The Rare team wrapped up the year with the Season 17 launch trailer, and the reactions, well, have been as unpredictable as an exploding keg on a stormy night. The new season is titled “The Smugglers’ League” and has new crooks, and new forts, and enough rum to drown an under-strength skeleton crew. While some players are excited about the chaotic pirate shenanigans’ glories, others basically call it a glorified Merchant Alliance reskin. Oof.
What, then, does Season 17 really have in store? The trailer showcased new smuggling voyages where crews could smuggle away valuables like art and top-shelf liquor, all while managing the occasional explosive barrel that, though stinky, could cause more casualties among ships than a Kraken attack. Plus, there’s the cleaning out of sea forts with contraband as opposed to the regular ghastly loot, and also… gold. Saying fat stacks is a cheat in a pirate game.
Now, this just gets more interesting, since the community is split like a schooner slapped by a rogue wave. Some players, including Hansil✨️, are aboard, tweeting, “Honestly.. this looks kinda fun!” Others like pirate are less impressed, commenting that Rare pulled a “Ctrl C + Ctrl V on the Merchant Alliance and slapped a new name on it.” And then there’s BananaStove, who outright called it a “missed-the-mark season,” arguing that the Xbox showcase tease had people expecting something way bigger.
But it doesn’t stop there. Some of the solos are worried about getting crushed under the weight of bigger crews, while others like Golben Bones say skill can really help balance the scales. “Not to be a jackass but all ships are balanced,” they said in rebuttal to a critic. Meanwhile, W0ty and others are questioning whether the updates are even for veteran players; one response brutally put, “If you find no enjoyment, move on.” Harsh? Maybe. But hey, pirates don’t really sugarcoat things.
Then you have the chaos lovers. Brandon Tansey summed this feeling well: “This looks fun purely from a chaotic standpoint.” Because, let’s be honest, nothing in Sea of Thieves is more entertaining than a four-way ship battle where someone accidentally blows up a smuggled explosive barrel. It is the unstructured mayhem that sells the game to the players even when it seems like people are getting an update for, I don’t know, the 40th time.
So what is the end verdict? Season 17 brings everything it set out to: smuggling, explosions, and a fresh coat of paint on existing mechanics. Whether that’s enough to keep the player base hooked… well, that depends on which factor you decide to give precedence to. Some will dive in headfirst, chasing those shiny new loot items, while others might just sail off to greener (or at least less familiar) waters. But one thing’s certain: Rare is not finished with Sea of Thieves yet, and therefore neither are the players who still get a kick out of this chaotic rum-soaked world.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go practice some keg-stealing skills. Just in case.
