On-Demand PvP
A major part of Sea of Thieves is that no matter what you are doing or when you are doing it, there is always a chance an opposing crew can sail up to your ship and sink it. The first taste of a PvP-based mode within Sea of Thieves was the Sea Dogs Arena. Which was cut from the game on March 10, 2022. After being closed, Sea of Thieves did not have any instant PvP action mode, until now. On-demand PvP allows players to join fair and balanced ship vs ship combat.
Battle for the Sea of Thieves
To begin the PvP process, first, you will need to walk into the captain’s cabin and approach the Hourglass of Fate, which is located on the table. Then, switch the hourglass to whichever faction you would like to align with and fight for. Servants of the Flame, or Guardians of Fortune. And don’t worry, this choice is not permanent.
The Fight
After choosing which side it is that you want to represent, the next step is to prepare for your opponent. Once you and your crew vote with the Hourglass of Fate, you can unroll the war map on the table and begin searching for your rival. Once you set sail into the open water, your boat will begin to dive down into the deep blue sea. Think of this part of the process as the queue, or waiting room. While your ship is gliding through the ocean, you should prepare your crew for the harsh battle ahead. After an opponent is found, your ship will rise from the water directly in front of the enemy signaling that the battle has begun. Now, remember, there is no stopping the battle until one ship seals its fate at the bottom of the ocean, so don’t you dare try to run.
Reaper’s Bones vs Athena’s Fortune
Earning Allegiance
You can earn faction allegiance (which helps raise your faction level) by playing your part in the battle for the Sea of Thieves. Whether that be by purely destroying opposing crews, or cashing in the treasure from your adventures at sea. If you are good enough to achieve a streak of defeated enemy faction ships, you will gain boosted Allegiance. Sinking four or more ships in a row will mark you as a Faction Champion. Once Faction Champion, be careful and don’t let your guard down. Becoming a Champion will make you visible to all other players in the area and if they are fortunate enough to challenge and defeat you, they will be granted a greater boost than normal.
Faction Hideouts
The most dedicated Reaper’s Bones and Athena’s Fortune players will have access to the new faction hideouts. The Athena’s Fortune Hideout will be located right along with the old one, under the tavern. The Reaper’s Bones Hideout can be found in the firey pits underneath the hatch at the Reaper’s Hideout island. To witness and explore these magical new points of interest, players must first prove themselves worthy by meeting two specific requirements. First, players will need to become a Pirate legend, and in addition, players will also need to reach level 100 Allegiance in the desired Faction.
Reaper’s Hideout
Treasure and Rewards
Now what kind of Sea of Thieves update would it be if there were no riches to plunder? Well, we’re in luck, because in Sea of Thieves season 8 there are many new mouth-watering rewards worth every hour played. Starting off with some new Captaincy cosmetics, which of course are themed around the Servants of the Flame, and the Guardians of Athena’s Fortune.
Now moving on to more elite unlockables, we have been introduced to the skeleton and ghost curses. Once inside the fierce Reaper’s Hideout, players can partake in a ritual that will grant them the skeleton curse. After unlocking the new curse, players will be able to interact with the Bone Smith Vendor. This allows players to buy components to make their new curse more unique. As for the Ghost curse, once players are inside the new Pirate Legend hideout, players will be able to unlock the ghost curse (which is technically called the blessing of Athena’s Fortune). There are two styles to this spooky curse, one is a classic hazy green ghost color, and the other is a sparkling gold color. Players can only unlock the golden version by becoming level 1000 within that faction.
Ghost and Skeleton Curses
Source: Official Announcement Trailer
