Verified patch notes, affected platforms and developer-listed issues.

Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves Release Notes - 3.5.1
Sep 18, 2025 · Steam update tracked by Buffs & Bugs
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Quick take
New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 17 page.
- For the duration of Act 2, a daring Heist at Royal Crest Fortress will regularly be available via a note pinned to the ship’s mast, allowing all crews to join The Smugglers’ League in their task.
- Once the Heist has begun, crews will need to follow directions to retrieve a key from a Smuggler contact and then set sail to Royal Crest Fortress in search of a precious painting.
- Players must stick to instructions sent by The Smugglers’ League to ensure the correct painting is retrieved. There are many decoy paintings which can also be found and sold, but only the target painting will allow you to become the victor of the Heist!
What officially changed
Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2
New blood brings new opportunities as The Smugglers’ League settle into the shadows of the Sea of Thieves! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 17 page.
The Smugglers’ Heist
For the duration of Act 2, a daring Heist at Royal Crest Fortress will regularly be available via a note pinned to the ship’s mast, allowing all crews to join The Smugglers’ League in their task.
Once the Heist has begun, crews will need to follow directions to retrieve a key from a Smuggler contact and then set sail to Royal Crest Fortress in search of a precious painting.
Players must stick to instructions sent by The Smugglers’ League to ensure the correct painting is retrieved. There are many decoy paintings which can also be found and sold, but only the target painting will allow you to become the victor of the Heist!
Crews that hold the target painting should be ready to fend off Ocean Crawler ambushes while aboard their ship. Other crews can also join in the Heist at any stage, so be prepared to use any means necessary to get the painting safely back to the designated Smugglers’ Hideout.
Successful crews will earn a hoard of 175,000 gold for returning the correct painting, while Guilds will receive a significant bonus to their Guild Reputation!
Smugglers’ Tide: Act 2 Rewards
Crews taking on the Heist at Royal Crest Fortress can unlock the Royal Crest Fortress Plans and Royal Crest Fortress Blueprints Trinkets to commemorate their daring accomplishments.
Smugglers’ Route Run Balancing
The frequency of Phantom encounters while taking part in a Smugglers’ Route Run Voyage has now been reduced.
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Gameplay Improvements
Improved Field of View
Players can now extend their field of view above the previous limit up to 110, providing a range of wider view options.
To give players more control over their field of view experience, the graphics settings now provide individual field of view override settings for areas where players dock to an object such as the ship’s wheel, Rowboat or ladders.
Cinematic Banner Improvements
The cinematic banners shown on the HUD have been extended to provide support for a reduced banner option that retains visibility of the player’s health and ammunition during gameplay.
Players can navigate to the HUD Settings and switch between Full (default) or Reduced Lower Banner Style.
Underwater Animation Improvements
Players swimming in water and making quick changes to their pitch and rotation will now find their pirate moves more smoothly when viewed by others.
These changes aim to reduce the impact of players making fast movements with their mouse or controller to avoid damage during gunplay while underwater.
Ashen Skull of the Banished
The Ashen Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage in The Devil’s Roar now rewards players with the new Ashen Skull of the Banished, replacing the Skull of the Banished on this Voyage.
Ashen Chest of Bones
The Ashen Followers of the Flame Voyage now rewards players with an Ashen Chest of Bones, offering higher value than the Chest of Bones.
The Ashen Chest of Bones retains the same number of charges as a Reaper’s Chest, but will not reinforce crews with Order of Bone and Blade Captains.
Displaying Trophy Tiers
Captains who have earned multiple tiers of a Trophy are now able to decorate their ship with all previous tiers when interacting with a Trinket location.
Skull of Siren Sorrow
Players are now able to sprint when holding the Skull of Siren Sorrow.
Sunken Merfolk Statues
Merfolk Statues found within the Sunken Kingdom will now only store treasure that can be discovered while exploring the various Shrines and Treasuries, and Trading Company items recovered during Raid Voyages.
Pirate Emporium
Show off your personal style with purchases from the Pirate Emporium! Pick up exclusive cosmetics such as ship liveries, costumes, weapons, pets and emotes using your Ancient Coins, purchasable with real money. Head to the Pirate Emporium to browse and buy the latest additions!
New Items – Now in Stock!
Pirate Pugilist Ship Collection and Ship’s Crest
Pirate Pugilist Weapon Bundle
Pirate Pugilist Clothing Bundle
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