While the Sea of Thieves closed beta answered many questions about Rare’s big new shared-world pirate game, it left many questions unanswered. Chief among them, perhaps, was,
I recently sailed over to Rare’s offices in the Leicestershire countryside to find out what the famed UK developer held back for launch – and it turns out there’s a lot to the game we didn’t get to see in the closed beta.
The most enticing mechanic for me has to do with the endgame. Sea of Thieves has progression, but unlike some, well, a lot of games, it does not have experience points nor does it have stat-based loot. Progression revolves around increasing reputation with the three trading companies: the Order of Souls, the Gold Hoarders and the Merchant Alliance. Complete quests for these factions and you’ll increase your reputation with each. As you level up your reputation you unlock the opportunity to buy a promotion with that trading company (you can display this promotion title under your gamertag). Each promotion gives you access to a new set of voyages and cosmetic items that reflect your new job title. And when you hit a certain level of reputation, the endgame kicks in.
6 New Things Coming to Sea of Thieves (That Weren’t in the Beta) Watch on YouTube
Your ultimate goal in Sea of Thieves is to become a pirate legend. As you play you’ll bump into a mysterious group of NPCs who, if you prove yourself to them, will reveal more secrets about the world. At the end of this progression, you’ll discover a secret which gives you a quest to do a certain thing in a certain place (Rare won’t say what it is). The upshot is you become a pirate legend and gain a key that opens the door to a hidden area of the world (this hidden area, by the way, was in the closed beta, but no-one discovered it). This area is not loaded in from a menu. It is a place that exists in the virtual world, and, once discovered, can be accessed seamlessly – as long as you have the key. For now, its location is a secret – and Rare’s happy to keep it that way.