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

Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves Release Notes – 3.8.1
Jul 23, 2026 · Steam update tracked by Buffs & Bugs
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Patch-wide visuals, controls changes may apply on this platform.
Patch-wide visuals, controls changes may apply on this platform.
Quick take
Build new game modes to challenge your friends, record unrivalled cinematics and experience the Sea of Thieves like never before! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 20 page.
- Players are now able to choose an emote and enter Free Camera mode, allowing them to perform the emote while accessing the full camera controls.
- A new official Preset has been added, providing players with quick access to an experience set up for swift practice runs through World Events, naval battles and more.
- When entering a Join Code to access a custom session, the digits will now remain hidden to prevent the code from being shared with others potentially viewing. The code can also be revealed and hidden at any time while being entered.
What officially changed
Custom Seas
Build new game modes to challenge your friends, record unrivalled cinematics and experience the Sea of Thieves like never before! To learn more about this Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 20 page.
Emoting with Free Camera
Players are now able to choose an emote and enter Free Camera mode, allowing them to perform the emote while accessing the full camera controls.
Pirate Practice Preset
A new official Preset has been added, providing players with quick access to an experience set up for swift practice runs through World Events, naval battles and more.
Session Join Code Protection
When entering a Join Code to access a custom session, the digits will now remain hidden to prevent the code from being shared with others potentially viewing. The code can also be revealed and hidden at any time while being entered.
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Gameplay Improvements
Bone Caller Balancing
Bone Callers used to attack other crews’ ships have been rebalanced and are now dynamic based on ship size. When thrown, each will now summon one skeleton on a Sloop, two on a Brigantine and three on a Galleon.
No changes have been made to Bone Callers used defensively on the crew’s own ship, and they will continue to summon three skeletons on all ship sizes or when used on land.
Water Splash Improvements
Firing ranged weapons into the water now results in a satisfying visual and audible splash.
Last Ship Standing – Shrinking Battle Bounds
While the Battle Bounds will continue to shrink in stages early in the battle, the final area will no longer remain static during the final phases of the fight.
Crews will now find that at the 25-minute mark, the final area between the rocks will slowly shrink over the course of 10 minutes, forcing the battle towards an explosive close.
Last Ship Standing – Retrieving the Spoils of Battle
Any jettisoned resource barrels, Storage Crates or Emissary Flags released from sunken ships now have seagulls circling above them, to make them easier to locate during the fight.
Last Ship Standing – Winners’ Grace Period
After besting their rivals to become the Last Ship Standing, winners will now find that the portal will not appear until they sail away from the final combat area. This change has been implemented to address crews being prematurely removed from the area.
Winners are still returned to the High Seas after 10 minutes, giving them plenty of time to collect their spoils.
Last Ship Standing – Diving with Emissary Flags
Victorious crews claiming the Emissary Flags of their rivals will now be able to return to the High Seas and dive again into their next battle, and continue to carry their Flags as trophies into subsequent matches.
Commendation Improvements
A range of legacy Commendations have become increasingly difficult to achieve over time as the game has evolved. As part of this update, these Commendations are being extended to support additional methods of progression.
Merchant Alliance Commendation Improvements
Merchant Alliance Commendations that task pirates with recovering various Resource Crates and resources have been reworked to provide a more predictable way for players to progress.
Four new Commodities introduced to Merchant Trade Routes give players new ways to progress the following Commendations in addition to the original requirements:
Merchant Forager – Fruit Crates or Crates of Unprepared Ingredients
Merchant Shipwright – Wood Crates or Crates of Crude Repair Materials
Cast Iron Merchant – Cannonball Crates or Crates of Unwrought Munitions
Black Powder Merchant – Gunpowder Barrels or Crates of Unprocessed Gunpowder
Miles Sailed Commendation Improvements
Trading Company Commendations that require players to sail with an active Voyage have been updated, and will now also progress when the crew is sailing on behalf of the Company as an Emissary. These Commendations include:
Sailor of the Gold Horizon – Sail 1000 nautical miles on Gold Hoarders Voyages, or with their Emissary Flag raised.
Sailor of the Whispering Bones – Sail 1000 nautical miles on Order of Souls Voyages, or with their Emissary Flag raised.
Sailor of the Merchant Alliance – Sail 1000 nautical miles on Merchant Alliance Voyages, or with their Emissary Flag raised.
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