As it always does, February raced past in a whirlwind, but that didn’t keep us from loading it with goodies and making the most of the time available. With events and updates and hardly a moment to breathe in between, it was a packed few weeks – so rather than leave you in suspense, let’s skip right to the rundown…

First up in February’s activities: strange disturbances[x.com] at the Sea Forts. Ghostly ships were spotted circling the area, and any sailors who got close found themselves fending off Phantom fighters with spectral blades at the ready. These Dark Fortress Raids offered no easy battle, but pirates who emerged victorious could sail away from the time-limited Voyage with two tasty Vaults’ worth of loot.

Right after that, The Hunter’s Call decided it was time to make their move and declared the start of Season 15[www.seaofthieves.com]! Alongside a major expansion to everyone’s favourite fishing Company – including new Distinctions, rewards, piscine prey and, for the first time, Hunter’s Call Voyages – two Ancient Megalodons[www.instagram.com] emerged from the depths to terrorise those on the waves with their unexpected abilities. Want all the info? Hit the release notes[www.seaofthieves.com]! And the additional notes for a quick hotfix[www.seaofthieves.com] (but don’t worry, we were back up and running in no time).

A fresh Season of course also meant an influx of fine fashions for players to get their hands on, whether they could be earned by raising your Renown or trading your hard-earned Ancient Coins in the Pirate Emporium. Most exciting of all perhaps was the latest expansion to the Pet Chest: pigs! Who could say no to their little faces[x.com]?

We started February with a few things that needed tying up before Season 14 ended, in particular the latest Style of Thieves contest! To give everyone time to get their outfits together, we revealed the themes[www.seaofthieves.com] as early in the month as possible – even before we’d had a chance to get our February forecast[www.seaofthieves.com] of activities out.

That wasn’t the only focus on community efforts in our News pages either, as we made sure there was time to fit in a new Creator Spotlight. This time we were chatting with FluffyEdge[www.seaofthieves.com], Stream Team sailor and cat enthusiast, to find out all about her adventures with Captain Tigerpants.

In the run-up to Season 15’s launch, we wanted to set expectations for how this Season’s features would be arriving in phases to keep things spicy – cue a Forum post[www.seaofthieves.com] from Production Director Drew with the lowdown. From there it was onto our classic Season launch article[www.seaofthieves.com] and, a little while later, another check-in[www.seaofthieves.com] from Drew discussing the hotfix. What else could anyone possibly want to know about Season 15?

The approach to a Season launch is always packed with videos teasing what’s to come, whether it’s a simple title screen reveal or a Sea of Thieves News episode focusing on some imminent features. This time around, there was also a fresh Developer Update going deeper into the Season’s staggered release and highlighting the performance improvements about to arrive, as well as some eye-opening Megalodon found footage…

Once Season 15 was securely pulling into port, we expanded the roster with the time-honoured offerings of a content update video and launch trailer to show off all the new things joining the queue for you to sink your teeth into (or vice versa). The Pirate Emporium team also got in on things with an oh-so-refined spotlight on their suave Rococo merchandise.

It wasn’t all about Season 15 this month though – some of our other teams had things to share! First up, our talented musicians had a fresh version of ‘Ballad of the Mer’[x.com] to add to the usual streaming platforms, giving a dramatic orchestral twist to the familiar tune. Later in the month, the Community team and our lovely streaming supporters once again assembled for a GameBlast stream[www.twitch.tv], helping to spread awareness and raise money[x.com] for the important work of SpecialEffect, culminating in over £25,000 donated[tiltify.com]!

Our social channels in February were awash with competitions and challenges. Alongside eight new entries[x.com] in the Community Hub[www.instagram.com] and a #SoTShot round focusing on some of the most spectacular loot hauls[www.instagram.com] ever seen, we could also be found handing out magnificent mittens to the latest Style of Thieves victors[x.com] – plus a few extra[x.com] once we realised we had some repeat winners!

There was also a romantic February occasion to be marked by, naturally, Valentine’s Day-themed Compass of Chaos[x.com] challenges, but in the end we spent most of the month trying to find a missing pirate[x.com]. It took days to track them down[x.com]. If only we’d had Captain Flameheart’s[www.tiktok.com] powers of observation.

The final part of the month was, pretty unsurprisingly, taken up with celebrating some of the new additions to Sea of Thieves – or at least, all the important bits[www.tiktok.com]. Including a lot of pigs[www.tiktok.com]. It was mostly pigs[www.tiktok.com], in fact. Oh, and baby Merrick[www.instagram.com].

Well, there you go: as promised last month, despite being naturally disadvantaged in terms of length, February more than pulled its weight when it came to Sea of Thieves goodness. We’ll be back with the next round-up when March is over to see how you’re getting on with Season 15’s latest features, but until then you can hunt us down on Twitter/X, Bluesky[bsky.app], Facebook[www.facebook.com], Instagram[www.instagram.com], TikTok[www.tiktok.com], YouTube, Twitch[twitch.tv], the official Forums[www.seaofthieves.com] and Discord[www.discord.gg]. And don’t stop sending us your pet pig pictures! Obviously.

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2025

March marks another year of adventure on the Sea of Thieves, and you’re invited to celebrate this latest milestone with a bounty of Events, rewards and festivities. From the Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event that segues into Community Weekend through to Emporium sales and a suitable shanty, there’s more than enough to keep you busy!

Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event – Friday, March 14th – Saturday, March 22nd

During this month’s Event, all pirates are invited to tackle a series of Community Goals inspired by memorable moments in Sea of Thieves’ past. By working together to hit cumulative targets, you can unlock a range of rewards commemorating some of those unforgettable encounters and discoveries. The celebrations kick off here: rally your crew and get ready to make your mark!

‘Happy Birthday’ Release – Friday, March 14th

Celebrate a special month with a tune fit for the occasion, as a unique rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ joins the Sea of Thieves soundtrack on your favourite streaming services. This newly recorded shanty is a delightful way to mark seven years on the seas, whether you want to sing along or just relax on the deck and enjoy being serenaded.

Sea of Thieves Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds – Friday, March 14th

A new way for players on Xbox to bring the spirit of the high seas to their screens! These animated backgrounds aim to capture the essence of Sea of Thieves, from its breathtaking scenery to moments of seafaring peril. To dive into the selection of dynamic backgrounds on Xbox Series X|S consoles, go to the Personalisation options within your Xbox settings.

Pirate Emporium Anniversary Sale – Monday, March 17th – Monday, March 24th

No celebration is complete without loot to be claimed at a bargain price! Ready as always to get involved in a celebration, the Pirate Emporium shopkeepers will be hosting their traditional Anniversary Sale. Dark Warsmith, Dire Dark Warsmith, Lodestar, Islehopper Outlaw and Stone Islehopper Outlaw sets are all lined up for dramatic discounts…

Xbox Gear Shop Update – Monday, March 17th

An exclusive Sea of Thieves Seventh Anniversary sweatshirt design is en route to the Xbox Gear Shop[gear.xbox.com]! This cosy offering with bespoke iconography makes it easy for any pirate to declare their participation in seven epic years on the seas. You can also pick up a deck of handsome Sea of Thieves playing cards for a celebratory game or two!

Sea of Thieves: 2025 Editions – Thursday, March 20th

Just like in 2024, another anniversary brings an opportunity to refresh the Sea of Thieves editions available to buy on all formats. Stick with the base edition or explore what’s included in the 2025 Deluxe and Premium Editions – and maybe others? – arriving on Sea of Thieves’ anniversary date of March 20th!

Microsoft Solitaire Sea of Thieves Theme – Thursday, March 20th

An unmistakable sea breeze blows through the Microsoft Casual Games collection this month! Players will soon be able to bring the spirit of the pirate’s life to their Solitaire table with a Sea of Thieves-themed backdrop and custom card backs adorned with iconic imagery from the game.

Season 15 Community Weekend – Saturday, March 22nd – Monday, March 24th

There’s no slowing down after the Seventh Anniversary Celebration Event as we roll straight into Season 15’s Community Weekend. Expect all the classic Community Weekend delights including souvenir freebies, Pop-Up Plunder, a Community Emissary Grade ready for boosting and Picture Walls for premium posturing. Of course we want to see your own creations and hear your own stories too as you join in the festivities alongside the whole Sea of Thieves community!

Twitch Drops – Saturday, March 22nd – Monday, March 24th

If you set sail during Community Weekend, don’t forget to claim some well-earned rewards along the way. This time, the Seasoned Sailor Heavy Sword and Eye of Reach are up for grabs, alongside the Eastern Winds Ruby Pegleg and Trousers.

Twitch Drops are available by linking your accounts[www.seaofthieves.com] and watching any participating Sea of Thieves streamer on Twitch. Anyone can offer this set of Drops by streaming in the Sea of Thieves category and ensuring they have Drops enabled. If you’re just watching, go ahead and tune in to your favourite participating streamer or check our Partner Directory[www.seaofthieves.com] to see who’s online when these Drops go live!

March Monthly Update – Thursday, March 27th

The adventure continues in March’s free content update, bringing the next wave of Season 15 features to the seas. Hunters will soon have a new tool at their disposal with the introduction of the hunting spear for taking down big prey, even as the world around them fills with lively newcomers including lizards skittering across the sands and jellyfish drifting through the waves.

All that along with some dazzling new offerings in the Pirate Emporium and fresh Outpost stock too! Look out for a full breakdown of new additions in the release notes[www.seaofthieves.com] when this update drops on March 27th.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks – Thursday, March 27th

Pirates with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can claim an extra treat this month via the Perks programme! Themed around – what else – Sea of Thieves’ latest anniversary, the time-limited Seventh Serving Emote will be available to redeem from March 27th. Head this way[www.xbox.com] to find out more about Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks.

Microsoft Rewards Sea of Thieves Sweepstakes – Monday, March 31st

Ever wonder what a Megalodon crossed with an Xbox controller would look like? Want to be in with a chance of winning just that – an extremely limited-edition new Sea of Thieves controller? Stay sharp for information on how to enter the Sweepstakes and potentially get your hands on ‘The Devourer’ later this month!

As you can see, you won’t get a chance to be bored during Sea of Thieves’ latest anniversary extravaganza. Enjoy all the goodies, opportunities and overall holiday vibes, and raise a tankard in our direction if you see us on the seas!