Sea of Thieves Charts New Course with Major System Overhauls on the Horizon
Rare outlines ambitious plans to enhance performance and combat cheating in their pirate adventure.
Rare’s popular pirate adventure is setting sail for significant improvements, as Production Director Drew Stevens unveils the studio’s strategic vision for Sea of Thieves. The development team is channeling their efforts into three critical areas: enhancing game performance, strengthening security measures, and ensuring player safety.
The announcement comes at a crucial time for the multiplayer title, which reached a milestone of 40 million lifetime players in April 2024. Despite this achievement, the game has faced challenges, particularly on PS5, where it experienced a notable decline in player retention since its platform launch.
Stevens emphasized the team’s commitment to improving the game’s overall health, addressing longstanding issues with cheaters that have impacted player experiences. The studio is taking a bold approach to performance optimization, targeting both system-wide improvements and specific pain points reported by the community. These changes will involve what Stevens describes as “some pretty fundamental areas” of the game, including experimental updates that, while risky, are deemed necessary for meaningful progress.
The immediate roadmap includes a January 23 update focusing on technical refinements. Players can expect improved Trinket loading mechanics when approaching captain’s ships and enhanced networking to reduce gameplay stutters. The patch will also introduce various minor fixes to polish the overall experience.
Looking further ahead, the development team plans to expand their treasure and ship systems throughout 2025. This initiative includes the gradual introduction of new loot while optimizing existing content. Server infrastructure will also receive attention to better handle player demands and ensure smoother operation.
To combat the ongoing challenge of cheating, Rare is expanding its security team and increasing resources dedicated to maintaining fair play. The studio has indicated that additional details about their 2025 initiatives will be revealed as development progresses.