Sea of Thieves players are starting the week with an important update, as Rare has opted to use the latest Xbox Game Development Kit. Unfortunately for some users, this also means a massive download size for the update.
Because of this GDK update, Sea of Thieves can now support DirectX 11 and 12, depending on your hardware. The game will automatically pick one for you by default to ensure the best experience, but you can specify your preference within the game’s settings. Additionally, this move to the latest Xbox GDK should lead to better game performance, especially for PC players.
The main downside, however, is the update’s massive size. Here’s how big the update is for each platform:
- Xbox Series X: 88.36 GB
- Xbox Series S: 90.15 GB
- Xbox One X: 88.36 GB
- Xbox One: 90.15 GB
- Microsoft Store: 102 GB
- Steam: 10.49 GB
According to Rare, despite the whopping 102 GB update size for those who own the Microsoft Store version, future updates should be much smaller. For players who have problems accommodating this update, the general advice is to uninstall the game and reinstall the updated version. PC users are also advised to update their graphics drivers to the latest version before updating the game.
Aside from the GDK change, this Sea of Thieves update also brings forth some changes and improvements to gameplay. You can find the 2.10.1 update notes below.
Sea of Thieves 2.10.1 Update Notes
Improved Athena’s Fortune Voyages
- The Voyage of Legends and Ashen Voyage of Legends have now been refreshed, providing a shorter session experience and consistently delivering rewards for the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company.
Improved Raid Voyage Rewards
- While diving to a Raid Voyage will continue to reward crews with a concentrated number of high-value items, making the spoils easier to carry than numerous lower-value items, the total quantity and value of items awarded and their visual impact have now been slightly increased following player feedback.
- Crews completing Raid Voyages for the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company will now find that only Athena’s Fortune treasure is awarded.
Skull of Siren Song Guild Reputation
- Guild Reputation will now be earned by taking part in the Skull of Siren Song Voyage when this is active on the server.
- Crews can earn a modest amount of Guild Reputation when selling an empty Chest of Siren Song, and a significant boost to Guild Reputation when handing in the Skull of Siren Song to Briggsy. The existing gold and Renown earned from these rewards remains unchanged.
Emissary Voyage Improvements
- Players starting an Athena’s Fortune Emissary Voyage in The Devil’s Roar will now be further rewarded with an Ashen Chest of Legends upon completion.
Ashen Winds Skull Value
- The Ashen Winds Skull no longer loses value by being used. Fire away, pirates!
Access to Tall Tales
- All Tall Tales across the Shores of Gold arc, Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life and the recently released Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island are now unlocked and can be played freely in any order.
Water Visual Improvements
- Could the water look any better? When viewed from a distance, the surface of the water now appears smoother, improving its appearance.
Cosmetic Updates and General Fixes
For a list of new cosmetics available for purchase and other general fixes, head over to the Sea of Thieves release notes page for a full list. And if you’re just now returning after a lengthy break from the seas, check out what’s new in Sea of Thieves Season 11.
