Sea of Thieves Season 17 has officially begun, tasking pirates with seeking out members of a mysterious new faction, the Smugglers’ League. The smugglers have coin to trade for certain treasures–but some of it is risky cargo to haul across the high seas.
To start your dealings with the League, you’ll first have to find them, tracking down one of the well-hidden and booby-trapped Smugglers’ Hideouts scattered across the map. While the League has interest in more standard treasures including fine art and fine rum, their main focus is on explosive Black Powder Barrels–a risky cargo to be carrying on your ship.
Once players have tracked down a Hideout, they’ll be able to pick up Smugglers’ Route Runs, delivering often-dangerous cargo from one point to another. Smugglers’ Runs can also be picked up from a message in a bottle bearing the Smugglers’ mark.
The League also has some valuable cargo unaccounted for, with Smugglers’ Shipwrecks offering plentiful opportunities for enterprising pirates to plunder. Find missing cargo on the sea floor, washed up on beaches, or reclaim it from Skeleton Ships and return it to the League for a big reward.
This is just Act 1 of the new season, with more content including heists set to unlock as Act 2 and 3 follow throughout September and October.
The new season also includes a variety of new cosmetics available at the Pirate Emporium, with more able to be unlocked from the Plunder Pass. For the first time, players will be able to play with extra characters, with the new Pirate Profiles system allowing you to start from scratch with a new pirate–without wiping your current progress.