Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| The Bilge Rats Weekender | 2026-04-16 | The tradition of Act 2 focusing on in-game Events continues in Season 19 with the introduction of the Bilge Rats Weekender! While this Event is active, you'll be able to complete challenges to earn fresh Doubloons, following the currency reset that has now taken place.With these new Doubloons in circulation (and the currency now primarily available during Bilge Rats Weekenders), you’ll need something to spend them on. That’s where the refreshed Black Market comes in! Between Duke and Larinna, you'll be able to get your hands on new and returning cosmetics in return for a few of those blue coins…So set out to tackle quirky Challenges, scrap ov |
| Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.7.1 | 2026-04-16 | Bilge Rats WeekenderUndertake special Voyages and Challenges to win Doubloons in this recurring pirate celebration! The extended debut of the Bilge Rats Weekender is live from April 16th to April 20th, 2026.The Celebrations Begin!With the Bilge Rats Weekender now active, the Outposts and Seaposts are decorated for the occasion! Larinna can be found inside the tavern and will share more details on this month’s Event, along with access to the Bilge Rats Black Market.During the Weekender, each evening at 9pm (in-game time) a select Outpost will host a rousing Bilge Rats Firework Display, with the best viewing location clearly laid out. Larinna w |
| This Month in Sea of Thieves: April 2026 | 2026-04-08 | A hectic March has come to an end, but the Sea of Thieves never rests and so neither shall we. April is set to be a slightly quieter month, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to be getting on with. From refreshed editions of the game to a brand new Live Event, let’s find out what you can expect from the next few weeks in Sea of Thieves.Commemorative Doubloon Cosmetics – until April 16thIf you’ve stopped by Larinna recently, you might have noticed that she’s got some shiny blue merchandise on offer. The Doubloon Hoarder Title, Eyepatch, Belt and Sails are currently available to purchase for pirates who want to commemorate their Doubloon- |
| Sea of Thieves Community Direct: March 2026 | 2026-03-30 | Hello, and welcome to this handy summary of March 2026’s Community Direct! The team sat down earlier this month to reflect on everything that’s happened since the last Direct, while also discussing the next few months of Sea of Thieves plans. The Direct itself is a crisp 29 minutes long, but if you’d like a shorter summary of events, then you’re in luck – this companion article has it all. Let’s get into it. Looking BackWhen reflecting on our current rhythm of release, it’s clear to us that the signals we’ve had from our players show our current model isn’t working. Delivering bitesize content via our three-Act structure has put a lot of pres |
| Join the Revelry in Season 19 Community Weekend on March 27th | 2026-03-27 | If the sound of distant – and not-so-distant – cannon fire hadn’t tipped you off, Season 19 has begun! That means a few things, including a host of improvements to Faction Battles, but most importantly of all: it’s nearly time for our next Community Weekend. It’s so very nearly time for it, in fact, that by the time you read this it may well have begun, so let’s not take up any more time with pleasantries and get straight to the details…Fire Up the FreebiesStarting with everyone’s favourite bit: free stuff! Anyone who sets sail during this Event will add the latest luxurious Community Weekend Flag to their collection, while also unlocking the |
| Refreshed Faction Fighting Ignites in Sea of Thieves Season 19 | 2026-03-19 | The fires of battle are being stoked once again in Season 19 of Sea of Thieves, even as a brand new recurring Event promises fresh ways of earning Doubloons. Yes, in this latest free Season, players engaging in the exhilarating action of Faction Battles will find themselves entering fairer fights faster and more easily, while shrinking Battle Bounds ensure no encounter outstays its welcome. In Act 2, players will get to undertake exciting challenges to earn more of those shiny blue coins, while Act 3 invites Sloop crews to try out a whole new format for sea-based skirmishing…Upgraded Faction BattlesAct 1 of Season 19 focuses on refreshing the |
| Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.7.0 | 2026-03-19 | Improved Faction BattlesSeason 19 kicks off by overhauling the Hourglass of Fate, later promising a festival-themed Event and a new battle mode for Sloop crews! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 19 page.Shrinking Battle BoundsDuring a Faction Battle, the Battle Bounds will now shrink in size at set intervals during the encounter to discourage fleeing, encourage more exciting battles and ensure fights are brought to a climactic end.The starting battle size remains unchanged, allowing crews the space to test their rivals. The area will then shrink twice during the battle, bringing crews toget |
| Sea of Thieves Release Notes – Hotfix 3.6.2.1 | 2026-03-12 | Fixed IssuesGameplayPlayers dying while wearing a Disguise or mimicking another player should no longer appear invisible to others when returning from the Ferry of the Damned.Crews with rival ships nearby are once again blocked from server migration until ships are a safe distance away. (Released previously as part of an interim update.)Crews should no longer encounter the possibility of treasure on board their ship vanishing in certain ship migration scenarios. (Released previously as part of an interim update.)Ashen GarrisonsPirates using the Rowboat found within the Ashen Garrison should no longer find the Rowboat is destroyed and treasure |
| This Month in Sea of Thieves: March 2026 | 2026-03-06 | Another month, another This Month in Sea of Thieves article! There’s absolutely loads going on this March, including game updates, charity drives, anniversary celebrations, Community Weekend and more, so let’s skip the preamble and just get right to it. Yes? Yes.Sea of Thieves Season 18: Act 3 – Thursday, March 5thKeen-eyed readers may note that this article highlights two monthly updates happening in March, with the first being the long-awaited arrival of Ashen Garrisons! Freshly polished up and ready to go, they’re now available to seek out in-game along with Act 3’s other improvements and adjustments, from March 5th.This new Act will also |
| Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.2 | 2026-03-05 | Secrets of the Banished: Act 3Take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 18 page.Ashen GarrisonsFlameheart’s forces have constructed two new Ashen Garrisons deep within The Devil’s Roar. Crews are tasked with assaulting these heavily fortified skeleton strongholds to crack open the Treasuries and reap the rewards within.Crews must navigate perilous waters and scale the outer walls to begin their assault, then battle across the ramparts, unlocking access to the Guardhouse before |
| Season 18’s Style of Thieves Theme Reveal! | 2026-03-03 | Welcome once again, pirates of costuming culture, to the latest instalment of #StyleOfThieves! The most chic community contest that strives to rinse every last drop from your pirate’s extra-dimensional storage spaces they’ve chosen to fill with jackets, hats, facial hair and body-altering Curses.So while you may have recently braved a tussle with the Eternal Guard, lifted Ancient relics from Molten Sands Fortress and you’ll soon begin your fight back against Flameheart’s Ashen Garrisons, this article is here to tell you when it’ll be time to strive for something truly illustrious: the Fashionista’s Finery Gloves! From March 9th–12th, we’ll on |
| Season 17’s Big Listen Survey Results | 2026-02-27 | As we committed to in last year’s inaugural Community Direct, we’re surveying players every Season to find out how you found its features, and where you’d like to see us do more. Season 17 was no exception, so we’re here to share with you the outcomes of our Big Listen survey for The Smugglers’ League.Before we get into the finer details, we want to say a huge thanks to everyone who’s participated in our recent surveys. We’re finding that these surveys provide really valuable signals for us to go and act upon – we know they’re not short, and we’re grateful to those of you who spend the time and energy to give us such comprehensive reads on wh |
| Sea of Thieves Spotlight Showcase #10 | 2026-02-11 | As promised, we’re back with another Showcase to recap all the remaining Spotlights from 2025, tying everything up in a neat bow for now. To date, we’ve brought you 64 Spotlights across nine Showcase articles stretching back to 2022 (with many more in the preceding years) and there are nine more still to cover below, so let’s not delay! Here are the last of 2025’s Spotlighted players… To get things moving on our latest list, we jump all the way back to last April and our Community Spotlight with GingerJefferson! As the proud winner of ten #SoTShot competitions, this Visionary Artist of the Seas had a lot to say about making art within Sea of |
| This Month in Sea of Thieves: February 2026 | 2026-02-05 | Update February 13th: Following the announcement that Ashen Garrisons aren’t quite ready to be stormed by pirate crews just yet, Act 3 of Season 18 has been pushed back two weeks to launch on March 5th. The accompanying Twitch Drops will also move by two weeks to start on March 6th; everything else on February’s schedule remains in place. Please bear these changes in mind when reading the article below!Original article: Brief though February may be, we’ve tried to ensure that it comes packed with a good amount of Sea of Thieves stuff for you to enjoy – including the latest free content update, new music and a whole bunch of bargains and boost |
| Season 18 Community Weekend | 2026-01-31 | Season 18 Community Weekend is now live on High Seas until February 2nd (11am UTC)! Set sail for the free flag and Rising Wave Emote, hand in a Chest of Fortune for an exclusive Title, boost the Community Emissary Grade multiplier by watching Sea of Thieves on Twitch, enjoy Pop-Up Plunder puzzles and more! Sail over to our dedicated page to learn everything you could want to know: Sea of Thieves - Season 18 Community Weekend |
| Warm Up with Season 18 Community Weekend on January 31st | 2026-01-26 | Back at the end of 2025, the extra month for Season 17 meant that the following Season’s Community Weekend got shuffled out of the end-of-year running order. But! We didn’t forget and we’re ready to get back to it: Season 18 Community Weekend will take place imminently, from Saturday, January 31st to Monday, February 2nd (11am UTC). So are you all set for another 48 hours of sharing stories, closing in on Goals and generally making the Grade?Freebie Fallin’First up, the free stuff! Take to the seas at any time during this Event to add the latest Community Weekend Flag to your collection, paired this time with the Rising Wave Emote for synchro |
| Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.6.1 | 2026-01-22 | Secrets of the Banished: Act 2Take on the Eternal Guard, raid Sanctuaries of the Banished and generally risk life and limb returning to The Devil's Roar! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 18 page.Molten Sands FortressFor the duration of Act 2, Molten Sands Fortress will be the site of a fierce encounter with Flameheart’s forces, and highly sought-after treasure can be seized by crews who dare to take on the challenge.Crews must first prove their worth to their preferred Trading Company and reach Emissary Grade 5, then claim a unique Emissary Quest from that Company. Emissary Grade progress |
| Sea of Thieves Round-Up: December 2025 | 2026-01-09 | A new year is upon us! After the frenetic end-of-year rush to make sure all the pieces of the Festival of Giving were running smoothly, it feels like almost no time at all since we were last here, giving you the rundown. Nonetheless, it is time once again to take a look back and call out some of the highlights you might have missed in December…Content UpdateIf there was anything you weren’t likely to miss, it was the arrival of Season 18 as sarcophagi containing the Eternal Guard started appearing across the seas, bearing keys to Sanctuaries unearthed within The Devil’s Roar. For the full suite of changes and additions made to the game, as al |
| This Month in Sea of Thieves: January 2026 | 2026-01-06 | Another year on the seas is upon us, and it’s all set to be a busy one. January offers Fortress-based threats and discounted pets, Twitch Drops and mic drops, contests and cosmetics and of course 2026’s first Community Weekend, so read on to get prepared for the latest leg of our ongoing journey!#SoTShot: The Devil’s Roar – until Wednesday, January 7thAs we gear up for another year of social channel screenshot challenges, there’s still time to get your pics in for 2025’s final fiery theme. Send us your best Devil’s Roar-inspired shots on Instagram, Twitter/X or Bluesky, tagging your art with #SoTShot and @SeaOfThieves to enter. A cache of Gol |
| Sea of Thieves Spotlight Showcase #9 | 2026-01-02 | It’s been over a year since we last delivered a Showcase, if you can believe it! We hardly can, but the relentless wheel of time has been spinning ever on regardless, and we’re long overdue in sharing another for your reading pleasure. In fact, we’re going to do one better and publish two in rapid succession, catching us up to the end of 2025 and giving all those Spotlights another chance to shine while the series takes a li’l break in 2026.So sit back and relax as we summon up some of the amazing community members who’ve faced the Spotlight in the last couple of years… First Spotlight on the list takes us back to mid-2024 and a face familiar |