A new year is upon us, but before we can completely pack away the holiday decorations we have one last thing we need to do: round up the delights of December! The final month of the year is always jam-packed, so join us as we bid a final farewell to all its expeditions, events and excitements while filling you in on anything you might have missed…

Cast your mind back all the way to the beginning of December (no small feat, we know) and you’ll remember our Pirate Legends were getting a little love with the return of Legends Week[www.seaofthieves.com]. Although it wasn’t just for Legends – anyone hoping to rank up with Athena’s Fortune or just get their hands on a little extra gold could set out on a hunt for special Legendary Message in a Bottle Voyages, then venture across the isles in search of high-value treasure.

Winding down for the year was no excuse to miss out on our usual monthly update, so we had the latest additions to the game ready to go before the holidays began in earnest. That meant some tweaks to the current Season’s features including the Grapple Gun[x.com], blowpipe and Merfruit, as well as an overhaul of the rewards available in Safer Seas! For a full breakdown of all the changes, have a read of December’s release notes[www.seaofthieves.com].

Once the update was ready to go, it was time to get on with the celebrations. Events bundled up alongside this year’s Festival of Giving included rewards for supporting your favourite Twitch streamers[x.com], some merry gift givers[x.com] taking to the seas and an exclusive Ship’s Crest[x.com] for a few lucky Stream Team viewers. Even the Pirate Emporium team got in on things, with a fresh Extravaganza[x.com] offering perks for dedicated patrons. All that in addition to the login rewards and daily Gilded and Lucky Voyages available throughout the Festival[www.seaofthieves.com], and a subsequent Gold & Glory celebration[x.com]! Enough to get anyone in the holiday spirit.

There were a lot of moving parts to track in December, so to make sure everyone had an idea of what they could look forward to, we delivered a fresh This Month In SoT[www.seaofthieves.com] article at the beginning of the month with all the details.

Of course, not everything went quite to plan and the Mimic Darts had to be pulled from the December update. To explain what the future for this feature looks like, Production Director Drew dropped in with a State of Play[www.seaofthieves.com] article that laid out the situation – give it a read!

One of the major changes that did arrive with December’s update was how rewards are earned[www.tiktok.com] in Safer Seas. Having observed our single-crew mode in action for some time, we wanted to make a few adjustments to ensure the early game experience remains sufficiently rewarding for new players. So gold and reputation rewards have now been raised to 100%, while the Trading Company cap drops to 25 to maintain a balance between Safer Seas and High Seas. Why not enjoy a quiet sail yourself to get a feel for the changes?

Before we got to the special end-of-year videos, including a stirring overview of this year’s Festival of Giving, first we had to take care of the essentials – such as a new instalment of Sea of Thieves News! Once that had teed us up for the rest of the month’s delights, it was on to December’s update trailer and Pirate Emporium showcase, but not before Drew had a chance to deliver his latest Developer Update. Warning: you might need to watch it twice to get past the jumper situation.

We also took a look back over the last 12 months of the Sea of Thieves soundtrack[x.com]. As an extra end-of-year treat, there was a new festive addition[x.com] to help everyone get into the seasonal spirit, while a unique romance[www.tiktok.com] was explored through the medium of song and a holiday-themed playlist[open.spotify.com] ensured all our jingliest songs were available in one place for your enjoyment – if the traditional crackling fireplace[x.com] wasn’t enough to tide you over. In thanks for the loan of your ears, legendary composing corsairs Chloe and Robin also offered a sneak peek into the punishing work schedule responsible for all your favourite pirate tunes…

Pirates across the seas have had a little while now to get used to the new disguises in their toolkit, but we thought that everyone could still use a quick refresher course[www.tiktok.com] on the art of subtlety. Alas, we did such a good job, some pirates struggled to find us again[x.com], but no matter as we quickly reemerged with a caption challenge[x.com] and an inspection of everyone’s Armoury[x.com].

As always, there was acclaim to be earned: a new Community Hub[www.instagram.com] update saw four lucky craftspirates earning a fancy hat, while budding photographers braved the storm to get their best snaps of Pirates in the Rain[www.instagram.com] for the latest round of #SoTShot. On that note, we’ve slightly changed the way[x.com] we accept entries for our regular screenshot contest, so if you’re posting your snaps on Bluesky, you’re now in with a chance to win!

Later in the month we got a bit bogged down in names: naming pets[x.com], naming ships[www.instagram.com], naming songs[www.tiktok.com] and even renaming some items[x.com] that can be a bit of a mouthful. We also mused on what the worst words[x.com] to hear are when you’re away from your ship, as well as favourite instruments[www.tiktok.com] – with some linguistic liberties taken for the definition of ‘instrument’. All of which left us with just one more thing left to do: wish everyone a lovely holiday break[www.instagram.com] and wonder at some amazing firework displays[x.com].

And that was December! We’re all looking forward to the year ahead and the reams of exciting updates we can’t wait to share – be sure to keep an eye on all our usual socials to hear about any new developments. You can always find us over on Twitter/X, Bluesky[bsky.app], Facebook[www.facebook.com], Instagram[www.instagram.com], TikTok[www.tiktok.com], YouTube, Twitch[twitch.tv], or via the official Forums[www.seaofthieves.com] and Discord[www.discord.gg]. If we don’t see you there, we’ll be back in a few weeks with your next round-up! Until then, may the new year bring you new treasures, new adventures and not too many new trips to the Ferry.

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Sea of Thieves Round-Up: November 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: October 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: September 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: August 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: July 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: June 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: May 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: April 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: March 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: February 2024
Sea of Thieves Round-Up: January 2024

As we hoist the anchor on January (and a brand new year), Sea of Thieves is alive with fresh adventures and thrilling Events! From high-stakes Voyages to haunting melodies, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this month.

Reaper Gunpowder Runs – Friday, January 17th – Monday, January 20th

Prepare for explosive action with the Reaper Gunpowder Runs, an exciting Event designed to ignite chaos and competition across the Sea of Thieves! In this time-limited Event, pirates will gain access to an exclusive Voyage that focuses on gathering Gunpowder Barrels of all kinds.

During the Event, any Gunpowder Barrels delivered to The Reaper's Bones will fetch a hefty boost in gold and reputation, but that’s not all! Every Gunpowder Barrel you pick up on this Voyage will help nudge your Reaper’s Bones Emissary Grade higher, making each explosive find a tool for chaos and profit.

‘Sirens’ Lament’ Release – Friday, January 17th

If you’re still recovering from the festive tunes, let Spotify take over for a while. The latest track to join our expanding Sea of Thieves soundtrack, ‘Sirens’ Lament’, will be available to stream from January 17th. This hauntingly beautiful track joins a playlist brimming with Sea of Thieves favourites, perfect for setting the mood on your next Voyage or reminiscing about past adventures!

Twitch Drops – Monday, January 20th – Friday, January 31st

The seas may be cold, but the rewards are heating up thanks to Twitch Drops Fest[blog.twitch.tv]! From January 20th–31st, tune in to participating Sea of Thieves streams to unlock a generous collection of Frozen Horizon cosmetics.

Don’t miss your chance to deck yourself out in glacial glory by linking your accounts[www.seaofthieves.com] and watching Sea of Thieves Partners on Twitch. If you’re not sure who to watch, check our Partner Directory[www.seaofthieves.com] to see who’s online and available to tune in to once those Drops go live.

January Monthly Update – Thursday, January 23rd

Season 14 sails onward with a bounty of fresh content in our latest update! You’ll be able to check out the full release notes[www.seaofthieves.com] for details of all the new additions and adjustments as soon as this update drops.

Early birds who set sail in the week following the update will be handsomely rewarded with gold and Doubloons, and all pirates will receive another free Voyage of Luck. If the winds favour you, this special Voyage could even unveil a Golden Map, guaranteed to lead to valuable treasures.

The Outpost shops will also be brimming with new Lucky Hand equipment, including a spyglass, tankard and lantern for those seeking a bit of charm on their adventures.

And don’t miss the chance to snag the free Well, Obviously Emote from the Pirate Emporium – perfect for pirates with a dry sense of humour.

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As we set sail into the new year, we can’t wait to see you back on the seas this January! With fresh challenges, time-limited events, and plenty of excitement on the horizon, there’s no better time to chart your course for adventure. So gather your crew, hoist your sails, and make 2025 a year of unforgettable Voyages and thrilling tales on the Sea of Thieves!