Sea of Thieves update Vaults of the Ancients is coming next week

The next free Sea of Thieves update, titled Vaults of the Ancients, is coming on Wednesday, September 9.

Last week at Gamescom, we learned a few details about the next update, which will finally allow you to have dogs as pets, but now we have a much fuller picture. In addition to our new furry comrades, The Vaults of the Ancients update adds a new permanent voyage for Gold Hoarders and a couple of updates that should make the pirate life a little easier.

Foremost among the quality of life updates is a new option that lets you adjust the banners that appear at the top of the screen as you're approaching islands. If you find them a little intrusive for your tastes, you can slim them down and have your ammo and health bar in-view at all times. Or, if you want to be rid of them entirely, you can now do that as well.

The second quality of life update, kind-of ironically, is designed to help you keep up with all the changes coming to Sea of Thieves. Mysterious notes will appear in your quest radial at the start of a session, informing you of world events, voyages, new NPCs, and more.

Speaking of which: the new voyage tasks you with tracking down keys to gold-filled treasure vaults which contain medallions you'll want to find and use to unlock a hidden vault with even more valuable treasure. The fact that you're under a time constraint makes this new Gold Hoarders voyage a "high-intensity, in-and-out loot grab" for nautical thrill-seekers, Rare says. 

If you're thinking of embarking on your maiden voyage, don't miss our essential Sea of Thieves tips for best success.