A long-requested feature is finally sailing to Sea of Thieves, but players will have to shell out some cash to take advantage of it. Custom servers, along with other unannounced “benefits,” are included in a subscription service coming to Rare’s live-service pirate game in early 2026. Developers from Rare made the announcement during a Community Direct video on Wednesday.
Sea of Thieves is dependent on emergent encounters with both computer-controlled enemies and real players, both of whom can engage in hostilities with players. With custom servers, players can create their own “private customisable sandbox” with adjustable options for loot and enemy spawns. Private servers can also run “Safer Seas Fleets,” allowing players to invite their friends, free of beligerent randos. Rare has not stated how much this subscription model will cost.
Rare was one of the many studios hit by massive layoffs at Microsoft, which also resulted in the cancellation of the studio’s project Everwild. Gregg Mayles, a veteran of the company who served as the creative director for both Sea of Thieves and Everwild, reportedly departed Rare following the latter’s cancellation.
The nearly hour-long Community Direct did not address the layoffs, the fate of Everwild, or Mayles’ exit from the company. Instead, the video featured five members of the Sea of Thieves team addressing the health of their online game and detailing additions coming in the next several months.
Rare also touched on the already-announced Season 17, which introduces a new faction called The Smugglers’ League and additional loot to the game’s sandbox. Seasons overall will have a more monthly structure, introducing new content and events every month rather than throwing everything new at the players upon the season’s debut.
With Season 17 specifically, the first month will properly introduce The Smugglers’ League, the second month brings a “heist” live event, and the third month will refresh the map’s Skeleton Forts. The developers also briefly teased Season 18, which centers on the perilous Devil’s Roar area of the game’s world.
And in a move that might excite devoted players, Rare is lifting the NDA from the game’s Insider Programme, which provides preview builds showcasing upcoming updates to Sea of Thieves. The developers describe the move as a “first step” in opening larger conversations with the game’s community.
It’s been rough waters for Rare, but the studio appears keen to reassure Sea of Thieves players that the game still has wind in its sails, hopefully for years to come.
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