It’s shaping up to be a huge week for multiplayer pirate game Sea of Thieves, as Season 12 launches on the same day as the long-awaited PlayStation version. Unfortunately, however, the new season won’t launch until after server downtime on PS5, Xbox and PC. According to development studio Rare, Sea of Thieves will be taken offline for server maintenance at 8am BST on April 30 in the UK. With the PS5 version launching at 10am BST UK time, it stands to reason that server downtime will end at the same time. This means existing players will be unable to login and play Sea of Thieves for around two hours on the morning of April 30.
The news was announced by Sea of Thieves developer Rare on X: “Attention, pirates! Season 12 begins tomorrow, alongside adventures for a whole new platform of players.
“To get things ready, the SoT servers will be offline for planned maintenance starting a little earlier than usual at around 7am UTC, April 30th. Plan your Voyages accordingly.”
Needless to say, the new season will launch alongside a big new update, which can be downloaded during server downtime.
The Season 12 update will introduce new weapons and items, including the Double-barrelled Pistol and Throwing Knives.
The new pistol allows pirates to fire two shots before needing to reload. Alternatively, you can charge your shot in order to fire both bullets at once. Similar to a shotgun, the Double-barrelled Pistol is more effective at close range, losing power from further away.
Throwing Knives, on the other hand, are for players who value stealth. You can take out the opposition with a downward strike from behind, or deliver high damage with a quick thrust or throw from afar.
Elsewhere, players will be able to discover the Scattershot cannonball from storage barrels. The Scattershot breaks apart when fired, ensuring you’re more likely to hit your target while also doing more damage.
There’s also a new throwable that summons skeletons to fight on your behalf, as well as a new artefact that summons the power of wind. It can be used to propel your pirate and ship forward, put out fires and even push back enemies.
Islands will now feature ziplines for speedier traversal, and pirates will also be able to walk across harpoon lines.