Sea of Thieves’ very latest Season begins today! Season Ten promises to be one of the biggest yet, launching with a significant and socially focused new feature for our shared-world pirate sandbox. Expanding on Season Seven’s Captaincy update, Guilds gives players opportunities to strengthen the bonds they’ve already forged on the seas, while also building new and long-lasting connections.
A New Way to Connect
Across different crews, time zones and even platforms, Guilds can unite a group of pirates under a shared identity and cause, and help them celebrate their accomplishments with shared rewards. The in-game Guild Chronicles even allow players to see what other Guild Members have been up to while they were away, furthering the sense of communal goals and adventures. Each Guild also allows for full freedom of expression, with the Guild Owner having full control over its name, motto and branding.
With a limit of 24 pirates per Guild, these groups still maintain a sense of intimacy and shared identity – and with pirates only able to join a maximum of three Guilds at any time, the focus is very much on playing with crewmates you know or will come to know well. We know that Sea of Thieves is a game best played with friends, and whether this be old colleagues or new comrades you make out there on the waves, Guilds will offer players a longevity of connection far beyond a single Sea of Thieves session.
Shared Progress and Rewards
A Guild isn’t just for easier sailing with an expanded set of shipmates – it’s also a new way to earn rewards! When you’re sailing on a ship pledged to a Guild, you’ll contribute to its shared Guild Reputation. You can unlock rewards including special clothing themed to different ship’s roles, and with every 100 levels of Guild Reputation collectively reached, you’ll earn a level of Distinction that will upgrade your Guild Plaque and Guild Reputation cards. Keep raising that Guild Reputation and you’ll open up new Commendations to complete, carrying prizes that include the unique Unbroken Bonds ship set.
Pirates looking to maximize their Reputation gain – and get a little competitive edge at the same time – can even set sail as a Guild Emissary! Once your Guild has a few levels of Reputation safely secured, any Guild Member looking for a challenge can raise a Guild Emissary Flag at the Sovereigns’ tent and go seeking that nail-biting risk/reward Emissary experience. There’ll be a new Guilds Ledger too, so you can compare your skills with other Guilds and the most prolific will score even more enviable rewards!
Level Up Guild Members’ Ships
You can’t sail for a Guild without any ships available, so that’s where pledging comes in: any Captain with an owned ship can pledge it to the Guild, and choose whether fellow Guild Members can take it out even when its owner isn’t around. The ship in question will keep all its usual customisation and decorations, so your friends will be able to fully appreciate your daring interior design choices.
Even better, pledged ships will continue to progress their Ship Milestones when their Captain isn’t present. If you’ve got a vessel that you’ve been waiting to level up, now’s your chance to let some friends help you on your way.
We’re thrilled to be adding such a deep and connective feature as Guilds to Sea of Thieves, and we hope that players will love being able to explore and extend their bonds with other pirates. Social play is at the heart of Sea of Thieves, with its best moments being those you share with others. Guilds will give players the tools to turn these memorable moments into long-lasting magic.
New Cosmetics Storm into View
With a new Season underway, there are as always 100 fresh levels of Renown to rack up and rewards to be unlocked! Alongside the allocations of gold, Doubloons, Ancient Coins and Seasonal cosmetics available for everyone to unlock, pirates who pick up the Season Ten Plunder Pass can work towards the electrifying Stormfish Chaser ship set and clothing to help them feel right at home in the heart of a hurricane.
The Pirate Emporium will also continue to enjoy monthly updates throughout Season Ten, starting with October’s shining Silver Sepulchre set. In a world as dangerous as the Sea of Thieves, you never know what kind of horrors you might find yourself facing. With this set designed for fearless slayers of the undead, you’ll have all the tools you need to make a stand against the darkness.
Plenty Still to Come
While Guilds are sitting firmly in the spotlight for Season Ten’s launch, they’re not the only thing to get excited about. There’s a range of meaningful quality-of-life improvements too, including work done on hit detection and sword combat, Rowboats in a range of new colors and the ability to repair them, and a persistent player inventory when you rejoin a session. For the full list of updates, be sure to check out our latest release notes.
And the fun doesn’t stop with the October update, as Season Ten is all set to deliver new feature updates throughout the rest of the year. Once you’ve all gotten settled into your Guilds, you’ll need to be ready for the next big thing in November: the Skull of Siren Song Voyages, which involve a server-wide race to score a significant new treasure. Swiftly following in December will be the Safer Seas update that gives players a way to find their sea legs without disruption, so if you need an overview on either of these forthcoming features, catch up with our Season Ten Preview video and stay tuned in the weeks ahead for full details.