Sea Of ThievesSeason 8 puts PVP ship battles front and center as players burst out from underneath the waves to face their faction opponent head-on in a new PVP on-demand system called Factions of Fate. However, it also brings new ways to play for players who’d rather avoid PVP altogether. Players wanting to PVP can choose to fight for the Pirate Lord’s Guardians of Fortune, or let the flame burn as Servants of The Flame, continuing the faction wars set in motion in the previous time-limited Adventure,The Return of the Damned.
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Series 8 presents an exciting tussle between risk and reward, as players can choose whether to actively hunt opposing ships, play defensively by protecting treasure, or continue to playSea of Thievesas they always have. Either way, players can reap significant gold and exciting rewards in the form of new curses through the new Allegiance System.
10Unlock The Ghost Curse In The Athena’s Fortune Secret Hideout
One of the big things on many pirates' grog-soaked lips is thenew curses to unlockby playing Factions of Fate, and unsurprisingly, many players want to get them fast and first. To get the ghost curse, players must reach Level 100 Allegiance in the Guardians of Fortune Faction and be a Pirate Legend to access the new Athena’s Fortune area of the tavern, where they receive the ghost Blessing.
Players eager to see inside can get a glimpse of the new location by peaking through the door next to the Pirate Lord or swimming around the hideout. Players can wear existing outfits with the ghost curse as it acts like a second skin.
9Unlock The Skeleton Curse In The Reaper’s Lair
To get the skeleton curse, players must have Level 100 Allegiance with the Servants of the Flame Faction and have a Reaper’s rank of 75. This gives players access to a new secret hideout called the Reaper’s Lair, deep below the Reaper’s Hideout via a floor-pulley mechanism that’s firmly shut till players rank up.
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Once players have the skeleton curse by engaging in a ritual, they can customize its appearance by speaking with the Bonesmith to mix and match their skeleton look and even pick different bone colors, functioning as a new pirate appearance customization system.
8A Quick-Access PVP Experience
PVP on demand is ideal for those looking to jump straight into a PVP without having to spend time searching for other crews, as players only need to select the Hourglass of Fate on the Captain’s Table to get started. Players use the Hourglass to select what Faction they want to join, which marks players as PVP-ready to opposing Factions. Players must then select the War Map to begin PVP match-matching to find ships to battle.
Players must start sailing into the world to activate the diving cut scene, and players cannot activate the War Map if a rival opposing faction is nearby, so must sail away first. Players can also swap between factions each time.
7Underwater Matchmaking Service
Underwater matchmaking occurs before players burst out of the water in Flying Dutchman style from thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies, giving players the opportunity to show off captained ships in all their glory. Waiting times can vary but are sometimes slightly quicker for Servants of the Flame, with most taking a minute or so. However, it can take longer if players are sailing the seas with console players only, so players may want to adjust their matchmaking settings to speed up waiting times.
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While waiting, players can use the time to prep their ship for battle and ensure they have cannonballs, wood, and fruit on hand.
6Fight Solo Or Team Up In the Battle Circle
PVP on demand puts rival ships within a battle arena circle anywhere in the world, like amini former PVP Arena Mode. Players must stay within the circle boundaries or their Hourglass of Fate cracks and become unstable. If players remain outside the circle for too long, their ship starts to sink, and they automatically lose the battle, so cannot flee the area if they want to win.
Players can fight solo as a Sloop in a 1 or 2-person crew against another Sloop, or Brigs can take on Brigs, and Galleons vs. Galleons. However, anything can happen in this live-action game, so other players can join in, as well as environmental hazards like storms. There is also no cap on how many ships can be defeated in succession.
5Winners Stay On While Losers Leave
In Factions of Fate PVP, there is a clear winner and loser, as players who win the battle stay on, and the loser is transported to another server after a short cut-scene of their sunk ship, removing the risk of revenge kills. Battle winners can choose whether toresupply at an Outpostbefore reactivating the War Map or if confident they have everything aboard, can jump straight back into battle.
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Diving back into battle before cashing in is a bold, risky decision to make but if played right, can net players bigger rewards.
4Sinking Ships Earns Lots Of Gold
Each battle won increases Hourglass of Fate value, so the more ships players sink, the more their Hourglass is worth when players vote to leave their Faction at any Outpost. Sinking a Sloop can give the player a whopping 10,000 gold, and sinking a second Sloop can grant players 12,000 gold, so the gold earnings can increase incrementally, making sinking ships while sailing in a Faction one ofthe best ways to make money.
Players must cash in their gold by voting to leave their Faction, either in the Tavern for the Guardians of Fortune, or at the Reaper’s Hideout for the Servants of the Flame. Otherwise, players risk losing it all.
3Build An Allegiance Streak For Bigger Rewards
Sinking multiple ships in a row builds up an Allegiance Streak, giving players more Allegiance points. A Streak of 4 marks players on the map, giving them Faction Champion status. Getting an Allegiance Streak earns players more gold by adding value to their Hourglass of Fate, and becoming a Faction Champion enables players to take on bigger ships using the War Map.
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As players defeat more ships, the brighter the flames aroundthe ship figureheadglow, acting as a visual victory warning to other players. However, if players can defeat a Faction Champion, they get extra Allegiance points and increased earnings from their Hourglass value. Players can check their Allegiance points ranking in the Pirate Log.
2Increase Treasure Grade For Big Rewards
Having treasure aboard a Faction ship increases the ship’s Treasure Grade to earn gold and net rewards. Players can either grab treasure as they go, hooking it from the waters of defeated rival ships through PVP, or actively seek out and defend treasure while sailing for their Faction if playing more passively.
Having treasure aboard while defeating rival Faction ships increases the ships' overall Treasure Grade and Allegiance points in parallel. This means the higher the ship’s Treasure Grade, the more Allegiance points players can get.
1Sail As An Emissary To Increase Earnings
Players can alsosail as an Emissarywhile sailing for their chosen Faction, doing everyday activities in the sandbox as they normally would. When sailing with an Emissary Flag for the Reapers or one of the Trading Companies, players can increase their Emissary Grade in the usual way. However, it also rises when players sink ships of the rival Faction.
Increasing the Emissary Grade also increases the Hourglass of Fate’s value, so it’s a fast-track way to greater rewards. However, this strategy is risky when players increase their Emissary Grade, as this can make the player’s ship visible on the map and an even more valuable target.
Sea of Thievesis available to play on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
