Sea of Thieves season 8 looks like an early Christmas present for PvP fans, with some combat-focused pirates predicting it'll be "the best update since launch."
The headlining addition to Sea of Thieves season 8 is undoubtedly on-demand PvP, which allows players to choose between two opposing factions, the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame, and opt-in for battles. Unlike the discontinued Arena, these battles will take place in the same shared world you'd sail through in Adventure mode, though there will be an invisible "ring" that forms an arena which can't be crossed until one of the ships is downed.
Speaking of downed ships, Sea of Thieves season 8 will let you and your crew plunge beneath the ocean's surface and glide through the water Flying Dutchman style. This will only happen when your crew votes to do battle via the War Map, at which point your ship will go underwater to scope out foes who've also opted in for PvP.
To be clear, you can choose to represent a faction and still sail around Adventure mode doing your usual questing, Tall Tale-ing, etc., but you'll be ripe for the picking when a crew votes to hunt for opponents using the War Map. It's a little like Dark Souls' multiplayer Invasions, except you can opt out of it simply by not choosing a faction, whereas in Dark Souls you'd need to launch the game in offline mode to avoid being invaded.
As you sink (and are sunk) and steal loot, you'll gradually increase your Allegiance and earn exclusive rewards, including cosmetics that turn your character into a skelly or ghost. Sinking four ships consecutively will earn you the Champion rank, which makes you a bigger target and maxes out the rewards you can earn. Plus the more valuable treasure you carry on your ship as you raid the seas, the more Allegiance you'll gain by sinking ships.
For folks who have long wanted a bigger focus on PvP that doesn't fully take you out of the main mode (raises hand enthusiastically), Sea of Thieves season 8 sounds like "a game changer."
"So insanely hyped for this! Amazing job as always Rare! Season 8 is going to be the best season yet, hand down!" reads the top comment on the announcement video, from ChimneySwift11.
"At long last, FINALLY a solid PvP update," says one Redditor. "Can't wait for this to flip the ratio of PvE to PvP players and finally make the waves exciting again."
"This looks absolutely phenomenal - a true Sea of Thieves 2.0 for me who has 1,400 hours in the game, has levelled up everything there is and mostly goes for PvP," says Sorry_Astronaut.
As for PvE players, some are hoping the on-demand PvP distracts the high sea's most ruthless killers and makes the game friendlier for those who opt out. Alas, others were quick to point out that there will always be folks whose first instinct upon seeing another ship is pump it full of cannonballs.
"I cannot stress this enough-- I am still going to go after PvE ships for their loot hauls. The on-demand PvP will be amazing. But it doesn't change the core part of the game that I play for," warns ForgedLibraryCard.
As a self-professed legacy MMO jerk, I couldn't be more excited about on-demand PvP. Sea of Thieves' slow-moving naval combat is the most engaging part of the game, and a faster route to fighting other ships sounds great.
Sea of Thieves season 8 launches Tuesday, November 22.
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