Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition
" Immersive action-adventure pirate game with dynamic multiplayer and rich storytelling but rampant cheating issues "
Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition Review
Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition remains a visually stunning pirate adventure with a vast open world and immersive gameplay mechanics that emphasize cooperative play. Players enjoy sailing, treasure hunting, engaging in ship battles, and the dynamic emergent experiences that arise from player interactions. The game excels when played with friends or a coordinated crew, offering memorable moments of chaos and camaraderie.
However, the game suffers from persistent issues, notably rampant hacking and cheating that severely disrupt gameplay, especially in competitive modes. The anti-cheat measures and developer responses are widely criticized as insufficient. Additionally, solo players face significant challenges due to unbalanced PvP encounters and lack of solo-specific matchmaking, which diminishes the experience for casual or solo gamers. The community is described as toxic by many, with frequent griefing and harassment. Technical problems such as crashes, bugs, and poor optimization further impact player enjoyment. Despite continued content updates, many feel the game’s core experience is marred by these ongoing problems.
Highlights
Players highly praise the game's immersive sailing mechanics, beautiful art style, and the freedom to create unique pirate adventures. The cooperative multiplayer experience, especially with friends, is often described as unparalleled and chaotic fun. The world events, tall tale storylines, and dynamic PvP encounters provide depth and excitement. The game’s sandbox nature allows for varied playstyles, from fishing to intense ship battles, making each session unique. Visuals and atmospheric design receive consistent commendation, adding to the game’s charm and allure.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include the prevalence of hackers and cheats that disrupt fair play, with ineffective developer intervention. Solo players struggle due to unbalanced PvP and lack of solo-queue options, leading to frustrating experiences. The community is often toxic, with griefing and harassment common, impacting enjoyment. Technical issues such as frequent crashes, corrupted files, and server instability are reported. The grind-heavy progression and repetitive content reduce long-term engagement. Additionally, microtransactions and monetization practices are viewed negatively by some players.
Pros
- • Immersive sailing mechanics make you feel like a true pirate on the high seas.
- • Beautiful art style and atmospheric world design enhance the pirate adventure vibe.
- • Cooperative multiplayer with friends offers chaotic and unforgettable gameplay moments.
- • Varied activities including treasure hunting, fishing, and ship battles keep gameplay fresh.
- • Dynamic emergent player interactions create unique and memorable experiences.
- • Engaging tall tale storylines and world events add depth to the sandbox.
- • Freedom to play solo or with a crew allows for flexible playstyles.
Cons
- • Rampant hacking and cheating severely disrupt competitive gameplay experiences.
- • Lack of solo-queue or balanced matchmaking frustrates solo and casual players.
- • Toxic player community leads to griefing, harassment, and negative interactions.
- • Technical issues such as crashes, corrupted files, and server instability persist.
- • Progression can be grind-heavy and repetitive, reducing long-term engagement.
- • Microtransactions and monetization practices are viewed as excessive by some.
- • Poor anti-cheat enforcement fails to adequately address cheating problems.
Rating Criteria
About This Game
New This Season
Captain Flameheart’s forces gather strength, as his Order of Bone and Blade emerges to aid in the search for Ancient riches!
The Reaper’s Bones grow ever bolder, ready to despatch fearless pirates on the Company’s first ever Voyages! Assisting them are some long-buried troops called back into action, and new contraptions that serve their craving for chaos…
Reap Rich Rewards
With Captain Flameheart returned to full strength, his forces are seizing the opportunity to push back against the Pirate Lord and his allies! The Reaper’s Bones are greatly expanding their offerings with a host of new Commendations to complete, along with an extensive range of long-awaited Reaper’s Bones cosmetics offered as rewards.
At the same time, Captains can work towards new Captaincy Milestones and explore newly tracked stats under certain existing Milestones. With them, you’ll be able to keep a record of your contributions to The Reaper’s Bones and demonstrate a commitment to proving your prowess across the waves.
Cannon of Rage
Ever seeking ways to dominate the battlefield, the Reapers have turned their sly ingenuity to the Chest of Rage, tapping its power to construct new tools of focused destruction! The Cannon of Rage is portable, deployable and can be fired from wherever you see fit. Just don’t let it overheat…
Search for Ancient Secrets
The Reaper’s Bones are introducing their first Voyage this Season! In the Search for Ancient Secrets, you’ll be tasked with uncovering a lost crew of skeletons from the fabled Order of Bone and Blade, then working with them to unearth Ancient mechanisms across a chosen island. Along the way, you and your new allies will be confronted by Ancient Phantoms desperate for their lost knowledge to remain hidden – you’ll need to fight your way through them to succeed.
To add a further level of challenge, embarking on a Voyage for The Reaper’s Bones will automatically raise a Reaper’s Mark flag on your ship, announcing your location to anyone keeping an eye on their Map Table. You’ll need to work quickly if you don’t want to be interrupted, and be prepared to defend any loot you don’t want falling into another crew’s hands!
Emergent Skeleton Helpers
The Order of Bone and Blade aren’t solely limited to encounters on specific Voyages. While adventuring across the Sea of Thieves, you may stumble across their bony arms sticking up from the ground in all manner of places. Put your shovel to good use in any of those spots, and you can dig up a skeletal soldier ready to do your bidding!
New Seasonal Rewards
A new Season means a brand new set of rewards, unlocked by climbing through 100 levels of Renown! Earn cosmetics, gold, Doubloons and even Ancient Coins as you rise through the ranks by living the pirate life.
About the Game
Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose.
Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?
A Vast Open World
Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands and underwater kingdoms. Take on quests to hunt for lost loot, forge a reputation with the Trading Companies and battle foes from Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers to Megalodons and the mighty Kraken. Try your hand at fishing, make maps to your own buried treasure or choose from hundreds of other optional goals and side-quests!
A Game That’s Always Growing
With each Season bringing in new game features every three months alongside regular in-game Events, Sea of Thieves is a service-based game that’s still growing and evolving. Check back regularly to see what free content has been newly added, and see how far you can climb through each Season’s 100 levels of Renown to earn special rewards.
Become Legend
On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be?
Sea of Thieves: Premium Edition
The Premium Edition includes:
All the content in the Base and Deluxe Editions
Dire Dark Warsmith Flag, Hull, Figurehead, Sails, Cannons, Cannon Flare, Capstan, Wheel, Collector’s Figurehead, Collector’s Sails, Ship’s Crest and Costume Set
1000 Ancient Coins for use in the Pirate Emporium
Sea of Thieves: Deluxe Edition
The 2025 Deluxe Edition includes:
All the content in the Base Edition
Parrot Hat, Jacket, Dress, Boots, Belt, Trousers and Gloves, and 10,000 gold to spend at the Outposts
Dire Dark Warsmith Pistol, Blunderbuss, Eye of Reach, Cutlass, Double Barrel Pistol, Throwing Knives, Grapple Gun and Blowpipe
Sea of Thieves
The 2025 Base Edition includes:
The full game
Additional digital bonuses* include access to the Sea of Thieves Original Soundtrack – 2025 Edition, the Sea of Thieves: Athena's Fortune audiobook and The Rough Guide to Sea of Thieves eBook
* Available to download from Sea of Thieves /bonuses (website login required) or via Steam.
Sea of Thieves is a smash-hit pirate adventure game, offering the quintessential pirate experience of plundering lost treasures, intense battles, vanquishing sea monsters and more. Dive in with this revised edition of the game, which includes access to digital bonus media.