Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life FAQ

As you may have noticed, things have been busy on the Sea of Thieves lately. We announced and released Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, a dream crossover between Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Sea of Thieves, as the headline feature of Sea of Thieves Season Three – resulting in our biggest ever free content drop since 2019’s Anniversary Update!

We know many of you have already joined Captain Jack Sparrow on this rip-roaring adventure, while some of you will be setting sail on the Sea of Thieves for the very first time. So we’ve put together an easily searchable and digestible FAQ containing all the major details on Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and the rest of Sea of Thieves Season Three. Let’s dive in!

What is Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life?

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life is an original story campaign that sees the worlds of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Sea of Thieves colliding in epic fashion. It lets you adventure alongside the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow across five new Tall Tales, solving puzzles, engaging in thrilling battles and exploring above, below and beyond the Sea of Thieves. Menaced by the notorious Davy Jones and the new allies he gathers, you’ll set out to overcome a threat not only to the Sea of Thieves but to the freedom of the pirate’s life!

When was it announced and can I play it now?

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life was first shown in a cinematic trailer during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 13th. Between then and the June 22nd launch, the momentum grew with a separate gameplay-focused trailer and a developer showcase featuring some familiar faces from Rare explaining how it all happened, with a dive into the first two Tall Tales. It’s free to all players as part of Sea of Thieves’ Season Three update, available now!

How do I start this adventure?

To embark upon the Tall Tales that make up Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, head to the Castaway’s Camp on any Outpost and vote on any of the Tall Tale journals. This will let you either start your adventure or continue your progress from a previous Tall Tale checkpoint. Selecting the Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life option from the main menu acts as a shortcut and starts your play session right next to the Castaway’s Camp.

What are Tall Tales?

Tall Tales are narrative-driven adventures that take place within Sea of Thieves’ world and can be tackled either solo or with a crew. You can head out on one of these Tales by finding and voting on the appropriate journal. The Castaway looks after the journals for the five new Tall Tales in Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life – check your ship’s map to find the starting points for the 11 Tall Tales added to the game in previous updates!

What are Sea of Thieves Seasons?

Introduced at the start of 2021, Seasons are content updates that introduce new ways to play Sea of Thieves, where players progress through 100 levels of Renown to earn rewards. Each Season lasts roughly three months and brings in new gameplay features, incentives and time-limited Events. Sea of Thieves content updates are free, but you can buy an optional Plunder Pass in each Season, which adds even more rewards to the pool available to earn by raising your Renown and climbing up through the levels.

What else has been added in Season Three?

Deadly new threats now appear across the Sea of Thieves and not just within the five new Tall Tales, in the form of Phantoms, Sirens and Ocean Crawlers. A refreshed set of Trials and Deeds have also been added – optional challenges offering Renown boosts to help you climb through Season Three’s 100 levels and unlock rewards – while the Pirate Emporium has been refreshed with costumes, ship cosmetics, emotes and even a pet inspired by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

Can I play Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life by myself?

Yes. Like all other Tall Tales, you can experience the entire story solo in a Sloop – though we’d always recommend trying it out with a crew of your friends to get the most out of this epic campaign and the Sea of Thieves experience in general!

Is it possible to meet other crews while playing Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life?

Yes. Some Tall Tales will see you setting sail across Sea of Thieves’ shared world, which means it is possible to encounter other crews. However, you’ll also travel through mysterious portals called the Tunnels of the Damned, which lead to the Sea of the Damned during the ‘A Pirate’s Life’ and ‘Captains of the Damned’ Tall Tales. These stages of the adventure unfold in a separate realm where the only players are you and your crew.

Is Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life only in the game for Season Three?

No. While Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life arrived as a core part of Sea of Thieves’ Season Three update, our intent is for these five new Tall Tales to remain in the game well into the future for all players to enjoy.

Do I need to play through all of Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life in one sitting?

No. As with our other Tall Tales, checkpoints allow you to stop and then resume your journey from that point when you come back to the game.

How long does it take to complete Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life?

If you’re going at a steady pace, we’d estimate it takes 8-12 hours to complete all five of the Tall Tales that make up Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life.

Can I play through Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life multiple times?

Absolutely! There are special Commendations and rewards to earn by exploring off the beaten path in each Tall Tale, so be sure to revisit each one to find all its hidden secrets, fragments of lore and even some Easter eggs.

Where can I read more about it?

Season Three and Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life both have dedicated pages right here on the Sea of Thieves website. You can also read our launch day letter from Creative Director Mike Chapman to get a sense of the team’s excitement to be delivering this update – and if you’re looking for the fine detail on every addition and adjustment delivered in Season Three, the full release notes should hold the answers you seek.

I’m a new pirate, where can I learn the Sea of Thieves basics?

Fresh-faced freebooters should first try out the Maiden Voyage, an in-game narrative-driven tutorial that’ll let you learn the ropes before encountering other players. You can also supplement your knowledge through the Pirate Academy – an ever-expanding collection of bite-sized lessons penned by residents of the Sea of Thieves, covering everything from how to get your ship moving to the Trading Companies you’ll encounter while making your way to Pirate Legend.

Those are some of the main questions and answers in a nutshell! There’s still plenty more to come to Sea of Thieves this year, so make sure you follow the social channels to get all the latest: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and the official Forums and Discord server. Whatever flavour of social media you favour, we’ve got you covered. See you on the seas!