initially exclusive to the Plunder Pass before arriving in the Pirate Emporium at a later date.
Keen to get in on the Captaincy fun, August’s Emporium offerings introduce additional designs for Ship’s Crests, lending extra flair to your newly named ship when anyone – crew, boarders, stowaways and so on – come aboard. If your chosen name no longer seems to fit as your ship carves out its legacy, Renaming Deeds can be purchased to scrub the Ship’s Crest clean and let you choose something new.
If you’re the kind of pirate who lights up dark places (and not with firebombs), the luminous Wrecker Wrangler ship set calls to you from the Emporium shelves this month, paying tribute to those flighty fish that call shipwrecks their home. Meanwhile, the boisterous Bilge Rat Weapon Pose Emote and puffed-up Portable Portrait Emote Bundle will bring out your merry and egocentric sides respectively. And don’t forget to snare the Promising Portrait Emote while it’s free for the taking, then use it to turn any vista into a wobbly work of art!
Find Out More
For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season Seven update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players on Steam. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.
New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieves here, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!