The Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update is about to launch on Xbox One.
To celebrate the pirate adventure game’s first year on sale, Microsoft and developer Rare are getting ready to release a free content update.
The Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update introduces new story content, a brand new Player-vs-Player mode, a new Trading Company and lots more.
But before we get to the good stuff, Microsoft will be taking the game offline for server maintenance.
According to Rare, the game will be taken offline from 10am BST until 4pm BST in the UK.
“Happy Monday everyone!” reads a Sea of Thieves tweet.
“Our servers will be down tomorrow between 10am and 4pm BST to allow us to run server maintenance and bring you the Anniversary Update! Please plan your sailing accordingly.”
Full patch notes will be revealed during the downtime, although fans already have a pretty good idea about what to expect.
Arguably the biggest new addition is the Shores of Gold story expansion.
According to Rare, Shores of Gold delves deeper into the lore of the pirate paradise.
“Follow a series of narrative adventures surrounding existing and all-new characters, taking you to undiscovered places and revealing surprising new gameplay features,” the studio explains.
“Fans of the expanded game universe will recognise some of the iconic characters and locations in Shores of Gold, yet this is only the beginning of a series of Tall Tales that will allow players to immerse themselves in the legends of Sea of Thieves.”
Fans of player-vs-player combat will be happy to hear that the Anniversary update also introduces the brand new Arena mode.
“The Arena allows you to get straight to the heart of the action in the new competitive mode,” Rare continues.
“Trust in your crew and prove your prowess in a purely competitive setting. After a vicious battle, share a grog with your rivals in the Glorious Sea Dog tavern, home to a new Trading Company led by the heroes of the Sea of Thieves comic series!”
The Hunter’s Call Trading Company ties in to the addition of new gameplay features such as fishing and cooking.
The Hunter’s Call is said to offer gold and cosmetic rewards, as fans hunt, fish and cook for the returning wanderer Merrick.
Elsewhere, the Anniversary Update is said to bring improvements to the world, such as extended ship damage and a harpoon.
“Expanded ship damage means that your beloved vessel can suffer a broken mast, capstan or even wheel, meaning that sailing and escaping battle could get very tricky indeed,” Rare continues.
“Meanwhile, the arrival of the harpoon means that treasure can be nabbed by a skilled enemy and ships can make some surprising manoeuvres.”
That’s on top of new enemies, as well as traps that could hinder exploration.
