Sea of Thieves guide: everything you need to sail the seas in search of treasure

Being a pirate with our Sea of Thieves guide is more than sporting a parrot on your shoulder, downing a tankard of grog, and fire cannonballs at the closest ship, though we admit these are all some of the first things we do in every Sea of Thieves session. To get the most out of Rare's ever-expanding pirate MMO, we've set forth this Sea of Thieves guide for new or returning players. Here's everything you need to know to gather your sea legs and live life as a scurvy-dodging swashbuckler. 

Sea of Thieves Anniversary update

Sea of Thieves Anniversary update

If you've been away for a while you're probably wondering what the Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update has added to the game. There's a ton of new stuff to try out including story missions, new modes, multiplayer, fishing cooking and plenty more. Check it all out here. 

Sea of Thieves Riddles

Sea of Thieves Riddles 

If the new Sea of Thieves riddles have you scratching your head then never hear help is her... cheating, we're cheating. If you can't be bothered to work out the Sea of Thieves riddles in the new Tall Tales then we'll just tell you here. Skip to the end!

Sea of Thieves tips

Sea of Thieves tips

Sea of Thieves sea combat

If you're after some good, solid Sea of Thieves tips then this is where to start. From sailing basics, like how to stay afloat, plug leaks and bail water to the best way to attack and board rivals - this covers it all. There's also tips on loot, fighting skeletons, animals and more. It's a wide and comprehensive primer for just about everything you need to know.

Sea of Thieves animal locations

Sea of Thieves animal locations

A pig flees a gang of would-be captors in Sea of Thieves.

If you've done any work for the Merchants Alliance then you know how much they love pigs, chickens and snakes. This Sea of Thieves animal locations guide will not only help you find the creatures themselves but also the crates, coops and baskets you need to keep them in. 

Sea of Thieves Tall Tales

Sea of Thieves Tall Tales

The Sea of Thieves Tall Tales are a new collection of story missions that arrived with the Anniversary update. There are nine in all that will lead you a marry jaunt around the map looking for clues totems and more. This guide will cut all the faff. 

Sea of Thieves fishing guide

Sea of Thieves fishing guide 

One of the most fun new addition in the Anniversary Update is Sea of Thieves fishing, although how to fish in Sea of Thieves isn't immediately obvious - you need to know what locations to head for, what bait to use and more. 

Sea of Thieves Bronzebeard error

Sea of Thieves Bronzebeard error

New content means new errors and the latest update as brought back the Sea of Thieves Bronzebeard error. It annoying but also an easy fix, so read this to see how to get back to sea sooner rather than later.

Sea of Thieves Sea Dogs

Sea of Thieves Sea Dogs 

The addition of the Sea of Thieves Sea Dogs faction has introduced a new multiplayer element to the game as players fight to steal treasure and sink ships. If you're not sure how to win or just want some pointers then let us guide you on. 

Sea of Thieves pirate legend guide

Sea of Thieves pirate legend guide

A fully clothed Pirate Legend in Sea of Thieves.

You'll need a Sea of Thieves pirate legend guide if you want to unlock this ultimate accolade. Becoming a Sea of Thieves pirate legend is hard, involving reaching level 50 with all three factions, as well as solving a riddle from a mysterious stranger. The rewards make all the effort worthwhile though, with access to an exclusive Pirate Legend hideout, high paying pirate legend voyages and legend appropriate customization options for both yourself and your ship. 

Sea of Thieves gold guide

Sea of Thieves gold guide

If you want all the best stuff then you'll want our Sea of Thieves gold guide. From which factions to work for to what treasures and trinkets to seek out, this will boost the gold you can earn fast. It won't help you keep it mind, that's something you'll have to take care of yourself. 

How to defeat a Sea of Thieves kraken

How to defeat a Sea of Thieves kraken

A leaked image of a close-up encounter with Sea of Thieves' Kraken.

Learning how to defeat a Sea of Thieves kraken is no easy task, as the creatures can easily destroy multiple ships at once and take a sustained beating before they finally fall. Our guide will will hopefully make all that a little easier, and see you tasting calamari before sunset. 

How to summon Sea of Thieves Shrouded Ghost megalodon

How to summon Sea of Thieves Shrouded Ghost megalodon

Why you would want to find a giant, ship-chewing shark is a question only you can answer but if you do need help with how to summon Sea of Thieves Shrouded Ghost megalodon, we got you. This guide will help boost your chances of finding the beast, and the rewards that come from killing it. 

Sea of Thieves Gold Hoarders guide

Sea of Thieves Gold Hoarders guide

If you're a fan of money then our Sea of Thieves Gold Hoarders guide will help you cosy up to the faction that's literally all about the coin. It covers the missions, the rewards and how to get both sorted quickly. 

Sea of Thieves Merchant Alliance guide

Sea of Thieves Merchant Alliance guide

A member of the Merchant Alliance from Sea of Thieves.

Of all the faction jobs on offer the Merchant missions can be fiddly but also lucrative - finding animals, and the cages to keep them and keeping them alive long enough to sell is hard work but not impossible. Our Sea of Thieves Merchant Alliance guide will smooth over all the bumps in the road and have you earning gold in no time. 

Sea of Thieves Order of Souls mission guide

Sea of Thieves Order of Souls mission guide

A skeleton in Sea of Thieves tries to eat a banana, despite not having a GI tract.

A Sea of Thieves Order of Souls mission guide can come in handy because of all the factions you can work for, they require the most combat. You don't want to miss a step when you have to defeat skeleton hordes to earn a buck.

Sea of Thieves skeleton fort guide

Sea of Thieves skeleton fort guide

Taking on the undead is no easy task so a Sea of Thieves skeleton fort guide is invaluable. There's giant ominous skull clouds to look our for, waves of skeletons to defeat, and a boss fight against a captain. Read our guide and take all the help you can get. 

Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.