Developer Rare has announced the patch notes for Season 12 of Sea of Thieves, coinciding with the game’s anticipated debut on PlayStation 5. Premium Edition owners on the PS5 gained early access to Sea of Thieves on April 25, with a broader rollout set for April 30 to all PS5 players. This significant update marks an effort to elevate the excitement around the game, introducing a slew of new features, weapons, and treasures that promise to enhance the pirate adventure experience.

The update, termed Sea of Thieves Update 3.0.0, reintroduces Open Crew matchmaking, providing players with expanded options to assemble their ideal crew. Furthermore, as an incentive to join the new season, all players logging in during Season 12 will receive the exclusive New Dawn Sails as a complimentary reward.

Sea Of Thieves Season 12: New Combat Weapons & Mystical Items Enhance Tactical Gameplay

Among the most exciting additions are two new weapons designed to enrich combat dynamics. Throwing Knives have been introduced as a versatile new weapon option, serving dual purposes as a melee weapon for close-quarters combat and a ranged weapon capable of dealing significant damage. Additionally, the Double Barrel Pistol makes its debut, offering a higher rate of fire and the unique ability to fire both barrels simultaneously. However, this comes at the cost of reduced range and damage compared to the standard Pistol, adding a strategic layer to weapon choice.

Sea of Thieves’ arsenal expands further with the addition of Scattershot ammo. This new type of cannonball breaks into four smaller projectiles upon firing, making it especially effective in short-range naval battles. It offers players a strategic alternative to traditional cannonballs.

Another novel feature is the Bone Caller, a mystical item that summons an allied skeleton crew. This item can be thrown or loaded into a cannon and deployed directly onto enemy ships, providing strategic support during battles.

Exploring New Treasures & Traversal Options In Update 3.0.0

The update also introduces new treasures and traversal options that promise to transform gameplay. The Horn of Fair Winds, a new artifact, can significantly enhance a ship’s sails, potentially making it a highly sought-after item. Players can also take advantage of new traversal mechanics, such as Harpoon Tightropes and Island Ziplines. Harpoon Tightropes allow players to shoot harpoon lines that they can walk across, providing new tactical movement options. Meanwhile, Island Ziplines, permanent fixtures on select islands, facilitate quicker travel and provide a fun new way to explore.

Season 12 does not just bring new hardware and treasures; it also introduces a new batch of Renown levels and a Plunder Pass. These features offer a range of rewards, including the Famous Pirate and Famed Buccaneer cosmetics, allowing players to further personalize their avatars and ships. The Pirate Emporium, too, receives an update with a variety of new ship liveries, costumes, pets, and more. These additions are aimed at catering to players’ desires for deeper customization and providing fresh content that keeps the gameplay engaging.

As Sea of Thieves continues to expand its horizons with the full launch on PS5 and the rollout of Update 3.0.0, players old and new will find an array of novel features that promise to enrich their experience. With strategic new weapons, exciting traversal options, and enticing rewards, the pirate life just got a bit more thrilling on the high seas.

Sea Of Thieves Update 3.0.0 Full List Of Patch Notes

For those eager to dive deeper into the specifics, the full list of patch notes for Sea of Thieves Update 3.0.0 offers a detailed look at all the enhancements and new features. Here is the comprehensive rundown of changes and additions that players can explore in Season 12.

The War Chest

New weapons waiting to be mastered and tools to take your tactics to the next level! Try your luck with fresh loadouts and feel the rush while riding the ziplines. To learn more about this new Season’s headline features, head over to our dedicated Season 12 page.

Throwing Knives

  • These new weapons in the pirate armoury come as a set of five, which are wielded one at a time when equipped and can be restocked from any Ammo Chest.
  • Wielding a throwing knife allows players to stab enemies with a quick melee attack or charge for a devastating downward strike.
  • Throwing a knife allows for a high-damage ranged attack. If a thrown knife misses its target, it becomes lodged in the environment and can be recovered to replenish stock. But be aware that another player can also retrieve your knife and use it against you!

Double Barrel Pistol

  • This new fast-firing weapon holds six bullets and can be fired twice before needing to be reloaded, or both barrels can be fired together by charging the shot.
  • Shots fired from the Double Barrel Pistol have reduced range and damage compared to the standard pistol, but compensate with a faster firing speed.

Scattershot

  • This new type of cannonball can be found in storage barrels across the seas, providing players with an effective short-range option for devastating enemy ships in combat.
  • Scattershot breaks apart when fired, sending four smaller projectiles in an outward spread. These have a lower trajectory than standard cannonballs, making scattershot a shorter-range option.
  • Each projectile deals light damage to the impact area, increasing if existing damage areas are hit repeatedly. Ship interaction points such as the wheel, mast and capstan can also be damaged by the blast, and players caught in the spread will receive light damage without knockback.

Bone Caller

  • This mystical throwable item possesses the power to summon a loyal skeleton crew who will attack nearby enemies. After a time, these skeletons will expire in a cloud of bones.
  • Bone Callers can also be fired from a cannon, giving players the ability to send a targeted package of disruption to rival ships at sea.
  • Bone Callers can be recovered from crates left behind by defeated Skeleton Fleets, or found in barrels at Skeleton Forts.

Horn Of Fair Winds

  • This Siren shell is a treasure artefact that harnesses the power of the wind, and is discoverable in shipwrecks and other locations throughout the Sunken Kingdom.
  • Crews can use it to get ahead by filling their sails to full billow, giving a boost to a Rowboat or propelling themselves through the water.
  • Players can also harness the Horn’s powerful effects to knock back enemies, cushion a potentially fatal fall or even extinguish a blazing ship.

Harpoon Tightropes

  • Players firing a harpoon line into a rock, beach, tree or even another ship can now climb onto the line and perform a tightrope walk, maintaining their balance as they go.
  • Stepping onto a steeply descending harpoon line will allow players to slide effortlessly, even with treasure on their back!

Island Ziplines

  • Navigation has been further improved with the addition of ziplines to a range of islands across the Sea of Thieves. Seek out these permanent new structures to experiment with speedier traversal!

Updated Weapon Pose Emotes

  • With the introduction of the Double Barrel Pistol and throwing knives, previously released Weapon Pose Emotes have been updated to support the new weapon types.

Sea Of Thieves Update 3.0.0: Season 12

Another Season means 100 new Renown levels to climb and rewards to snag – and an optional Plunder Pass adding even more! Read on for more on this plus details of other improvements landing with this Season’s launch, on top of those already applied in last week’s update…

Season 12 Rewards and Plunder Pass

  • Progressing through the 100 levels of Renown in Season 12 will reward players with Famous Pirate and Famed Buccaneer cosmetics alongside other time-limited Seasonal specials. Head to the Seasons profile page to browse the new rewards and check your pirate’s progress!
  • Pick up the latest Plunder Pass to gain access to a plethora of additional unlockable cosmetics from the Gorgon set, including a full ship set and two-stage Stone Curse, all available to earn by raising Renown. Purchase a Pass in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, or via the Pirate Emporium webpage, Microsoft Store, PlayStation™Store or Steam Item Store.

Season 12 Emissary Ledger Rewards

  • This Season, the Guild Emissary Ledgers offer the Ocean of Siren Song Painting, Mysterious Siren Carving Ornament and Guild of Fearsome Depths Title to Guilds who represent them well and perform proudly in the Ledgers.
  • While Emissary Ledgers will continue to refresh each month and celebrate our most prolific pirates, the delivery of fresh cosmetics into the Ledgers’ topmost tiers is paused from this Season onwards. For the vast majority of players though, the Ledgers still hold a treasure trove of locked rewards ready to earn by competing against other Emissaries. Log in and track your performance on the Emissary Ledgers page!

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 page to browse and buy the latest additions!

New Items – Now in Stock!

  • Checkmate Ship Collection
  • Checkmate Weapon Bundle
  • Checkmate Clothing Bundle
  • Checkmate Ship’s Crest
  • Crimson Crypt, Lodestar and Dark Warsmith Throwing Knives
  • Great Grey, Tawny, Snowy, Barn and Black Banded Owl pets
  • Scrappy Weapon Pose Emote
  • Sting Tide Ship Collection (returning from Season Nine Plunder Pass)
  • Sting Tide Costume Set (returning from Season Nine Plunder Pass)
  • Sting Tide Lantern
  • Paradise Garden Pistol (free!)

Additions To The Classics Range

  • The Classics range has been expanded to include a range of costumes, weapons and equipment from older sets, now permanently reduced in price.
  • Cosmetic sets such as Shining Pegasus, Ruby Splashtail and Sea of Sands are among those that now have more than just ship liveries represented in the Classics range.

Events

PlayStation 5 Launch Celebration

  • To celebrate the official launch of Sea of Thieves on PlayStation®5, all pirates who log in during Season 12 on any platform will receive a commemorative gift in the form of the New Dawn Sails.

Sea Of Thieves Update 3.0.0: Fixed Issues

Gameplay

  • Open Crew matchmaking has been re-enabled as an option when starting a Sea of Thieves session, allowing players to form a crew with other random players from all platforms.
  • Players are no longer able to use a Quest Map while travelling through the air to modify their trajectory.

User Interface

  • After a lobby is filled with players from different platforms, the platform icons shown next to players upon setting sail should no longer display a default image.

Known Issues

Full Guild Access Temporarily Disabled

  • Due to a recently discovered issue, Guild Members are not currently presented with the full suite of ships pledged to their active Guilds. Guild Members will be shown any ships they have pledged, but no other ships or active sessions from others within the Guild.

To learn more about known issues in Sea of Thieves currently being tracked and their status, head over to our Known Issues support site article.

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