Shiver me timbers, is that a Kraken in the distance? No, it’s Sea of Thives‘ player base doubling in size within the first week of release. This is a massive achievement for Microsoft, for whom Sea of Thieves is now the quickest selling new Microsoft IP of this generation. Rare Studio Head, Craig Duncan, posted a heartfelt message of gratitude to all seafaring bandits on Xbox Wire, thanking streamers and players alike for helping steer a galleon of worldwide excitement into “humbling early momentum”.
Xbox marketing manager Aaron Greenberg revealed via Twitter that Rare’s cannon-blasting pirate MMO is Microsoft’s “most successful new IP of this generation”. It hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing for Sea of Thieves, what with mercurial servers and lengthy wait times, but Rare’s been keeping its ears open to community requests; the British developer recently patched things up in a titanic update, and scrapped a proposed ‘death tax’ following player objections. Such careful adherence to player feedback could be a defining element of the game’s continued prosperity.
Are you tempted by Sea of Thieves but still unsure about handing over $59.99 USD? Two options lie before ye. You can try it out for free with a 14 day Xbox Game Pass (you’ll still need a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription to access all modes of the game on Xbox One) or read Christopher’s ruminations before taking the plunge.