Sea of Thieves is getting dogs, and yes, you can pet them

For many, Rare just announced its most important Sea of Thieves update: dogs. Woofing, circling, huggable good boys and girls. That's right - not only can you pet the dogs, you can hug them. It might not be the most piratey thing to do, but what kind of monster could resist?

You can already have parrots, cats, and monkeys for pets, and I can only imagine dogs were feeling awfully left-out until now. Now you can finally add a lovable dog to your crew, likely to the chagrin of your ship's cat. But watch your step and look out for discolored puddles, as pirate dogs don't come potty trained. You can check out some in-game doggy antics over at IGN's Gamescom presentation. 

While arguably the most exciting, dogs aren't the only addition in Sea of Thieves' September update. There's also a new and permanent voyage being added for Gold Hoarders, which Rare says we'll hear more about at a later date.

The studio also says they'll continue to add new features, quality of life improvements, and bug fixes every month, with a focus on expanding the "range and visibility" of live events. "Our aim is to have something unique for players to do throughout the month and not just looking towards the next monthly update," executive producer Joe Neate said. Mind, you still have until September 30 to get new loot and titles from the Summer of Sea of Thieves event.

If you're just setting sail for the first time, don't miss our essential Sea of Thieves tips for finding your sea legs.