Sea of Thieves Season 9: Release date, Fort of Fortunes tweaks, gameplay updates, and more

As Rare gears up for the fifth anniversary of Sea of Thieves, the developers recently revealed when Season 9 begins and what it is slated to be added. The half-a-decade anniversary of the action-adventure sea-faring title is set on March 20 and will be celebrated with much pomp and splendor, with festivities already begun.

While the early days of Sea of Thieves faced numerous criticisms regarding gameplay and lack of content, Rare has remained steady and become one of the most popular online multiplayer titles.

This article jots down all the available information regarding the upcoming Season 9 of Sea of Thieves that players must prepare for.

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Everything you need to know about Sea of Thieves Season 9

Sea of Thieves will see the arrival of Season 9 on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Instead of focusing on one major content update like becoming a Captain or the on-demand PvP faction battles, the upcoming season will focus on many changes to the existing gameplay mechanics, as explained in the official content update video.

First and foremost, changes are being brought to the Forts of Fortune. Players will now be able to find the Chest of Fortune along with other treasures within the Fort vault. The video further states that the Chest of Fortune will award players a lot of gold and count towards new Commendations.

Once players unlock these Commendations, they can get items from the Fates of Fortune Ship Set. Future Seasons will see more items from this particular set being added to the game. Season 9 will update Reaper and Reapers Bounty Chests.

New cosmetics in Season 9 (Image via Sea of Thieves)

With the update, they will award weapons from the Fates of Fortunes Cosmetics Set when unlocked, and their unique beacons will be visible irrespective of whether they are buried or have been picked up by a player. The difficulty of world events, like Forts of Fortune and Ashen Lords, have been tweaked and rebalanced.

Their difficulty will be more in tune with the crew size of the engaging player. The emergent Ghost Ship battles are also back with proper tuning. Rare has also increased the likelihood of finding shipwrecks, being covered in fog while sailing, and encountering the Megalodon and the Kraken.

These changes will ensure the world of Sea of Thieves feel(s) 'more alive and dynamic' than before. Season 9 will also see new Voyages for Pirate Legends dive in, 'setting off on the hunt, battling fiendish skellys to unearth accursed loot or going on an explosive adventure to dig up some volatile valuables.'

Skull of Destiny is arriving (Image via Rare)

Pirate Legends will also be able to follow a special Athena's Fortune Compass to get their hands on the mysterious Skull of Destiny. This unique skull is imbued with the power to manifest all the different Flames of Fate and can also be utilized as a Ritual Skull.

With the new season, Sea of Thieves players will have 100 more levels to unlock, featuring various in-game cosmetic items and knick-knacks. New emissary rewards are also going to arrive. New plunder and additions to the in-game Pirate Emporium shop will also arrive.

Various quality-of-life updates will make their way in with Season 9, making swashbuckling buccaneers' lives in the Sea of Thieves easier. Fans eagerly wait for a deeper dive deeper into everything.