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No enemy in Sea of Thieves, man or monster, is more feared than the Kraken. That's because no other encounter ensnares you in its grip the way the mighty squid does. The Sea of Thieves Kraken can launch an attack when you least expect it, and in the least opportune moments. Here's everything you need to know about the Kraken in Sea of Thieves, including how it spawns, how to defeat it, and how to get out fast if you don't have time to mess around.
The Kraken was the first sea monster to ever lurk in the vast waters of Sea of Thieves. Long before the Megalodons showed up, it was the Kraken that was tearing into hulls, devouring pirates, and leaving nothing but splinters for ships in its wake. But it doesn't have to be that way.
How to find the Seas of Thieves Kraken location
Simply put, there's no one place to seek out the Kraken. It can spawn most anywhere in the game, even right off shores at times, though those situations are rare. Most often, you'll be greeted by the giant squid when in deeper waters, and though there's no specific where to be mindful of, you can definitely know when to expect it.
Look up in the sky. Do you see a cloud shaped like a skull or a pirate ship? Those are Sea of Thieves forts. If such a cloud has settled over your game, that means a fort is active and you need not worry about the Kraken. It simply can't spawn during those times. But in between, when there isn't such a cloud in the sky, beware. Someone, somewhere, will get Kraken'd before the next cloud rises.
Rare seems to have implemented the Kraken this way to make getting away with the lucrative fort loot a bit tougher, as there's a good chance the ship full of fort loot will be halted by the inky beast, but it could still happen to anyone. Even if you're minding your own business and another crew just finished off a fort, you could still draw the short straw and find yourself in a fight for your life. If you really want to avoid the Kraken - say if you're playing solo and wish to avoid the headache - don't sail unless a fort cloud is in the sky. That's the only way to guarantee you avoid an encounter.
How to defeat the sea of thieves kraken
The Kraken has several methods to unravel every pirate's best-laid plans. It has a slap attack that is quick and brutal to your hull, leaving several holes in it in one go, much like a bite from a Meg. It can also squeeze your ship in different places, slowly delivering more holes should you not fend off its gripping tentacle. It can even yank pirates right off their ships and try to swallow them. As of now, it never succeeds, but you can get stuck high above the water in the mouth of the beast, which can be a real pain if you're needed on deck, patching holes, bailing water, or fighting back directly.
There are really two stages to beating the Kraken, and it's up to you to know when you've had enough. But first, you just have to survive, so let's go over that first. The most important thing you'll want to have on hand is wooden planks. Like fighting a skellie ship or a Meg, you're not going to get out without a few bumps and bruises of your own, so make sure you don't leave your starting outpost without a good supply of planks (and cannonballs and food for general adventuring, of course).
Hopefully you're not alone when the Kraken strikes as it can be quite difficult to manage your offensive attacks and defensive counters like repairs and water-bailing when solo - even worse if the monster has snagged you off your sinking ship. It's good to know that all PVE encounters were updated in 2019 to scale better to crew sizes, if you are alone, it's now a bit easier to thwart the squid. Just be sure to check your ship status and never allow the water to rise to the top deck. As soon as it hits that line of the topmost stair near the cannonball crates, you're sunken.
Assuming you do have at least one crewmate, you'll want to split your duties up between attacking and repairing/bailing. In Sea of Thieves, if your ship sinks, your on-board loot floats for a while at sea, susceptible to others who may wish to cash it in for themselves. Never, ever let your ship fill up too much during a Kraken attack. It's worth it to pause your attacks for a moment if you really need to get ahead of the chaos in the lower deck, especially on sloops, the game's smallest ships.
On the other hand, if you are staying on top of the leaks, you should aim your guns and cannons very specifically at the beast's "heads," if it's sensible to call them that. Though the thick, lower sections of each tentacle make for easier targets, you'll do a lot more damage if you hit those things at the top, especially when they occasionally open and scream at you. The Kraken is an unpleasant creature, and you don't want to get into a war of attrition with it. That's a losing battle. Having said that, if you don't feel anyone in your crew has the accuracy to hurt those tentacles at its weakest points, by all means just aim for center mass. It may ultimately be a more efficient way of defeating the monster.
If ever you find yourself in the inky waters, quickly get back on your boat. The Kraken's black water stings and blinds you in such a way that can leave you somersaulting underwater, not knowing which way is up all while the burns of the creature's ink take their toll on your typically fabulous pirate.
As for when the Kraken wraps itself around your ship, you can unload onto it with whatever you'd like to do point-blank damage, but you may notice that it sprays some ink back at you. To avoid that, use your guns from a safer distance. As with all elements of a Kraken attack, the sniper-like Eye of Reach is the weapon of choice here as it offers accuracy and great DPS all with the crucial range you'll need.
As mentioned, there are really two endings to a Kraken fight. If you don't anchor your ship or raise your sails, you'll actually very slowly creep your way out of the Kraken's massive pool of black waters. If you merely wish to survive the Kraken attack, leave your ship ready to go in this way and eventually you'll wiggle out, none the richer but certainly none the poorer either - save for a few wooden planks.
If, on the other hand, you're in it to win it, raise your sails and/or anchor your ship. That way you won't move along until the beats is defeated and has dropped some loot for you. Like Megs, the Kraken now also drops meat when killed. You can cook it at any stovetop, including the one on your ship, and sell it to The Hunter's Call, the sea-faring faction which rests at every seapost. The Kraken will drop more typical loot too. It's randomized to an extent, though we've noticed an apparent correlation between landing those critical headshots and the Kraken awarding more loot. If you've got the aim, it doesn't just do away with the sea monster quickly, but it'll leave your pockets feeling happily heavier too. Look for the glimmer of treasures untold among the cresting waves and be sure to snatch it all up before you depart. If you're having trouble clearing out the loot after a Kraken victory, climb to the crow's nest and give your area a good scan. You worked hard for that loot. Don't leave it to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
The Kraken remains a unique beast in Sea of Thieves. With Megs and PvE ships, you can be the aggressor initiating conflict. Likewise, you can outrun Megs and skellie ships pretty quickly to the nearest island and get them to de-spawn if needed. The Kraken, however, springs itself on you uninvited and often at inopportune moments, forcing an extended battle on you. Hopefully our guide will keep you one step ahead of the nearest tentacle. Good luck out there, pirates!
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