Sea of Thieves Important Notes guide screenshot

Important Notes

Important Notes for Sea of Thieves



Warnings & Pitfalls



  • Losing All Your Loot: If your ship sinks while carrying treasure, all loot is lost unless you can retrieve it from the water before it despawns (treasure floats for about 10 minutes, then sinks; sunken treasure stays on the sea floor for another 30 minutes before despawning). Always prioritize sailing to an Outpost to sell when you have valuable items.

  • Server Merges Can Cost You Progress: If you are alone on a server, the game may merge you into a busier server. When this happens, your ship and all loot on board are kept, but your ship may be relocated. Prepare by raising sails and anchoring before a merge to avoid drifting into hazards.

  • Kegs (Gunpowder Barrels) Are Extremely Dangerous: Carrying a keg on your ship is a risk. One sword swipe, a firebomb, or a cannonball can detonate it, instantly sinking even a Galleon. Store kegs in the crow’s nest to minimize damage if they explode.

  • Skeleton Forts & World Events Mark Your Location: The skull cloud or ship cloud above active world events makes your position visible to all players on the server. Expect PvP attacks. Never start a Fort of Fortune or Fort of the Damned without a crew you trust.

  • Do Not Trust Other Pirates: It is a pirate game; betrayal is part of the experience. Alliance flags can be raised, but don’t turn your back on allies. Many players will sink you after you share loot.

  • Ship Damage is Cumulative: A few holes are manageable, but if you ignore them, your ship will flood and sink. Always repair holes immediately, and bucket water out when needed.


    • Irreversible Choices



  • Captaincy (Ship Naming & Customization): You can only name your ship once for the “Captain” milestone (requires 250,000 gold and 50,000 gold to buy the Captain’s title). The name is permanent—you cannot change it later. Choose wisely.

  • Emissary Flag Choice: Once you vote to raise an Emissary Flag (e.g., Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, etc.), you are committed to that faction for the session. You cannot change it without lowering the flag (which resets your grade and loses all reputation progress for that session).

  • Tall Tale Choices: Some Tall Tales have branching narratives. For example, in “The Shroudbreaker” or “The Seabound Soul,” certain choices affect later dialogue or minor loot but do not lock you out of completion. However, achieving all commendations often requires replaying a Tall Tale multiple times—your story choice is not reversible per playthrough.

  • Cosmetic Purchases Are Non‑Refundable: All gold, doubloons, and ancient coins spent on cosmetics (ship parts, clothing, weapons, emotes) are final. You cannot sell them back. Research before buying.


    • Missable Content



  • Limited‐Time Events: Many cosmetics and commendations are only available during seasonal events (e.g., Festival of the Damned, Haunted Ship sets). If you miss them, they may never return. Check the in-game Event Hub regularly.

  • Time‐Limited Pirate Legend Voyages: After reaching Pirate Legend, you can purchase “Legendary” voyages from the Pirate Lord. Some commendations require them, but they are always available—no permanent miss.

  • Tall Tale Journals & Commendations: Most Tall Tales have hidden collectibles (journals) that must be found for full 100% completion. If you finish a Tall Tale without finding all journals, you cannot get them on the same playthrough—you must replay the entire Tall Tale. Always check a guide for journal locations before starting.

  • Skeleton Fleet & Kraken Encounters: These are random world events. If you ignore them, they eventually despawn. The “Killer Whale” set commendations require defeating the Kraken multiple times—if you don’t fight it when it appears, you miss the chance.

  • Hunter’s Call Fishing Spots: Certain rare fish (e.g., Wreckers, BattleTuna) only appear in specific conditions (storm, night, pond vs. sea). If you leave the area, the fish despawns. You must fish at the right location at the right time.


    • Difficulty Spikes



  • The Arena (Removed) & Brigantine Manoeuvres: PvP encounters ramp up quickly. A well‑coordinated brigantine crew can outmanoeuvre a skeleton ship or a galleon. If you’re in a sloop against a galleon, you are at a severe disadvantage unless you use hit‑and‑run tactics.

  • Fort of the Damned (FOTD): This event requires you to light 6 special fires on the fort. Doing so summons a constant wave of skeletons, including red‑collar Shadow Skeletons that can only be killed by the light of a lantern. It requires coordination and good gear—do not attempt solo unless experienced.

  • The Seabound Soul (Tall Tale): The final boss encounter can be overwhelming due to numerous firebombs and skeleton spawns. Stay mobile, use the environment for cover, and keep your health up.

  • The Ashen Winds World Event: The boss (an Ashen Lord) has devastating AoE attacks and summons lava geysers. Solo players will struggle; bring plenty of food and ammo, and use the environment to dodge.

  • Hidden Difficulty: Sails & Anchor Tension: Many new players don’t realize raising sails takes longer than raising the anchor. In a chase, always raise sails to stop moving quickly, not anchor (use anchor only for sharp turns). Failing to do so can get you caught.


    • Grinding Traps



  • Don’t Farm Gold Hoarders X Marks the Spot Voyages for Reputation: These give very little reputation. Focus on World Events (Skull Forts, Skeleton Fleets) – they give huge reputation boosts in any faction when you sell the loot.

  • The “Merchant Alliance” Cargo Runs Are Tedious and Low‑Reward: They are good for early gold but terrible for reputation. Instead, do lost shipment voyages (introduced later) or Emissary Ledger rewards.

  • Emissary Ledgers: Don’t Chase Top 25% Just for Cosmetics: You can earn a nice reward, but the grind required may burn you out. Play naturally and check your ledger—don’t stress over it.

  • Doubloons Should Be Saved for Limited‑Time Items: Doubloons can buy exclusive cosmetics during events. Using them to buy reputation (though possible) is inefficient—gold is easier to come by later.

  • The “Plunder Pass” (Season Pass): Free track rewards are solid, but paying for the premium track only adds cosmetics. Never buy levels—grinding is faster. Complete daily and weekly deeds.


    • Online Etiquette & Anti‑Cheat Notes



  • Piracy is Expected: Don’t get upset if you’re sunk unexpectedly—that’s the game. Avoid toxic behaviour like insulting other players in voice chat. The “pirate code” encourages respect, not real hatred.

  • Alliances Can Be Broken: An alliance is a verbal agreement. Some crews honour it, some don’t. Communicate clearly. If you want to be safe, keep a cannon loaded.

  • Cheating is Banned: Rare’s anti‑cheat (Easy Anti‑Cheat) detects speed hacks, aimbots, and ESP. Reports of cheating are investigated. If you encounter a hacker, record video and report via the official website. Do not retaliate.

  • Cross‑Play Etiquette: Console players may have aim assist; PC players have better manoeuvrability. Be respectful. You can disable cross‑play in settings, but it will restrict matchmaking.

  • Voice Chat Toxicity: Mute abusive players via the Xbox guide (press Home, go to People, select player, mute). You can also disable voice chat entirely in audio settings.


    • Save Management (or Lack Thereof)



  • Cloud Saves Only: Sea of Thieves has no local save files. Your progress (reputation, gold, cosmetics, commendations) is saved server‑side. You cannot manually backup or restore. If you delete your profile, everything is lost permanently.

  • Progress is Account‑Bound: Your pirate, ships, and items are tied to your Microsoft/Xbox/PlayStation account. You cannot transfer progress between platforms (e.g., Steam to Xbox) without using the same account (if linked).

  • No Manual Save Slots: You cannot reload an earlier state. If you make a mistake (e.g., waste gold on a bad cosmetic), there is no undo. Plan purchases carefully.

  • If You Switch Platforms: Your pirate carries over if you use the same account. However, some console‑exclusive items (like PlayStation ship sets) may not appear on other platforms until cross‑progression is enabled (available as of 2024 for Xbox/PC/PlayStation).


Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier



1. Raise Sails, Don’t Drop Anchor to Stop: Anchoring is loud and makes it hard to get away quickly. Use sails to stop; lower them to resume.
2. You Can Cook Food on a Campfire or Ship Stove: Cooked meat restores more health than raw. Use the stove below deck on your ship.
3. The Sovereign’s NPCs Will Buy Any Loot (for a Fee): At the Outpost, after selling to a faction, you can sell leftover loot to the Sovereign (if you are a Pirate Legend) for gold. Good for clearing inventory.
4. Use a Spyglass to Scout Outposts Before Docking: Look for other ships, rowboats, or hidden players. Avoid surprises.
5. Sword Blocking (Right Mouse / Left Trigger) Negates 50% Damage: Use it when fighting skeletons or players.
6. You Can Cancel a Voyage Without Penalty: Vote to cancel via the table. You lose only the voyage paper; no reputation loss.
7. Diving to a New Voyage (after Season 10) Despawns Your Ship and Loot: Use the “Dive to a New Voyage” option only when you have sold everything. It destroys your current ship and makes you lose all onboard loot.
8. The Kraken Only Spawns After a World Event Disappears: If you want to fight the Kraken, wait until a skeleton fort or fleet is cleared. It often spawns near the cleared area.
9. Rowboats Are Incredibly Useful: They allow you to sneak loot past enemies or explore shallow areas. Secure a rowboat to your ship’s back; they are not always available, so grab one if you see it.
10. Hunter’s Call Reputation is Slow to Level: Start fishing early. Cook fish before selling. Use bait to catch specific fish. It’s a long grind, so don’t save it for last.