Sea of Thieves developer Rare and publisher Xbox Game Studios launched Season 20 on June 18, 2026, headlined by Custom Seas - a free, wide-ranging sandbox mode that gives players direct control over the rules of the game world.
What Custom Seas Actually Lets You Do
Custom Seas is a free feature set that puts control of the seas into players' hands for the first time, offering customisation options and admin tools including creature spawning, fast travel, and scoreboards with which to invent custom game modes.
The biggest addition in Season 20 is undoubtedly Custom Seas, a mode that gives players complete freedom to create their own games and scenarios. Whether players want to set up a shooting challenge, organise a ship race, create social spaces, or fly around the world using Free Camera mode, the tools allow for a wide range of creations. Players can also alter world settings, spawn items and enemies, enable world events, and create situations that may rarely occur during normal voyages.
Sessions support up to 24 players, who can be freely assigned to crews. The primary scoring currency inside Custom Seas is Silver - not spent, but used to track standings on configurable Scoreboards, with hosts able to set whether handing in treasure, landing cannon shots, or even losing a ship awards or deducts points. Hosts can also share admin permissions with other players, and a Free Camera mode lets anyone capture cinematic footage from angles not normally accessible in standard play.
Free Camera tools are also included, making it easier than ever to capture Sea of Thieves memories in high definition.
Custom Seas is described as Sea of Thieves' headline feature for Season 20, an expansive creative toolset designed to help all players build their own game modes. With the phasing out of monthly Acts, the whole Custom Seas toolset arrives when the new Season launched on June 18th, though Rare intends to continue working on its features and functionality based on player response.
Season Pass Overhaul and the Plunder Pass Rename
Season 20 brings equally notable changes to the progression system. Update 3.8.0 introduces a 50-level Season Pass. Players progress by raising Renown, with rewards available across the track - every five levels they can earn Doubloon Pouches, playable Voyages, and a choice of cosmetic rewards that were previously available through the Pirate Emporium.
The Plunder Pass has also been renamed as the Premium Tier. Premium Tier players can earn Ancient Coins and the Sirens' Splendour ship set during the season, including a Collector's Figurehead and Sails. Rare says players who complete the Premium Tier can earn back a total of 1,000 Ancient Coins, which can be spent in the Pirate Emporium or used toward a future Premium Tier. Premium Tier owners also receive a boosted rate of Renown progression for Season 20.
The paid tier can be purchased in-game through the Pirate Log or Pirate Emporium, through the Pirate Emporium webpage, or through the Steam Item Store.
The new Season also marks a departure from the recent update schedule in that it no longer features a three-Act structure. Season 20 changes how Renown is earned, with more emphasis on deliberate actions at sea - crews can earn Renown from completing Voyages, Tall Tales, and World Events, selling treasure, sinking Emissary Ships, taking part in Faction Battles, and competing in Last Ship Standing.
Here is a quick breakdown of how the Season Pass tiers compare:
| Feature | Free Season Pass | Premium Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | 50 | 50 |
| Renown Boost | No | Yes |
| Ancient Coins | Partial | Up to 1,000 |
| Sirens' Splendour Ship Set | No | Yes |
| Doubloons & Voyages | Yes | Yes |
Platforms and Availability
Sea of Thieves is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. Custom Seas is free for all players - no Premium Tier purchase required to access the sandbox tools.
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Custom Seas is the kind of feature the Sea of Thieves community has long wanted - a proper sandbox layer that turns the open world into a shared playground rather than just a backdrop for voyages. With 50 levels of revamped Season Pass content alongside it, Season 20 looks like one of Rare's most substantial updates in recent memory.
