by Joe Neate, Executive Producer at Rare

 As the leaves change and we leave summer behind, Sea of Thieves also enters a new Season with the arrival of Season Four. In addition to new Events, Seasonal rewards and an overhaul to our Trials and Deeds system, Season Four fully unveils the Sunken Kingdom – previously only explorable via the Tall Tales brought in with Season Three, now filled with new treasures to claim and secrets to uncover. Sea of Thieves Season Four is available now as a free download for all players with Xbox Game Pass and across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC and Steam.

As with previous Seasons, Season Four lays out 100 levels of progression-based rewards obtainable by simply living the pirate life and accruing Renown, and also offers an optional Plunder Pass packed with premium goodies not yet available anywhere else! Find out more about the workings of Seasons and the Plunder Pass in our Seasons Explained and Plunder Pass Explained articles.

Enter the Sunken Kingdom

First experienced as part of the Tall Tales added in Season Three, the Sunken Kingdom now expands with numerous new areas accessible at any time in Season Four. Locations marked on the ship’s map and visible shimmering spots on the ocean’s surface indicate where pirates can dive down to investigate this mysterious undersea realm.

Within the Sunken Kingdom are six Siren Shrines, each one filled with puzzles to solve and mysteries to uncover, and a cache of deep sea treasure available for anyone who manages to breach its heart. Undersea adventurers will need to be alert at all times, as the Sirens do not go easy on intruders!

Pirates can also dive down to plunder the Siren Treasuries, battling waves of Ocean Crawlers and Sirens to claim the new Coral treasures kept within. To learn more about all that awaits explorers of the Sunken Kingdom, visit our dedicated Season Four page.

New Ways to Gain Renown

To help players climb Season Four’s 100 levels of progression and unlock the associated rewards, our Trials and Deeds have evolved! A wider range of regularly rotating Deeds now expands the ways in which players can boost their Renown. Daily Deeds offer bite-sized challenges, while weekly, monthly and Seasonal Trials provide longer-term goals with more sizeable Renown rewards.

Along with these updates, Season Four brings in the latest range of time-limited Events – starting with a celebration of the Sea of Thieves’ annual Festival of the Damned! This year’s themed Event is entitled Fury of the Damned, and will span an entire month as the Pirate Lord proposes challenges to quiet the restless dead that haunt the seas. For their assistance in these island exorcisms, pirates will be suitably rewarded with creepy-crawly cosmetics.

 Pirate Emporium Plunder

Coming to the Pirate Emporium this Season is the Golden Nile Ship Collection, a lustrous ensemble inspired by a famous waterway and its scaly denizens. Pirates wishing to add a bit of bite to their appearance can also snap up matching weapons and the Golden Nile Costume, which comes with a built-in Sand Shaker emote – perfect for dusting yourself off after a long night of digging for treasure. And for anyone who wants to look extra smug after sinking a ship, new Victorious Weapon Pose emotes are just the ticket. Don’t forget there’s another freebie emote up for grabs too!

As in previous Seasons, pirates can choose to bolster their Seasonal pool of rewards with a brand new Plunder Pass. Don’t get too spooked, but Season Four’s Plunder Pass is headlined by the Jack O’ Looter Costume, inspired by a mythical swindler who haunts the dreams of many a young pirate. Also on offer are matching Jack O’ Looter weapon and ship sets, as well as the Vulnerable Weapon Pose Emote – all available via the Plunder Pass first, before they make their way to the Pirate Emporium in a later update.

 Find Out More

For more information on the Sea of Thieves Season Four update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieves website. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.

New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page and pick up some tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieves at www.xbox.com/seaofthieves, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!