Ahoy, Seafarers!
Early Access Update 5: The Co-op Crew Update is coming – and you can jump into the Open Beta right now!
The main focus of this update is the introduction of multiplayer. For the first time, you can form a crew with up to three other players and operate the same vessel together across selected cargo operations, firefighting missions, and rescue missions.
The update also introduces two new missions, expands the Free Trade system with LNG and bulk cargo, and includes a wide range of improvements addressing issues and feedback surrounding the Career Update.
The Co-op Crew Update is now available on the public_beta branch. During the Open Beta, we will continue reviewing your feedback and working on improvements before the update arrives on the default branch on August 18.
Before we get into everything included in the update, take a look at the announcement teaser:
👥 Multiplayer is here!
The Co-op Crew Update introduces multiplayer to Seafarer!
For the first time, you can create or join a session with up to four players and operate the same vessel together. Depending on the mission, you can divide responsibilities, complete different tasks at the same time, and support each other throughout the operation.
During container cargo operations with Herbert, one player can operate the crane while another removes the twist locks and lashing rods. On Big Trip, two players can control both cranes simultaneously, allowing you to load or unload containers in parallel.
LNG operations also require coordination between the crew. While one player operates the crane, the others can manage the loading or unloading process. During bulk cargo missions, two players can use the cranes at the same time and work alongside each other.
Firefighting and rescue missions offer tasks for larger crews. One player can steer the vessel while up to three others operate the fire extinguishers. During rescue missions, one player pilots the vessel while the rest of the crew assists by throwing lifebuoys and supporting the rescue operation.
Cargo activities are currently best suited to crews of two, while firefighting and rescue missions allow crews of up to four players to contribute at the same time.
Please keep in mind that this is the first public version of multiplayer. You may encounter connection issues, bugs, or situations in which certain crew members have fewer tasks available. Please report all issues using the in-game bug reporter, as always 😊
🆕 New Content
Alongside multiplayer, the Co-op Crew Update introduces two new missions.
The new mission Highjacked! can be found in Mettington and becomes available after reaching Reputation Level 3 in the harbor and obtaining either the Rigid or the Density.
Exchange and Jump In! has also been added to all major harbors. This new mission becomes available after obtaining a tugboat.
The Free Trade system has also been expanded with LNG and bulk cargo. Both cargo types can now be bought and sold between major harbors, giving you more trading options and additional uses for your vessels.
⚙️ Career Update Improvements
The update also addresses several issues and feedback from the Career Update.
Trading information is now clearer, cargo availability has been increased, and the harbor schedule and Reputation progression have been improved. Work Shifts, controller support, mission rewards, and several related systems have also received adjustments.
You can find all details in the changelog below.
🎮 Try the Update early
Open Steam and go to your Library
Right-click on Seafarer: The Ship Sim
Click Properties
Select the Betas tab
Choose 'public_beta' from the dropdown list
🧭 Changelog
Patch #5.0 - Version 0.5.0.2306 (Steam)
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is now accessible! You can now play in a group of up to 4 players, completing curated missions together.
UX & Balancing
Several goods in the Free Trade system have had their prices adjusted to be more profitable.
Added several hints, pop-ups and warnings in missions.
Work Shifts now provide their payment after every completed shift instead of at the end of a mission.
Work Shifts can now be claimed at the end of a mission, providing additional Reputation for every manually completed shift.
Players can now repair, refill their resources and upgrade their ship equipment even on inactive vessels.
Campaign missions now grant Reputation.
Inspection missions now end with a results screen summarizing the vessel's status.
Missions
Highjacked!
A new mission has been added in Mettington. It becomes available after reaching Reputation Level 3 in Mettington and obtaining a Rigid or Density.
Exchange and Jump In!
A new mission has been added in all major harbours. It becomes available after obtaining a Tugboat.
My Career – Free Trade
LNG has been added to the Free Trade system and can now be traded freely between major harbours.
Bulk cargo has been added to the Free Trade system and can now be traded freely between major harbours.
Bug Fixes
Several bug fixes, including major issues reported by the community.
Hot Fix #2 (included in Patch #5.0)
The following improvements were originally planned for Hot Fix #2 and are now included as part of Patch #5.0.
Trading & Cargo
Cargo Compatibility
Issue: It was not clear which cargo types could be transported by which ships, causing unavailable trading options to be perceived as bugs.
Fix: Containers now have clear labels, and the ship menu displays which cargo types the selected vessel can transport. In addition, the trading screen now explains that certain goods can only be transported using the Big Trip.
Big Trip Trading Improvements
Issue: Trading could fail even when sufficient total cargo capacity was available if containers were not evenly distributed across both cargo sections.
Fix: The Big Trip now supports asymmetric cargo distribution between its cargo sections, allowing purchases to succeed as long as enough overall capacity is available.
Market Rotation Timer
Issue: Players could not see when a port's market inventory would refresh.
Fix: The trading screen now displays the remaining time until the next market rotation, along with an explanation that market offers refresh periodically.
Loading Service
Issue: Manually loading and unloading containers was time-consuming, and the feature was not clearly explained.
Fix: A paid loading service now automatically loads and unloads all compatible containers. The interface has also been improved with a clearer button and a confirmation dialog showing the associated costs.
Increased Cargo Availability
Issue: Trading opportunities were frequently limited by the number of available cargo containers.
Fix: The number of containers available for trading has been significantly increased, making goods available more frequently and in larger quantities.
New Trade Goods
Issue: Some container types were not available through the trading system.
Fix: Bulk and LNG cargo can now be bought and sold through the regular trading system.
Harbour & Navigation
Extended Harbour Schedule
Issue: The previous 7-day schedule provided limited visibility for planning future deliveries.
Fix: The harbour schedule has been expanded to four weeks. Deliveries are now highlighted more clearly, and individual days can be selected directly.
Skip to Selected Day
Issue: Players had to advance time step by step to reach future events.
Fix: Players can now skip directly to a selected day from the harbour schedule. A confirmation dialog is displayed before time is advanced.
Locked Harbour Information
Issue: Locked harbours did not indicate when or how they could be unlocked.
Fix: Locked harbours now display the required global reputation level needed for unlocking.
Controls
Controller Support
Issue: Not all new menus and features were fully accessible using a controller.
Fix: Controller support has been expanded to cover the new user interface and gameplay features.
Progression
Rebalanced Reputation Progression
Issue: Progression pacing for unlocking new content was uneven and could result in unnecessary delays.
Fix: Reputation requirements for harbour unlocks, missions, and player levels have been rebalanced to provide a smoother progression experience.
Campaign Reputation Rewards
Issue: Campaign missions only rewarded players indirectly through the work completed during the mission.
Fix: Campaign missions now grant additional direct reputation rewards, making campaign progression more rewarding.
Known Issues:
Multiplayer
Voice Chat can sometimes not work properly.
When clients interact with NPCs during an Inspection mission, the host will instead talk to them as long as the host is nearby.
Players can become stuck in certain animations, for example while using the rescue net on the Grace.
Clients currently do not receive Credits or Reputation when completing a mission.
Clients cannot interact with the ship horn.
UI
XP is still displayed on the mission end screen.
The mission end screen currently displays a placeholder Reputation bar showing "Stettach Rep. 3".
The Inspection results screen can sometimes be displayed with inverted colours.
Work Shifts
There is currently no visual feedback when skipping time using the calendar.
Balancing
A few missions currently do not reward any Credits or Reputation.
My Career – Free Trade
Bulk cargo does not currently retain its load when swapping vessels.
The Bulk Hatch screen does not currently respond while undocked.
Ships
The digital clock currently does not work as intended.
💬 Share Your Feedback
The Open Beta is the first opportunity for the wider community to test multiplayer, and your feedback will help us prepare the update for its full Early Access release.
Let us know how stable your sessions were, which missions you played, how many players were part of your crew, and how it felt to operate the same vessel together.
We would also like to hear your thoughts on the new missions, the expanded Free Trade system, and the improvements made to progression, trading, and Work Shifts.
Follow our social channels and join the conversation on Discord to stay up-to-date,
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Thank you for joining the Open Beta and helping us shape the next update together.
Gather your crew and see you on the horizon,
Your Seafarer Team 🚣