Sea of Thieves Season 13, released July 25, 2024, added a choice when crews defeated the Burning Blade: sink the ten-cannon warship for its loot, or pledge to Flameheart and take command of it. The update also introduced Skeleton Camps and Ancient Temples, where crews could raise the value of a pledged ship before returning it.
What Season 13 added
Rare released Season 13 as a free update for all players on July 25, 2024. Its launch brought 100 levels of seasonal Renown, new cosmetics and other rewards, plus an optional Plunder Pass with additional in-game cosmetics. Rare’s launch announcement described the update as free for all players.
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The Burning Blade became a World Event: a large warship marked by burning braziers and a beacon rising into the sky. It carries ten cannons and an Obsidian Skeleton crew. The event’s defining decision comes after players subdue those defenders. Rare’s 3.1.0 release notes describe the ship and its launch-era encounter.
Choose what to do after defeating the Burning Blade
| Route | What you do | Goal and risk |
|---|---|---|
| Sink it | Destroy the ship after defeating its defenders. | Prioritize the loot from the encounter, including the Blade of Souls. You do not take the Burning Blade out to perform Rituals. |
| Pledge to Flameheart | Take command of the ship, its onboard weapons and skeletal followers, then pursue Skeleton Camps and Ancient Temples. | Build the value of the ship’s eventual return through Rituals, while becoming a target for rival crews. |
These are distinct ways to resolve the same encounter: sinking favors immediate spoils, while pledging turns the warship into a high-profile objective that can yield greater value if you complete Rituals and return it.
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#1 Best Overall
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare’s irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot. Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Xbox One Console exclusive
- Battery: no battery used;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Crude humor, use of alcohol, violence
How the pledged-ship route works
- Fight the World Event. Locate the Burning Blade by its braziers and skyward beacon, then battle the Obsidian Skeleton crew. The ship’s ten cannons make the encounter a serious naval fight.
- Choose to pledge. After subduing the defenders, pledge to Flameheart to take over the vessel. At launch, the choice was presented as an alternative to sinking it; later 3.1.1 rules added a majority-crew vote requirement.
- Find a Skeleton Camp. Look for smoke marking a camp. These locations connect the ship’s voyage to the Ancient Temple activity.
- Solve the Temple puzzle and perform a Ritual. In an Ancient Temple, solve the constellation puzzle and complete the Ritual to increase the ship’s value before returning it.
- Decide whether to finish the Ritual. Crews that resist or interrupt the Ritual can take the Orb of Secrets and hand it to a Trading Company instead of completing the pledged-ship objective.
- Return the Burning Blade when conditions allow. The later 3.1.1 update requires a majority vote to return the ship and prevents a return during combat or while rival ships are nearby.
Rituals create the route’s central tension: each one can increase the value tied to returning the ship, but the pledged crew has to keep operating in contested waters where other crews can attack. The Orb of Secrets offers an alternative reward path for crews that disrupt that plan.
What changed after Season 13 launched
The encounter debuted in version 3.1.0 on July 25, 2024. Rare’s 3.1.1 notes, dated August 22, 2024, subsequently changed the pledge and return process: a majority vote is required, and a crew cannot return the ship during combat or when rival ships are nearby. Treat those as later rules, not as details of the initial launch description.
Rank #2
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare's irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends!
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot
- Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Available on the Xbox One family of devices and Windows 10 PCs. Supports Xbox Play Anywhere and cross-platform play** (**Play on one device at a time. PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10).The Hungering Deep, the first major Sea of Thieves content update landing May 2018, brings with it an exciting new threat to the Sea of Thieves world. Work together with other crews on a completely new adventure with gameplay enhancements and unique rewards.The May kick-off of the Sea of Thieves weekly events programme also introduces fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.
Season 13 is a historical release, not the current season. Rare’s What’s New archive lists Season 21 with a September 17, 2026 entry. Rare Support’s known-issues page, updated August 20, 2026, mentions a Burning Blade issue in Custom Seas; that specific listing does not establish the rules or availability of the event in standard sessions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Season 13 rewards and the Plunder Pass
Season 13’s seasonal progression had 100 Renown levels, with cosmetics and other rewards along the way. The Plunder Pass was an optional in-game purchase offering additional cosmetics; it was not required to access the free update’s Burning Blade encounter or seasonal progression.
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Best Value
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare's irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends!
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot
- Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Available on the Xbox One family of devices and Windows 10 PCs. Supports Xbox Play Anywhere and cross-platform play** (**Play on one device at a time. PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10).The Hungering Deep, the first major Sea of Thieves content update landing May 2018, brings with it an exciting new threat to the Sea of Thieves world. Work together with other crews on a completely new adventure with gameplay enhancements and unique rewards.The May kick-off of the Sea of Thieves weekly events programme also introduces fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.
Rank #3
- Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right.
- Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared-world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?
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