Sea of Thieves Mysteries kick off a new kind of storytelling

Sea Of Thieves Skeleton Ship Battle
Sea Of Thieves Skeleton Ship Battle (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • The first Sea of Thieves Mystery is set to begin later this week.
  • Mysteries are a new kind of storytelling in Sea of Thieves, with an evolving narrative that changes based on what the community finds.
  • Some of the clues for a Mystery will not be found in-game, making it an effort that forces players to work together in figuring things out.

Rare's pirate adventure game continues to evolve in new ways, with the studio kicking off Mysteries in Sea of Thieves soon. These adventures are unlike anything that's been in-game before, partially because it's not all in-game.

As previously shared in the Sea of Thieves 2022 roadmap, Mysteries are a special kind of puzzle. While not completely an ARG, the Mystery will require players to work together and look outside of the game. Clues can be hidden in official Sea of Thieves video updates, streams, and more. The first Mystery is slated to begin "later this week."

Sharing a bit more about what players could expect, Christopher Davies, senior designer at Rare, shared that the first Mystery is a classic murder mystery. Head of Community Christina McGrath added that some of the clues will be "quite obscure," though some will be fairly obvious.

Creative director Mike Chapman also wrote that the community feedback will help the teams learn what to improve. Alongside Adventures and Seasons, Chapman refers to Mysteries as one of the "cornerstones" of Sea of Thieves. Back in October 2021, Rare revealed that Sea of Thieves had crossed 25 million players across Xbox and PC, having grown steadily since the game originally launched in 2018.

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.