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

This one comes with the caveat that nobody really expected Microsoft to have a VR presentation anyways, as the company had attempted to make it very clear that it had no intentions of focusing on Microsoft VR technology when it had a lot of games to show and a new console to finally unv

This isn’t commentary on the fact that Skull & Bones has all the potential in the world to muscle in on Sea of Thieves ‘ territory, either. We went hands on with Rare’s upcoming multiplayer pirate experience and came away wanting more, both in terms of gameplay (because it was good) and features (because it seemed largely the same). Sea of Thieves ships|https://seaofthievesfans.com/ of Thieves is still a good game, and there’s some enjoyment to be had within its colorful pirate world, but it feels like it hasn’t evolved since the last time we saw it, and that’s cause for some disappointm

A recent datamine of the game’s files uncovered lots more Sea of Thieves content, including new enemies and animals such as parrots, pigs, and seagulls. The leak also pointed to lots of character and ship customization , from tattoos and eyepatches to a variety of ship hulls. With the game’s microtransactions still a few months away, Rare is still working on the finer details but these datamined options do sound like the sort of cosmetic items that could be unlocked via microtransacti

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

Neate is not the first developer to offer this explanation, with former Uncharted developer Amy Hennig also saying that loot boxes and microtransactions are a result of rising game development costs . This means that players can likely expect more microtransactions in games going forward, but many will be hoping that they follow Sea of Thieves ‘ lead and only offer cosmetic unlo

Some prospective Sea of Thieves players may question the decision to include microtransactions, but Neate has an explanation for the business model. “Ultimately I have to look at the reality of running a game-as-service as a business,” says the executive producer, adding that “My goal and everyone else’s goal here is to have as many people as possible working on this, and just keep giving people reasons to return, reasons to have fun. We have to run that like a business, you need revenue coming

When Sea of Thieves debuted a year ago, its gameplay trailer really showcased the kind of potential the title had, especially with the talented team working on it. There’s so much space for multiplayer fun in a pirate setting, and hopefully Sea of Thieves manages to harness more of that before it finally launches – by all accounts, it still has the potential to be one of the premier reasons to own a current-gen Xbox console, even with Skull & Bones looming large as a potential conten

Naturally, then, gamers have been eager to find out exactly what the online component of Sea of Thieves ‘ multiplayer would entail. Unfortunately, those expecting that the title would be free-to-play once initially purchased are going to be sorely disappointed. Sea of Thieves design director Gregg Mayles shot down the idea of a free multiplayer experience in an interview with Eurogamer at E3 2016 yester

The beta for Sea of Thieves happened recently, and to not many people’s surprise, dataminers got a hold of the game’s data. What perhaps was not expected is what they found hidden beneath the sea of c

Ship customization seems to be another thing unearthed by the data-pirates. The files found seem to imply the ability to customize a ship’s cannons, capstan (pirate talk for ‘anchor holder’), livery, mast, and the captain’s wheel. There are additional sections as well, listed under ‘Ship misc’ is a harpoon

This cosmetic content will “either be on a shoulder, like a monkey, or like a cat on the ship” or even potions that change the appearance of the player character (e.g a potion that makes them look very old). Neate also suggests that Sea of Thieves players will be able to earn the currency to unlock this content through normal play. For example, players may be able to earn premium currency as a reward for completing high-level quests, or the content could even be found in the game world. Neate also says that anything available via microtransactions will provide “emotional value, not mechanical val