Rare has announced that Sea of Thieves will not feature any loot boxes at all. However, they are still planning to add microtransactions to the game about three months after release.
Players will be happy to learn that these planned microtransactions will be purely cosmetic in nature, with no effect on the player’s power and progression. They will also be tailored to the tone and world of Sea of Thieves. Speaking to PC Gamer, Sea of Thieves design director Mike Chapman mentions that the success of their games will never rely on microtransactions alone and that pay-to-win mechanics will never be considered.
Rare executive producer Joe Neate explains (via IGN) that players will be able to earn paid currency while playing the game normally. Rare items can be obtained in the game’s world or even granted as a reward for completing quests.
The first paid DLC for the game will allow players to own virtual pets in the game. These pets will come in the form of monkeys sitting on their character’s shoulder or even a cat on the ship. Neate believes that this will add social and emotional benefits to players. Additionally, potions will be included in the game, allowing players to change their cosmetic appearance. For example, a draught may make the player’s character model look old.
Sea of Thieves is an upcoming action-adventure cooperative multiplayer game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios. Players will traverse an open world in a pirate ship, with everyone assuming different roles in the crew such as steering, hoisting sails, navigation and firing cannons. It will be a shared open-world game, where groups of players will encounter each other on the open seas and embark on quests or engage in naval combat to gain loot. It will be released worldwide for the Xbox One and PC on March 20th, 2018.
