Sea of Thieves will feature microtransactions, like most games released these days. However, Sea of Thieves will not immediately start asking for money, and will never feature randomized loot box drops. In fact, it sounds like microtransactions will be as unobtrusive as possible.
According to IGN, Sea of Thieves will launch without any microtransactions at all, but will add some about three months after release. Sea of Thieves Executive Producer Joe Neate confirmed when microtransactions do become available, they will only include cosmetic changes and not gameplay upgrades.
"We thought long and hard about what's right for our game experience, and the key thing we think is that it has to add to the fun, social nature of the game,” Neate told IGN. “So anything in this area will not impact power or progression, and you'll always know what you're getting - so that means no loot crates."
When microtransactions are introduced, the first item for sale will be a pet to join in high-seas adventures. "It'll either be on a shoulder, like a monkey, or like a cat on the ship", said Neate. "But it'll kind of benefit everyone socially and emotionally. So if I've got a cat, I can pick up it up and look at it, or you can pick it up and run off with it. Obviously when you put it down it'll come back.”
Other possibilities for microtransactions include potions that temporarily alter players’ appearances. Specifics on how in-game currencies will work haven’t been detailed, but Neate has confirmed there will be opportunities to earn some of them while playing. He also explained that the use of microtransaction is simply a business move to support ongoing development. "It's always an interesting topic, but ultimately I have to look at the reality of running a game-as-service as a business,” Neate said. “My goal and everyone else's goal here is to have as many people as possible working on this, and just keep giving people reasons to return, reasons to have fun. We have to run that like a business, you need revenue coming in."
Sea of Thieves releases for Xbox One and PC on March 20.
So what do you think? Are you excited to hear that Sea of Thieves will be loot box free? Are you curious to see what other items will be for sale when microtransactions start up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
