Sea of Thieves: Ahoy, Mateys! Custom Servers are Coming (But They'll Cost Ya)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Rare's adding custom servers to Sea of Thieves with a subscription, plus tweaking the seasonal content plans to be more predictable. While cool, the paywall raises questions about accessibility.
Right then, pirates! Looks like Rare's been charting a course for some pretty swanky new features in Sea of Thieves, and I gotta say, some of it sounds brilliant, and some of it… well, let's just say my inner skeptic's having a field day.
According to Eurogamer's report, Sea of Thieves is set to get custom servers – or "Custom Seas" as they're calling them – sometime "early" next year. (That's 2026, for those keeping score at home). Now, the idea itself is fantastic. Imagine tweaking the game to your heart's content – disabling the kraken (finally!), spawning chests like it's Christmas, and even messing with crew limits. Plus, access to the cinematic camera tools Rare uses for their trailers? Blimey, the possibilities for pirate shenanigans are endless!
But (and you knew there was a "but" coming, didn't you?), these Custom Seas will come with a price tag. Rare's calling it a "premium" feature, requiring a regular subscription. Their reasoning? Apparently, these servers are bloomin' expensive to develop and maintain. Fair enough, I suppose, but it still stings a little. I mean, who doesn't love free pirate loot?
On the brighter side, it seems like they're also expanding the "Safer Seas" mode – that's the one where you and your crew can sail on a private server with fewer… well, less stabby people. The report doesn't clarify if the fleet additions to Safer Seas will be included in the subscription, though it appears this may not be the case. Fingers crossed it's a freebie, because sailing with your mates without the constant threat of being turned into chum is always a good thing.
Rare's also tinkering with their seasonal approach. Apparently, they're aiming for a more consistent pattern – new content, revisiting old stuff to squeeze out more value (smart move, that), and a dash of narrative to keep the world evolving. Season 17: Smugglers' Tide is up next, bringing a new Smugglers faction, hideouts, and smuggling runs. It all sounds rather exciting, but given some of the narrative threads that were dropped after they were initially introduced, I'll believe it when I see it.
The big plan seems to be reinvigorating the sandbox and finding a balance between new features and fixing those pesky bugs that have been plaguing the game for ages. Balancing acts in live-service games can be tricky, so here's hoping they can stick the landing.
Of course, all this news arrives in the wake of some pretty heavy layoffs at Microsoft and Xbox, including the cancellation of Rare's Everwild. That's a bloody shame, especially considering Rare veteran Gregg Mayles is also leaving after 35 years. Here's hoping the Sea of Thieves team can weather the storm and keep the pirate dream alive.
So, there you have it, mateys. Custom servers with a subscription fee, a revamped seasonal structure, and a few other bits and bobs to keep us sailing. I reckon it's a mixed bag, but there's definitely enough here to keep me hooked (pun intended) for the foreseeable future. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a kraken to avoid (or not, depending on how I set up my custom server… whenever that actually arrives).
Tags: Sea of Thieves, Custom Servers, Rare, Pirate Game, Live Service
Original article: Eurogamer