Pirate Emporium Supports SpecialEffect with Charity Sails

Rare and the Sea of Thieves team are delighted to announce that – thanks to the generosity of our community – sales of the Noble Pathfinder Sails through our in-game store raised an astonishing $76,205.90 for SpecialEffect!

Pirates are known for plundering and hoarding their gold, but clearly that’s not the case when fellow seafarers need a helping hand. We were overjoyed by the generosity shown by our players in raising this stunning amount and simply want to say… thank you! The proceeds from each purchase of the Noble Pathfinder sails, designed by our dedicated Art team, all contributed towards this donation.

Dr. Mick Donegan, founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, wished to express his thanks too:

“I’d just like to say a huge swashbuckling thank you to Rare and the Sea of Thieves community for their incredible support with the sale of the Noble Pathfinder Sails as part of the Festival of Giving. I’m blown away! Your amazing generosity is a huge boost to SpecialEffect and will help my charity to help many more gamers with severe disabilities – not only in the UK but right across the world.”

SpecialEffect is a charity that focuses on helping people with physical disabilities to play videogames. For many people, games are a vital form of recreation and online games like Sea of Thieves have a particular role to play in connecting gamers with additional needs. SpecialEffect uses innovative technology to make gaming accessible to all. Solutions are tailored to each individual, taking into account their physical limitations and creating custom input devices, from modified controllers to eye control gadgets, to let them play with their friends and family.

Rare has a long history of fundraising for this vital charity, participating in events ranging from live streams to sporting tournaments, and the SpecialEffect team in turn have visited the studio to present and educate us about the unique technology and software they create – with an especially impressive demonstration of Sea of Thieves being controlled solely by voice! They also conducted an accessibility review for the game, with key updates to our control options allowing even more pirates to sail together.

Thank you once again to everyone who contributed by picking up the Noble Pathfinder Sails during their time in the Pirate Emporium. Find out more about SpecialEffect at www.specialeffect.org.uk, and keep an eye on the Emporium for future fundraising opportunities!