Season 16 has arrived in Sea of Thieves! It’s been a little while since the fearsome Captain Flameheart regained his physical form, but the time has now come for him to expand the reach of his loyal followers and strengthen the standing of The Reaper’s Bones.

In this latest free Seasonal update, pirates will be able to set out on their first ever Voyages for The Reaper’s Bones and work together with the legendary skeletons of the Order of Bone and Blade to uncover Ancient secrets – and that’s just the beginning…

With their leader Captain Flameheart returned to full strength and armed with forbidden knowledge thieved from Ancient Temples, The Reaper’s Bones are making their move on the Sea of Thieves! This Season, for the first time, they’ll be offering Voyages for pirates to undertake, beginning with the Search for Ancient Secrets.

In this Voyage, players will need to work with a lost crew of skeletons from the fabled Order of Bone and Blade to unearth long-buried Ancient Sarcophagi. Along the way, Ancient Phantoms will emerge to defend their hidden secrets. You’ll need to fight them off to finish activating the mechanisms and uncover a Skull of the Banished to take back to the Servant of the Flame.

Voyaging for The Reaper’s Bones isn’t quite so simple, however: Flameheart values strength and dominance above all else, so if you want to sail in his name, you’ll have to fly a Reaper’s Mark Flag! The flag will be raised automatically whenever you undertake a Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones, revealing the location of your ship to all other nearby crews and inviting them to come and claim your loot for themselves, if they have what it takes…

The growing influence of The Reaper’s Bones is having an impact on emergent activities too. Their cunning weaponsmiths have devised a way of tapping the raw power of the Chest of Rage to construct a new, devastating weapon: the Cannon of Rage.

This portable armament grants pirates who find it the freedom to fire cannonballs from almost anywhere, then pack up the cannon and carry it on to a new location for redeployment. There’s a risk, however: whenever the Cannon of Rage fires or takes damage, it starts to overheat. Fail to give it time to cool down (or speed up the cooling process with water), and it’ll live up to its name with a violent explosion that’s liable to sink the ship you’re standing on!

Meanwhile, skeletal members of the long-lost Order of Bone and Blade have started clawing their way up towards the sandy surfaces of islands, waiting to be fully unearthed by curious passers-by. Rescue them and you’ll be friends for life – or at least until they fall in battle, as they’ll happily throw in their lot with the next pirate to revive them. You’ll find they’re also unable to leave the island to which their bones are bound! Until then, though, they can lend a hand with whatever needs doing, whether it’s demystifying tricky treasure maps, digging up treasure or helping to carry your haul to safety.

The Season 16 additions don’t end with May’s update. Over the next few months, new features will be arriving as part of our staggered Season delivery, including a second Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones and the introduction of breakable seals on Reaper’s Chests! If a crew decides to take the plunge and investigate what’s actually inside these strange glowing boxes, they might just find themselves with a sturdy crew of skeletons ready to defend their new companions to the death.

The Followers of the Flame Voyage also focuses on these mysterious treasures favoured by The Reaper’s Bones. Pirates will be tasked with using an enchanted lantern known as the Follower’s Flame to search for a new kind of Reaper’s Chest in need of recovery, helped along the way by some of Flameheart’s loyal forces.

These further additions will be arriving throughout Season 16, so be sure to keep an eye on our social channels for more news on each update as it approaches!

Any expansion to The Reaper’s Bones wouldn’t be complete without a fresh round of Commendations to work towards and the rewards unlocked by doing so. Season 16 introduces a wealth of new Reaper-inspired cosmetics to personalise your pirate, ensuring you can always show your allegiance via your wardrobe. Pirate Captains will also find that they have new Captaincy Milestones awaiting them to keep track of their contributions to Flameheart’s plans.

Beyond Commendations, Season 16 promises everything you’d expect from a new Sea of Thieves Season, including another 100 levels of Renown to climb through with daring deeds and a rich bounty of cosmetics, gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins to earn along the way. For pirates who already have some Ancient Coins ready to spend, the Pirate Emporium is ready to light up the night with its latest array of offerings, while the Season 16 Plunder Pass includes the luxurious Oyster’s Prize ship set (including Collector’s items) and matching Oyster’s Prize Eyepatch, Jacket and Belt!

The seas will be abuzz with activity during Season 16 as the Reapers roll out their plans, so keep your eye on the horizon for everything that’s coming. For a full breakdown of the features included and improvements made in this month’s update, check out the latest release notes[www.seaofthieves.com]. More information about the features coming later in the Season will be revealed in the weeks ahead, so follow Sea of Thieves on the social media platform of your choice to get all the latest updates. Good luck out there, and may the Flame burn!