Insider Update 3.4.1.1 is now live. With June’s update being prepared for release, Insiders will return to previewing features for upcoming releases. All of Season 16’s features are now re-enabled for testing, along with the introduction of the first new features arriving in Season 17: Smugglers’ Tide.
As always, if you encounter any bugs, please head to the Sea of Thieves support site and let our Player Support team know.
Black Powder Barrels
The Black Powder Barrel is a powerful new explosive item from The Smuggler’s League. This barrel is held upright, making it an easier target. It deals more damage than a Stronghold Keg and has a considerably wider blast radius.
This Black Powder Barrel has a long 10-second fuse, allowing for more devious traps to be laid.
Available at most Outposts and washed up across islands, it can be sold to The Smuggler’s League at six named islands.
Please note that The Smuggler's League NPCs appearing in this build are placeholders and the cash-in value is not considered final.
Reaper Rowboats
The Reaper Rowboats return, refitted with reinforced Gunpowder Barrels and discoverable with either a cannon or harpoon attached. They can be rowed, docked and repaired like standard Rowboats, but detonate after taking enough damage or when the fuse is lit.
While a permanent addition to the seas, these Rowboats will appear more frequently for the duration of Season 17.
Stealing in the Search for Ancient Secrets
Following player feedback, it is now possible for rival crews to steal the Skull of the Banished during the Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage.
Once the sarcophagus has been discovered by the crew on the Voyage (or their skeleton allies), rival crews can now continue digging, open the sarcophagus and take the skull for themselves. This promptly ends the Voyage for the starting crew and grants their rivals progress towards the Reaper Rivals Commendation.
Legends Unleashed
The Pirate Lord and Captain Flameheart are at odds in this event, with Legendary Messages in Bottles appearing for all pirates and boosted rewards across the seas. Athena’s Fortune treasure earns 2x gold and reputation from the Mysterious Stranger and Sovereigns, while Reapers get 2x for Athena loot and 10x for Athena Emissary Flags.
Two new Trinkets (with placeholder names) can be earned: ‘Defending Legends’ for completing three Legendary Message in a Bottle Voyages, and ‘The Reaper Victorious’ for handing in three Athena’s Fortune items at The Reaper’s Hideout. Players should also try completing the Event Goals found in the Special Events tab.
New Emporium Items – In Stock Now!
Bosun Brewmaster Ship Set: Collector’s Figurehead, Collector’s Sails, Figurehead, Sails, Hull, Capstan, Wheel, Cannons, Cannon Flare, Ship’s Crest
Bosun Brewmaster Weapons: Blowpipe, Blunderbuss, Cutlass, Double Barrel Pistol, Eye of Reach, Grapple Gun, Pistol, Throwing Knives
Bosun Brewmaster Costume, including emote
Bosun Brewmaster Equipment: Tankard
Touring Tavern Emote Bundle: Tankard Polish, Raise a Grog, Grog Shaker, Toast the Crew
Ashen Curse Toucan
Sting Tide Weapon Bundle
Reaper Rowboats
Followers of the Flame Voyage
Smuggler’s League NPCs
The Smuggler at Old Faithful Isle can’t be interacted with due to being stuck inside nearby scenery.
The Smuggler at The Crooked Masts is currently unresponsive.
Black Powder Barrels
Characters and Reaper skeletons don’t hold Black Powder Barrels correctly across all body types.
The fuse sound cuts out early and doesn’t match the full countdown before the barrel explodes.
Gameplay
Enemy skeletons should no longer have trouble aiming their cannons at player ships.
Grappling a Key or Chest of Siren Song from inside a tavern no longer causes the Grapple Gun to get stuck in an endless firing loop.
Followers of the Flame Voyage
Dig spots during this Voyage will now consistently appear in places players are able to dig.
Skeletons that fall near geysers and rocks can now be revived, allowing the Voyage to continue.
The first Follower of the Flame character will now appear and function correctly when dug up.
Enhanced Reaper’s Chest
Reaper’s Chests now appear in more appropriate locations on ships.
On Sloops, skeletons now appear correctly inside the ship when the chest is placed near the lower deck stairs.
Bones will now move smoothly into the chest instead of floating visibly on screen.
Skeletons now use the intended teleport animation.
The Chest of Bones will no longer cause Captains to appear unexpectedly.
Players can no longer open a second Reaper’s Chest after travelling to a new server with an active one.
Skeletons now appear properly when the chest is carried via Rowboat and attached to a ship.
Cannon of Rage
The ‘Climb into Cannon’ prompt no longer shows while the Cannon of Rage is still setting up.
Cannon explosions in hot water now behave consistently and stay in place.
Search for Ancient Secrets Voyage
The sound effect that plays when the Ancients are defeated now fades as intended.
The fog during this Voyage no longer appears flickery or pixelated when viewed by other crews.
The ‘New Voyage Unlocked’ card on the Quest Table now shows the correct images instead of placeholders.
Ancient Phantoms no longer display an unintended red or orange glow.
The spider carvings on the pillars now appear sharper and more polished.
The beacon at the end of the Voyage now fades out properly rather than appearing suddenly.
Environment
A Grapple Gun can no longer be used to drag the Key or Chest of Siren Song into The Reaper’s Hideout.
Attempting to pull a Skull of Siren Song into a restricted area with a Grapple Gun no longer causes it to stop working.
Visual and Audio
Costumes now appear correctly in first-person view after loading into the game.
Skeleton heads now display correctly when wearing the Reaper’s Bones Skull with the Skeleton Curse.
Drapes on Sloops now appear correctly.
Throwing knife blades stay properly aligned during their heavy attack animation.
The Trident of Dark Tides no longer prompts players to refill ammo after firing.
‘The Sunken Pearl’ – Water textures beneath the surface no longer appear incorrectly after solving the spire puzzles.
Particle effects now appear as expected.
Text and Localisation
‘The Seabound Soul’ – A Chinese written character in this tale is no longer cut off.
‘Wild Boar Wallows’ now has the correct translation in Polish.
Performance and Stability
