Sea of Thieves 2024 Preview Event

Sea of Thieves
20 Mar 202420:57

Summary

TLDRThe Sea of Thieves 2024 preview event unveils exciting new features for the pirate sandbox adventure game. Season 12 introduces new weapons, tools, and gameplay mechanics like the Double Barrel Pistol, throwing knives, scattershot, Bone Caller, and Wind Caller. Season 13 brings the return of Captain Flameheart and the Burning Blade ship, offering a dynamic player-created World Event. Season 14, though early, hints at new stealth and mischief options, including the grapple gun and blow dart. These updates aim to enrich the game's sandbox experience, offering players more tools to create unique stories.

Takeaways

  • šŸ“ā€ā˜ ļø Sea of Thieves 2024 preview event introduces new features and tools for the pirate sandbox adventure game.
  • šŸ”„ Season 12 aims to mix up the meta and enhance player enjoyment with two new weapons and three new tools.
  • šŸ”« The Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives are introduced as new weapons for tactical choices and strategies.
  • šŸ„‹ Throwing knives can be used for melee combat and thrown at enemies, with the ability to retrieve missed knives.
  • šŸ’„ The scattershot is a new tool that fires four small cannonballs for a wide spread and quick damage to enemy ships.
  • šŸ§™ā€ā™‚ļø The Bone Caller is a throwable device that spawns skeletons to fight alongside players against enemies.
  • šŸŒ¬ļø The Wind Caller allows players to summon winds for various uses, including propulsion and firefighting.
  • šŸŒ Ziplines are added to the game for fast traversal across islands and between points of interest.
  • šŸ”„ Season 13 brings the return of Captain Flameheart and the Burning Blade ship, with a new player-created World Event.
  • šŸ”„ Players can become the crew of The Burning Blade, sail the world, and complete orders in service of Captain Flameheart.
  • šŸ˜ˆ Season 14, dubbed 'pirates of mischief', focuses on stealth and mischief, with new tools like the blow dart and grapple gun.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the Sea of Thieves in 2024?

    -The main focus for Sea of Thieves in 2024 is to provide players with more tools, possibilities, and freedom to create memorable stories and enhance the core gameplay experience in the sandbox.

  • What are the new weapons being introduced in Season 12?

    -Season 12 introduces two new weapons: the Double Barrel Pistol, which allows for two individual shots or a charged, more powerful combined shot, and throwing knives, which can be used for melee or thrown at range.

  • How do the throwing knives function in combat?

    -Throwing knives can be used for light and heavy melee actions, thrown at enemies for a high damage attack, and can be retrieved after being thrown by sticking into the environment to replenish ammo.

  • What are the three new tools being added in Season 12?

    -The three new tools in Season 12 are the Wind Caller, which summons the power of the winds; the scattershot, a collection of four small cannonballs for quick damage; and the Bone Caller, which spawns skeletons to fight for the player.

  • How does the Wind Caller enhance traversal and combat?

    -The Wind Caller allows players to blow wind into their sails for increased speed, knock players back off ships or land, propel themselves in the water, rowing boats, put out fires, and cushion fall damage.

  • What is the significance of the Burning Blade ship in Season 13?

    -The Burning Blade is a powerful, player-controlled World Event ship with unique features like a massive flamethrower. Players can board it after defeating it, pledge service to Captain Flameheart, and complete orders while engaging in new puzzle gameplay and collecting the Orb of Secrets.

  • How does the concept of a player-created World Event work in Season 13?

    -As the crew of The Burning Blade, players become a World Event themselves, attracting other players who may want to take down the ship and steal its high value. The ship moves around the world, and players must balance the risk and reward of holding onto the Burning Blade and its Tribute.

  • What are the two main areas of focus for Season 14?

    -Season 14 focuses on expanding the game's playful and mischievous humor by introducing new ways for players to be stealthy and cause mischief, including new tools and mechanics for sneaking and trickery.

  • What new gameplay elements are being explored for stealth in Season 14?

    -Season 14 is exploring the idea of stealthy pirates, allowing players to crouch and move silently, hang off the side of ships, and potentially hide inside chests to avoid detection.

  • How does the grapple gun function and what are its uses?

    -The grapple gun is a dual-purpose tool that allows players to traverse the environment quickly by grappling onto ledges and harpooning items or other players. It can be used for boarding enemy ships, escaping, or repositioning during combat, but requires ammunition in the form of arrowheads.

  • What is the development team's approach to ensuring the game's health and stability in 2024?

    -The development team is securing a dedicated group to focus on the game's health, addressing issues in the core experience, and ensuring hit registration and anti-cheat measures are robust and up-to-date as part of regular monthly updates.

Outlines

00:00

šŸ“ā€ā˜ ļø Sea of Thieves 2024 Preview Event Overview

The Sea of Thieves 2024 preview event introduces exciting new features for the pirate sandbox adventure game. The focus is on expanding player tools and possibilities for more freedom and memorable stories in the game. Season 12 aims to mix up the meta with two new weapons, the Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives, offering new tactical choices. Season 13 and 14 are also teased, with Season 14 hinting at a focus on mischief and stealth, including new tools like the grapple gun and blow dart.

05:01

šŸ”„ New Weapons and Tools in Season 12

Season 12 introduces new weapons and tools to Sea of Thieves, including the Double Barrel Pistol, which allows for two individual shots or a charged powerful shot, and throwing knives, which can be used for melee or thrown at enemies. The scattershot, a new type of ammunition, overwhelms opponents with multiple projectiles causing minor damage. The Bone Caller is a throwable device that spawns skeletons to fight for the player, adding a new dynamic to combat and boarding tactics.

10:02

šŸŒ¬ļø Enhanced Gameplay Mechanics and Ziplines

The Wind Caller, a new tool in Season 12, allows players to summon winds for enhanced movement, both on water and land, and to extinguish fires quickly. Ziplines are introduced for fast traversal across islands, adding to the gameplay variety. The ability to balance on harpoon lines provides new ways to traverse and board enemy ships, enriching the sandbox experience and player storytelling.

15:05

šŸ”„ The Return of Captain Flameheart and the Burning Blade

Season 13 brings back Captain Flameheart and his Burning Blade ship, reimagined as a powerful and monstrous vessel. Players can defeat and board the ship, pledging their service to Flameheart and becoming a player-created World Event. The Burning Blade, equipped with ten cannons and a flamethrower, allows players to complete orders and collect the Orb of Secrets, a new treasure artifact, while engaging in dynamic naval combat and puzzle gameplay at Skeleton Camps.

20:08

šŸ˜ˆ Mischief and Stealth in Season 14

Season 14, referred to as 'pirates of mischief', focuses on expanding stealth and mischief in Sea of Thieves. New gameplay elements include the ability to crouch for silent movement, hang off ship sides, and the blow dart, which can be used for various sneaky tactics. Traps and the grapple gun, a dual-purpose tool for traversal and harpooning, are also introduced, offering players more options for creating unique stories and encounters in the game.

šŸŒŸ 2024: A Year of Adventure and Updates

The year 2024 for Sea of Thieves promises to be filled with adventure and regular updates. The game aims to improve performance across hardware, enhance safety against cheating, and ensure reliable hit registration. The introduction of Easy Anti-Cheat in March signifies the commitment to a fair gaming environment. The preview event teases more to come for the seasons, inviting players to stay tuned for further revelations and promising an exciting year ahead.

Mindmap

Keywords

šŸ’”Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is a pirate-themed sandbox adventure game where players can create their own stories and experiences. It is the central focus of the video, with the discussion revolving around the upcoming features and improvements in the game for the year 2024.

šŸ’”Seasons 12, 13, and 14

These refer to the different content updates or 'seasons' that the game Sea of Thieves is planning to release over the course of 2024. Each season will introduce new gameplay elements, tools, and storylines to enhance the player experience.

šŸ’”New Weapons

The introduction of new weapons in Sea of Thieves for the upcoming seasons, which will provide players with additional tactical choices and strategies during their adventures. These weapons are designed to mix up the gameplay and offer new combat scenarios.

šŸ’”Tools and Mechanics

Refers to the various gameplay tools and mechanics that are being introduced or modified in the game to enrich the player's sandbox experience. These tools, such as the Wind Caller and scattershot, and mechanics like balancing on harpoon lines, add depth and variety to the gameplay.

šŸ’”Burning Blade

The Burning Blade is a ship that is reintroduced in Season 13 as a player-controlled World Event. It is a powerful warship with unique features like a massive flamethrower at the front and a skeleton crew that aids players in combat.

šŸ’”Skeleton Camps

Skeleton Camps are new locations in the game where players can engage in combat-focused encounters to discover secrets and artifacts. These camps are tied to the new gameplay introduced in Season 13 and are part of the player's mission to collect the Orb of Secrets.

šŸ’”Tribute System

The Tribute System is a new gameplay mechanic where players can collect secrets and add Tribute to the Burning Blade ship. The more Tribute collected, the higher the value aboard the ship, but also the greater the risk of being targeted by other players.

šŸ’”Grapple Gun

The Grapple Gun is a dual-purpose tool introduced for Season 14 that allows players to traverse the environment quickly and also grapple onto items and other players. It is designed to add more dynamic movement and mischief possibilities to the game.

šŸ’”Stealth and Mischief

These are the two main themes for Season 14, focusing on expanding the player's ability to engage in stealthy and mischievous activities within the game. This includes new ways to move silently, hide, and cause trouble for other players or in-game characters.

šŸ’”Player Experience

Refers to the overall enjoyment and engagement of players within the game. The developers are focusing on improving the player experience by addressing issues such as hit registration, performance, and anti-cheat measures to ensure a fun, fair, and stable gameplay environment.

šŸ’”Community and Collaboration

The video emphasizes the community aspect of Sea of Thieves, where players create stories together and collaborate in various ways, such as forming crews and working together to overcome challenges and enemies.

Highlights

Sea of Thieves 2024 preview event introduces new features for the game.

Seasons 12 and 13 are being discussed, with a sneak peek into Season 14.

The game focuses on providing more tools and possibilities for players to create memorable stories.

Season 12 aims to mix up the meta and enhance player enjoyment with new weapons and tools.

Two new weapons, the Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives, are being added.

The Double Barrel Pistol allows for two individual shots or a charged, more powerful shot.

Throwing knives can be used for melee and ranged combat, with a unique trick shot mechanic.

Three new tools are introduced in Season 12: Wind Caller, scattershot, and Bone Caller.

The scattershot is a unique cannonball variant that releases four smaller projectiles.

Bone Caller is a throwable device that spawns skeletons to fight alongside players.

Wind Caller allows players to summon winds for various uses, including propulsion and firefighting.

Season 12 introduces ziplines for traversal across islands and between outposts.

Harpoon lines can now be balanced on, offering new traversal and boarding tactics.

A dedicated team is focused on improving the game's health and hit registration.

Captain Flameheart and his Burning Blade ship return in Season 13.

The Burning Blade is a player-controlled World Event, with unique gameplay and challenges.

Season 14, dubbed 'pirates of mischief,' will focus on stealth and mischief mechanics.

New stealth options include the ability to crouch and move silently, and hanging off ship sides.

The blow dart is a new weapon for sneaking aboard enemy ships and causing mischief.

Traps are being introduced as throwable devices for setting up ambushes and defenses.

The grapple gun is a dual-purpose tool for traversal and interacting with the environment.

The introduction of these new features aims to shake up the meta and enhance player experiences.

Transcripts

00:00

Welcome to the Sea of Thieves 2024 preview event, where we're going to give you your first look atĀ Ā 

00:06

some of the exciting features coming to SeaĀ of Thieves this year.

00:11

We are going to shareĀ information around what's coming in SeasonsĀ 12 and 13,

00:16

as well as even further into the future with a sneak peek behind the curtainĀ on Season 14.Ā Ā 

00:23

So grab a grog and get ready for adventure, as we reveal some of the incredibleĀ  bounty of features headed to Sea of Thieves in 2024!

00:39

Sea of Thieves is a pirate sandbox adventure game, where players create those stories together

00:44

and in the world of Sea of Thieves there are toolsĀ  and items that may seem simple on the surface,

00:49

but when they're in the hands of real playersĀ  who are playing in their own way and bringingĀ Ā 

00:53

their creativity, it really showcases that theĀ  sandbox is more than the sum of its parts, asĀ Ā 

00:58

it creates these memorable stories.

01:00

ThisĀ year, in 2024, our focus is on giving you moreĀ tools, more possibilities,

01:07

and with that freedomĀ out on the waves give you the possibilities toĀ have these

01:11

amazing moments and really changingĀ up the core moment to moment gameplay of the sandbox

01:21

The kind of main aims for Season 12 areĀ  about mixing up the meta and how players enjoyĀ Ā 

01:27

all of the different aspects of Sea of Thieves. SoĀ  as part of Season 12 we're going to be adding twoĀ Ā 

01:31

new weapons and three new tools for players to use.

01:34

an area we haven't really delved into since launchĀ is adding new weapons to the game.

01:39

new weapons thatĀ give you new tactical choices and strategies out there on your adventures.

01:45

So in Season 12 we'reĀ going to be adding the Double Barrel Pistol andĀ throwing knives.

01:50

The Double Barrel flintlock isĀ a new type of pistol weapon where you can fireĀ Ā 

01:54

two shots individually before you need to reload,Ā  or you can charge them together and release themĀ Ā 

01:59

at once for a more powerful shot.

02:02

We wanted toĀ kind of create this new weapon archetype that'sĀ Ā 

02:05

a bit shorter range but a faster fire-rate, butĀ  perhaps not as powerful or damaging as theĀ Ā 

02:10

flintlock pistol, but then it has those kind ofĀ  blunderbuss-like qualities as well, where you canĀ Ā 

02:15

do the charge shot to release two pelletsĀ at the same time.Ā 

02:18

Accompanying that DoubleĀ Barrel flintlock with another weapon like theĀ cutlass, for example, for a finishing blow

02:24

can lead to a fast time to kill for a playerĀ  to be able to quickly take down a target.

02:32

Season 12 also brings in the throwing knivesĀ  as a weapon. Now these can be used as a meleeĀ Ā 

02:37

item, they have a light and a heavy melee action,Ā  but they can also be thrown and used at range asĀ well.

02:43

You can use it to kind of like stab playersĀ  with like a quick attack, but that doesn't do muchĀ Ā 

02:48

damage, or you can charge it to like pull it intoĀ  this kind of, more dangerous stabbing motion thatĀ Ā 

02:54

will slow the players movement down and giveĀ  this like really high damage attack for if youĀ Ā 

02:58

like sneak up behind players. And then finally, itĀ  has the ability to kind of flip the knife overĀ Ā 

03:03

catch it and then throw it at distance againstĀ  players which again kind of feels like a trickĀ Ā 

03:08

shot and it'll do a lot of damage as well.

03:10

WhenĀ you throw a throwing knife, and if you miss, youĀ Ā 

03:12

can actually go in the world and it'll stickĀ  into any of the geometry and you can just pullĀ Ā 

03:16

it out and then it'll replenish your ammo. SoĀ  I think personally, for me, this is really goodĀ Ā 

03:20

because sometimes I miss, as I'm sure some of usĀ  do, uh so you can then just go ahead and pick itĀ up again.

03:26

So you get these wonderful momentsĀ  where a pirate might throw a knife at you butĀ Ā 

03:31

then you can retrieve that knife and throw itĀ  back to them, so it'll really mix up the kindĀ Ā 

03:37

of combat scenarios you can expect out in theĀ  world and when boarding other ships.

03:42

There are three new tools in Season 12: the Wind Caller, theĀ  scattershot and the Bone Caller.

03:49

With the scattershot, the way that it's different to a standardĀ  cannonball is, it's a collection of four cannonballs,Ā Ā 

03:55

but they're much smaller. They have a much shorterĀ  falloff range and a really wide spread, allowingĀ Ā 

04:02

you to hit a target with multiple projectiles atĀ  the same time. And it does really small amountsĀ Ā 

04:08

of damage to the ship just like a level oneĀ  size hole so like, really quick for players toĀ Ā 

04:12

repair, but it can kind of overwhelm a crew quiteĀ quickly.Ā Ā 

04:15

Basically if you get up close with the scattershot and you can get a few onto yourĀ enemy,Ā 

04:20

they're gonna have a lot of holes, and they're going to have a pretty bad time.

04:23

What itĀ will do is really eat up an opponent's resourcesĀ Ā 

04:27

they' need to use more wood to repair theĀ  many holes that the scattershot puts into the hull.

04:35

So the Bone Caller is an awesome newĀ  throwable that players can wield, and they canĀ Ā 

04:40

throw that on the floor and when it smashes allĀ  these kind of bones come out and then skeletonsĀ Ā 

04:45

spawn around the player in allegiance to them, andĀ  they'll actually fight beside the player againstĀ Ā 

04:49

enemy players and enemy AI.

04:52

Now you might not beĀ going straight for just a normal cannonball or

04:55

or a chainshot, you might in fact go straight forĀ  the Bone Caller so you can have some skellies thatĀ Ā 

05:01

are on your side on that ship sort of messing thingsĀ up for that crew.

05:04

You could use fire to fight fire,

05:06

so if somebody shoots a Bone Caller across theĀ  sea at your ship and they spawn in, if you haveĀ Ā 

05:12

your own Bone Caller you could throw that down onĀ  the deck and have your own skellies go and fightĀ Ā 

05:17

those, uh, to take them out for you so that youĀ don't have to.Ā Ā 

05:20

I mostly play solo and to be able to spawn

05:23

literally anything that is friendly to myĀ cause while I'm playing is a massive positive soĀ I'm kind of

05:28

looking forward to that, and I'm sureĀ that other players will find ways to make use of it as well.

05:34

The Wind Caller is a new horn-shapedĀ  shell that players can blow into to summon theĀ Ā 

05:38

power of the winds. So imagine the scenario thatĀ  you're heading fully into the wind and you'reĀ Ā 

05:43

either chasing someone or you're trying to getĀ  away from someone, now you can use this tool toĀ Ā 

05:48

blow wind into your sails and go even beyondĀ full-billow in speed.

05:52

Players can also use itĀ to kind of knock players back off their ship or on land, so they can kind of target a player,Ā Ā 

05:58

blow into the Wind Caller and it will throw themĀ back into the air.

06:01

You can use it as a means of propulsion for yourself in the water but alsoĀ for rowing boats, so you can either use itĀ 

06:10

while you're in the water swimming and you'llĀ  blast along like a really fast water boatman, or

06:15

you can stand on a rowing boat and blast outĀ  the back like a speed boat basically.

06:21

You can put out fires, and you can do it quickly.Ā  So you can just essentially walk around, your

06:25

entire ship is caught on fire, and just put outĀ  all the fires as you walk around.

06:30

And they can even use it to, like, stop their fall damage.Ā  Like say you're falling a great distance andĀ 

06:34

you use the Wind Caller below you it'll, like, cushion your fall so you're like land safely as well.

06:38

There is, like, a finite charge for how long theĀ  Wind Caller can last for, so you have to use it wisely.

06:48

So Season 12 also introduces ziplinesĀ  onto several of the islands around Sea of Thieves.

06:53

So you may have seen these as they debuted inĀ  the Monkey Island Tall Tales and they're a reallyĀ Ā 

06:58

fun and exhilarating way to traverse, so it'sĀ  really cool to be able to bring those to theĀ Ā 

07:02

wider Sea of Thieves world.

07:04

So we've been lookingĀ across all the islands of the Sea of Thieves andĀ Ā 

07:06

looking at the most ideal places to kind of mixĀ  up the traversal opportunities uh within all ofĀ Ā 

07:11

the islands, to add these ziplines across them.Ā  So we've added ziplines to like, the Outpost toĀ 

07:16

get down to your ship quickly, we've added them toĀ  the Skeleton Forts that allow you to kind of ziplineĀ 

07:20

between two positions to kind of escape theĀ  skeletons or get close to them when they firstĀ 

07:25

spawn, or just general kind of ziplines across theĀ islands for like fast traversal when moving chestsĀ around the islands quickly.

07:31

For example on AncientĀ Spire Outpost, now you've got to clunk down someĀ 

07:35

cliffs in order to get your ship. Now you'll be ableĀ  to just go and get on the zipline and go flyingĀ 

07:41

all the way down to the jetty next to your ship.

07:45

So alongside adding completely brand new toolsĀ 

07:48

to the Sea of Thieves sandbox, there's also the opportunityĀ  for us to go back and add completely brand newĀ 

07:53

functionality to existing tools.

07:56

So another coolĀ new feature that we're adding for Season 12 isĀ 

07:58

the ability to balance on harpoon lines. So youĀ  can shoot that harpoon line at another ship orĀ 

08:05

another Island and then jump onto it and then like,Ā  balance across. Depending on the angle in which youĀ 

08:10

fire the harpoon, it'll either be like too steepĀ  to climb up it, but if you're on the other endĀ 

08:15

you can actually jump on the harpoon line andĀ  like slide down it really quickly back to your ship.Ā 

08:20

We're really confident this will lead to someĀ  really inventive player boarding tactics out thereĀ 

08:26

in the sandbox, as well as giving you new ways toĀ traverse the islands.

08:30

With all this that we're addingĀ in Season 12, it gives players more opportunitiesĀ to create those stories, as we're really enrichingĀ 

08:37

the sandbox of every session.Ā 

08:39

So we're alwaysĀ really excited to add new tools and mechanics

08:42

to Sea of Thieves, but we're always mindful thatĀ  we want to make sure that the game's health is inĀ Ā 

08:48

a really good position as well, that the integrityĀ  of Sea of Thieves is there for our players. And sinceĀ 

08:53

we're adding new weapons into Sea of Thieves, we're veryĀ  mindful that we want to ensure that the hitĀ 

08:58

registration in our game is as rock solid asĀ  it can be, and this is an ongoing thing for usĀ 

09:02

as a development team: we're constantly puttingĀ  time and effort into this area to try and make itĀ 

09:08

as robust as possible.

09:09

In the past we've borrowedĀ time from feature teams to address issues in theĀ 

09:13

core experience, but it's always taking a backseatĀ  to the features that those teams are working on.

09:18

In 2024, this is changing. We're securing a dedicatedĀ  team to focus on the health of the game, bringingĀ 

09:25

fixes and Improvement to the things that matterĀ  most to our players as soon as they're readyĀ 

09:30

as part of our regular monthly updates. This isĀ  going to be a key focus for the team this yearĀ 

09:35

we want your Sea of Thieves experience to beĀ  the best that it can be. Adding new loadoutĀ 

09:39

choices as part of upcoming Seasons shows ourĀ  commitment to making encounters between playersĀ 

09:45

a more dynamic and fun experience. But crucially,Ā  this all has to operate on a stable combat systemĀ 

09:51

we know that there's still plenty of work toĀ  do here, but this remains a top priority forĀ 

09:55

our team. March's update delivered Easy Anti-Cheat,Ā  an industry-leading anti-cheat solution designedĀ 

10:02

by Epic. This solution evolves over time, keepingĀ  up with cheat developers, blocking them at everyĀ 

10:07

turn. This is really though just the first stepĀ  at improving the player experience here in Sea of Thieves.

10:13

We want to focus this year on makingĀ Sea of Thieves play better than ever before, whether thatĀ 

10:19

be improving the performance of the gameĀ  across the variety of hardware it runs on,Ā 

10:24

ensuring that it's a safe place to play with aĀ  focus on cheating, but also ensuring that ourĀ 

10:30

hit registration is as reliable as possible inĀ  all of your adventures out there in the sandbox.

10:41

So Captain Flameheart has been a stapleĀ  and important character of Sea of Thieves for manyĀ 

10:47

years, appearing in our novels and appearingĀ  in our many Tall Tales and expanded fiction.Ā 

10:52

With Season 13, this brings the return of CaptainĀ  Flameheart to the Sea of Thieves.

11:01

As Flameheart hasĀ been resurrected, so has his Burning Blade ship,Ā  and it's back in more monstrous and terrifyingĀ 

11:06

form than ever before. So we've reimagined it forĀ  Season 13, and it looks incredible. It almost looksĀ 

11:13

like a living entity itself.

11:15

So traditionallyĀ World Events have been at set locations throughoutĀ the world.

11:19

The Burning Blade is a little different.Ā The Burning Blade is a ship, and therefore movesĀ around the world.

11:23

But the twist is, when you'veĀ defeated the ship you have the option to board

11:28

it and pledge yourself and your crew to Flameheart, enter into his service and become the

11:33

crew of The Burning Blade, essentially becoming aĀ  player-created World Event yourselves.

11:41

So obviously we have to go in big with this one. At a base itĀ  is larger and more formidable than any ship we've

11:46

seen on the waves. This ship has ten cannons, it hasĀ  a statue room dedicated to Flameheart at the back,

11:53

it has a balcony where Flameheart likes to take inĀ  the view every morning with his coffee and most

11:58

importantly it's got a massive flamethrowerĀ  at the front. Players will be able to pull a

12:02

lever on their ship and fire two massive balls ofĀ  fire out the front of their ship, which is really

12:08

interesting because we've never actually had anĀ  offensive weapon that's frontal facing before so I think

12:12

this is going to create some really interestingĀ  dynamic naval combat situations.

12:16

So once you take over the Burning Blade you are on this reallyĀ  powerful warship, and you have a skeleton crewĀ 

12:23

helping you as well, so even smaller crews haveĀ  every chance of crewing the Burning Blade because

12:29

the skeletons will come to your aid. So you couldĀ  have skeletons repairing while you're on the

12:34

cannons firing at enemies, which is excellent.Ā  But it's not just about sailing around the

12:39

world, which of course you can do. It's aboutĀ  completing orders in service of Captain Flameheart.

12:47

So around the world there'll be numerousĀ  Skeleton Camps. You'll notice the Reapers have

12:52

been conducting excavations on the surface, andĀ  they've been dragging up all sorts of Ancient

12:57

artifacts and Ancient secrets from below theĀ  surface. Underground there's basically a chamber

13:02

with a prism that the players can control to drawĀ  out constellations on the ceiling in order to

13:08

help the ritual come to completion and get thatĀ knowledge of the Ancients.

13:12

Each of these templesĀ contains the secrets of the Ancients, secrets thatĀ Flameheart wants above anything else, and as part

13:22

of taking control of the ship you'll be able to sailĀ  around the world, visit these ancient temples deep

13:29

below these Skeleton Camps, engaging new puzzleĀ  gameplay, discover treasures. But what you'reĀ Ā 

13:35

really after is the Orb of Secrets, a new treasureĀ  artifact that Flameheart wants. Collecting theseĀ 

13:44

secrets will add Tribute to the Burning BladeĀ ship.

13:50

The more Tribute that you collect, the more

13:52

value will be aboard the Burning Blade. But youĀ  will lose the Burning Blade if it sinks or when

13:58

you choose to go and cash that Tribute in toĀ  Flameheart. So it's really up to you how long

14:02

you think you can hold on to it with that riskĀ  reward, because everybody in the world is going to

14:07

be coming for you, they're going to know you're inĀ  there and know you've got high value, so it really

14:11

becomes this dynamic player-created World EventĀ  with players versus players in the sandbox.

14:16

So even though you can visit these Skeleton CampsĀ  while in control of the Burning Blade, it's not

14:21

only tightly wedded to that new gameplay. PlayersĀ  can also visit them anytime in their adventures. So

14:28

should players visit these Skeleton Camps whenĀ  they're not the crew of The Burning Blade, the

14:32

skeletons won't be too happy that you found a wayĀ  inside these Camps, and you'll be engaging in a

14:37

combat-focused encounter to discover its secrets.

14:41

What's really exciting about Season 13 is the

14:43

interplay of the features and the way that they'llĀ  bring players together and combine to create new

14:48

stories. And whether you're the crew of The BurningĀ  Blade who wants to protect it or everyone else

14:52

who wants to take it down and steal that value,Ā  everything in Season 13 will bring you together.

15:05

So towards the end of the year we have Season 14, and while it's very early for us to talk about we

15:12

wanted to share some of our thinking here, becauseĀ  it is totally aligned with this vision for what

15:19

2024 can be, this laser focus on the sandbox andĀ  mechanics that add to the variety of stories you

15:28

can encounter in Sea of Thieves.

15:30

Internally we'reĀ referring to Season 14 as pirates of mischief.

15:34

Sea of Thieves has always had this playful, mischievousĀ  and funny sense of humor, and with Season 14 we're

15:39

expanding on that. The two main areas that we'reĀ  exploring are new ways to stealth and new ways

15:45

to cause mischief in the world.

15:47

So I thinkĀ a real aspect of the Sea of Thieves experience

15:50

that we haven't dived too deep into previouslyĀ  is the idea of being a stealthy pirate. So when

15:56

you think about Stealth in Sea of Thieves andĀ  enhancing that, imagine being able to crouch and

16:01

move around the world silently, or the ability toĀ  hang off the side of an enemy ship.

16:06

When we were having these initial conversations about SeasonĀ 14 the first thing I thought of was the cardboard

16:13

boxes in Metal Gear Solid. Could we allow playersĀ  to climb into chests and if they choose they can

16:20

actually scuttle around with their little legsĀ  out the button. And also if they choose to you

16:25

know, keep the ruse up, could other players comeĀ  along and pick them up like a normal loot chest

16:31

or treasure chest or whatever and take it ontoĀ  their ship?

16:34

So another cool thing that we've beenĀ working on is is the blow dart, which is anotherĀ new weapon that players can wield from the armory

16:40

and use that to kind of sneak aboard enemy shipsĀ  and fire kind of these custom darts into players

16:48

that will do different effects.

16:49

So imagine a blowĀ dart that tracks whatever it sticks to, whether

16:53

that's a ship, a chest, an item, a player. Ones thatĀ  could potentially like lure skeletons to like a

16:58

specific position so you can throw a firebomb inĀ  there or, you know, explode a gunpowder keg. Or darts

17:04

that can trigger specific sound effects, which isĀ  quite evil and cunning where you could board an

17:09

enemy ship and shoot the capstan and it sounds likeĀ  it's dropping or shoot the ladders and it soundsĀ 

17:13

like someone's climbing up them. And then thinkingĀ  about some of the ways that we want to add more

17:17

mischief to the world, one of these is the ideaĀ  of traps. So much like the kind of blunderbombs

17:22

or firebombs, we've been thinking about them beingĀ  this kind of throwable trap that players can kind

17:26

of throw into the world, think of it like like aĀ  like a spring trap that players can place on theĀ 

17:32

islands to trap skeletons on a bounty or on a Fort,Ā  or they could place it at the top of their ladders

17:37

to prevent players from boarding their ships andĀ  get caught in this trap. Along with these we're

17:41

also bringing a really exciting new tool, and it'sĀ  the grapple gun, which is a dual purpose rifle.

17:49

So it allows you to traverse the environment muchĀ  quicker, 'cos you're able to grapple yourself up to

17:55

a ledge for example, but you can also harpoon itemsĀ  and other players in. So some of the new cool uses

18:02

we've seen from the grapple gun in our early playĀ  test are, you know, players firing themselves out of

18:07

the cannon towards another ship to try and boardĀ  them and perhaps overcooking it and then using

18:11

the grapple gun to fire it at the deck and propelĀ  themselves down onto it, or jumping off their ship

18:16

to like an oncoming ship and then using theĀ  grapple gun to kind of grapple up and onto

18:22

their ship so that they can board them andĀ  drop their anchor, or have a fight with them.

18:26

To make sure that the grapple gun is balanced itĀ  does have ammunition. You'll have arrow heads, and

18:33

these essentially break off when you successfullyĀ  use the grapple gun, meaning you can't continuously

18:39

keep grappling, there is a skill to using theĀ  gun successfully, and accurately, and efficiently.

18:47

So when we think about 2024, we really think aboutĀ  getting to the very heart of what makes Sea of Thieves

18:53

great. That is your stories powered by that designĀ  philosophy of tools not rules. Seasons 12, 13 and 14

19:01

are fully exploring that, giving you new options,Ā  new tools and fundamentally new possibilities,Ā Ā 

19:08

that make this game unique and special. I thinkĀ  when you look at the year ahead for Sea of ThievesĀ Ā 

19:12

our plans for Season 12, Season 13 and Season 14,Ā  it's kind of making the shift away from these bigĀ Ā 

19:20

kind of systemic changes to Sea of Thieves andĀ  returning back to the core of what makesĀ Ā 

19:24

Sea of Thieves so special. The heart of Sea of Thieves, aboutĀ  giving players new tools to create new stories outĀ there in the world.

19:32

We're ultimately shaking up theĀ  meta, giving players new tools to learn and masterĀ Ā 

19:37

and I can't wait to see what combinations playersĀ  start settling on before we shake it back up again.

19:42

While everything that you're seeing today is stillĀ  work in progress and possibly subject to changeĀ Ā 

19:47

in some ways, we will be giving more insights ontoĀ  how these things are developing as we come closerĀ Ā 

19:53

to launch for each of them. With the richness ofĀ  all these new Seasons, and of course PlayStationĀ Ā 

19:58

pirates joining us as well, it is such an excitingĀ  year for Sea of Thieves in 2024.Ā Ā 

20:07

Thank you for joining us for the Sea of Thieves 2024Ā  Preview Event, we hope you've enjoyed thisĀ Ā 

20:13

sneak peek at what's coming throughout the restĀ  of the year. There's still a lot more to revealĀ Ā 

20:17

for these Seasons, so keep an eye on the horizonĀ  as we'll have more to share closer to each Season'sĀ launch.

20:23

For more information and to keep up toĀ  date with what's new in Sea of Thieves, checkĀ Ā 

20:27

out our social channel. So until our paths crossĀ  again, happy sailing! And we'll see you on the seas.

20:39

[Serene music]

20:49

*Sqwerk, sqwerk, sqwerk*

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