As part of a massive interview it recently did for Polygon, Sea of Thieves developer Rare has unveiled a few tantalizing new details about the game’s two upcoming expansions, Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores. We already know when to expect the two expansions thanks to Rare’s E3 presentation, but now we also know a bit more about what they’ll be bringing to the table.
In the case of the Forsaken Shores expansion, which is slated to arrive sometime in September of this year, the flagship feature will be a brand new in-game region called Devil’s Roar. The E3 teaser trailer hinted that the new region would be a tumultuous locale riddled with fire and pain, and from what Rare told Polygon it certainly sounds like Devil’s Roar will live up to that promise. Devil’s Roar will be a volcanic region that players cannot spawn into, they must sail into it manually. It’s not clear yet what (if any) new enemy types await players in Devil’s Roar, but merely sailing its waters will be hazardous enough since the region’s volcanoes can erupt and pelt sailing ships with fiery debris.
Forsaken Shores will also introduce a new gameplay feature: rowboats. Using rowboats, players will be able to quickly board other ships, seamlessly transport loot from plundered forts, and even pack them with gunpowder barrels to create a cunning trap for unsuspecting enemies. The full extent of the rowboat’s capabilities aren’t yet known, but at the very least it sounds like certain tasks will be made much easier once it’s part of the game.
It also seems safe to assume that Forsaken Shores will introduce yet another limited-time story event complete with new missions, factions, and unique rewards. The September release window for Forsaken Shores is still a little ways off, so expect more information to be shared over the coming months. In the meantime, Sea of Thieves’ second expansion, Cursed Sails, is due to arrive in July (i.e. next month), keeping pace with Rare’s goal to bring new content to the game every six to eight weeks.