Sea of Thieves Cursed Sails: Gamers will battle skeleton ships in biggest update so far

Sea of Thieves will now include skeleton ships and a new side quest, as part of the game’s biggest update so far.

Cursed Sails will be made available for free across the Xbox One family of devices, Windows 10 PCs and those who have access to it as part of Xbox Game Pass from July 31, the makers of the popular shared-world adventure title have announced.

“Players will now be able to battle terrifying new skeleton ships, set sail in the new three-player Brigantine ship and form Alliances with other players to take on bigger challenges and share greater rewards,” Joe Neate, Executive Producer at Rare, wrote in a blog post.

“This permanent new content will be introduced into the game through a special time-limited campaign, Cursed Sails. Offering players a range of unique rewards, this three-week campaign will see skeleton ships terrorise outposts and challenge pirates to do battle on the seas. A story-driven side quest will also allow players to investigate the source of the skeleton scourge.”

It is the second update for Sea of Thieves following the release of The Hungering Deep in May. That added the Megalodon sea creature, which players must work together to defeat. To do so, Rare also introduced a speaking trumpet and a flag system, offering new ways to communicate with other gamers, as well as a new instrument in the Drum, which forms a key part of uncovering the secrets of the Megalodon.

The Hungering Deep also featured new scars and tattoos so players could further customize their pirates.

A third update, entitled Forsaken Shores, is due to be released in September and will open up a new volcanic area to explore.

In Sea of Thieves, gamers complete quests from trading companies with the aim of becoming a “pirate legend”. Reaching this milestone unlocks a new section of the game featuring hideouts, special ships and unique treasures.

In a blog post last month, Rare revealed that more than four million people have played Sea of Thieves since it was launched in March. It topped the official games charts shortly after its release, become the fastest-selling first-party title in a generation and is the best-selling Windows 10 game by a Microsoft studio.