The first Sea of Thieves news injection for 2023 is here, and Rare is showing off some exciting stuff that's coming to the piratical adventure soon. New features include boosts to matchmaking, a brand new adventure to tackle, and a pet rock companion for those lonely days out on the seven seas.
Rare released a new Sea of Thieves video earlier today, showcasing what's coming to the game in the next few weeks. Usual salty sailor John McMurtrie is replaced in his hosting duties by video producer Daryl Gardner, who invites us into his pirate haven to discuss new outfits, emotes, and accessories, as well as the upcoming Secret Wilds adventure and more.
In the video, we get a quick glimpse of the new adventure, The Secret Wilds, which arrives tomorrow. Tasha's curse continues to plague her, and you must lift the veil on our world to discover Captain Briggsy's secrets if you're to have a hope of helping her.
Elsewhere, Gardner shows off some new cosmetics and emotes coming to Sea of Thieves in the next couple of weeks, including the Minotaur-inspired Labyrinth Looter ship set, costume, and weapon set. If you prefer to express yourself with actions rather than aesthetics, the Oar-inspiring Emote bundle (ha ha) and Pocket Pebble emote should help you do so, especially if you're a fan of the pet rock phenomenon.
As well as these cosmetics, the Lunar Festival pet outfits are making a triumphant (but limited-time) return, so you can deck your monkey or parrot out in some truly opulent gear. Angry pirates can also look forward to the Come Here emote, which is free for all Sea of Thieves players and which should help you look scarier when it comes to the PvP matchmaking improvements.
How matchmaking is improving in Sea of Thieves
After outlining these seafaring riches, Gardner hands over to Sea of Thieves senior designer George Orton, who tells us a little about how PvP matchmaking is changing. Orton says Sea of Thieves will soon allow same-faction battling, so if your matchmaking is taking too long, you should still be able to find a fight.
If you're a technical sort, you'll also be happy to learn that the game is getting cross-stamp migration, which, without getting too bogged down in details, should help more teams find each other for a piratical punch-up. Other changes include boosts to the amount of PvP arenas available, as well as increased compensation if you lose a battle and more.
It sounds like if you're a fan of Sea of Thieves' PvP engagements, a much more streamlined experience is on the horizon. There might not be any murder mysteries to solve in the new adventure, but it's sure to provide a great excuse for more nautical exploration and combat when it arrives tomorrow. You can grab Sea of Thieves right now on PC and Xbox consoles, and you can check it out right now at no additional cost if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
