Andreas goes on to describe how visual effects are all about bringing the entire experience together, a key facet of what will make Sea of Thieves more than a typical pirate game. As an online multiplayer game with a heavy reliance on character customization and progression, player investment in the character and world is an obvious priori

Microsoft has officially announced that Rare's multiplayer pirate action game Sea of Thieves will feature cross-play between Xbox One and PC. The announcement came during today's Xbox Gamescom livestream, which included some new trailers, a few announcements, and concluded with the launch of Xbox One X pre-orders. But cross-play for Sea of Thieves could be the biggest surprise, with the game's closed technical alpha implementing the feature, effective immediat

There are also references to more instruments beyond the hurdy-gurdy and accordion, which have become massive hits among players. Each of the two existing instruments has a lead and backing track (along with their drunk variants), but a fifth track for drums also appears to be on the cards. Many players have also wished for larger galleons allowing for crews of 5 or 6, but the datamine has revealed no fruits in that regard – just more pomegrana

The addition of harpoon guns brings some exciting possibilities for underwater combat and maneuvering: it's a great shark deterrent (as it's likely gunpowder-based weapons won't be usable under water post-beta), and also brings the possibility that pirates will be able to attach themselves to opposing ships via the harpoons and potentially sneak up the sides. Of course, that's not the only new weapon to watch out for. The boarding axe, heavy sword, rapier, flintlock pistol, Hunting Spear Commendations and blunderbuss will also be featured in the full version of Sea of Thiev

Many gamers have been asking about the possibility of customizing their galleons, and it looks there are a variety of ways to do this in the full game. Files have been found for a healthy selection of hulls, ranging from red, white, or black, all the way to barnacled, adventurer, and a design simply called "Old Bettsy". The same categories also exist for the sails, pennants, and flags – a strong indicator that crews will be able to vote on a flag to sail under. As expected, player customization will also be much more in-depth, with a healthy portion of tattoos, eye patches, beards, hooks, and pegs up for select

While five years might be a little optimistic for a game that hasn't released yet, Sea of Thieves remains one of the most exciting Xbox One and PC exclusives on the horizon, and if it fulfills the promise it has shown in recent gameplay demonstrations, Mayles just might get his wish after

Contrary to the silence that surrounded the game after Sea of Thieves ' E3 2015 debut , Rare has made sure to hammer home the price model of the title this time to ensure no ill-conceived rumors float around Sea of Thieves this time. Microsoft has experimented with a number of free-to-play multiplayer business models with its own titles, but those have found varying levels of success, with enough commercial failures - like Project Spark and Lionhead's Fable Legends - that companies like Rare have likely taken notice and adjusted business models accordin

It's worth noting that while the datamine does reveal plenty of content that players haven't been able to experience for themselves just yet, it doesn't provide the full picture of what Sea of Thieves will bring to the table once it releases. The closed beta for Windows 10 and Xbox One users has been extended for another two days , so potential pirates still have ample time to ride the high seas to discover if the game matches their met

While the infamous bananas are the only healing factor in the beta, the full game will also feature coconuts, pineapples, pomegranates, and rum. It's not clear what the difference between grog and rum will be, though it's likely pirates will make haste of their own supply. Those who have played the beta also know it has a few gaps in the equipment wheel, and while the full inventory hasn't yet been discovered, there was an entry here for dice, which is a solid indication that players will be able to gamble with one another. There will also be a variety of at least three usable potions which seem to be health restoration, resurrection, and poison. If there's a chance to poison the grog supply on an enemy ship, we imagine impromptu stealth missions will be a joy to beh

In terms of content mentioned in the post, the most interesting may come in the form several mentions of the Order of Souls quests. Order of Souls is one of the three announced factions for the game, alongside The Gold Hoarders and The Merchant Alliance. During the closed beta, the only faction available was the Gold Hoarders but fans could soon be off battling skeleton pirates with the Order of So

New game mechanics are also mentioned in the post. Behavior and combat effects are to be added to the large kraken battles featured in the game. Tweaks are also being done of enemy difficulty, with more difficulty ranks being added to skeleton enem