The expansion for Season 3 ofSea of Thievesis a crossover with thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise that fans have been requesting since the game first launched. TitledSea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, the expansion brings together two worlds that couldn’t be more perfectly suited for one another. ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies are some of the most bombastic pirate adventures ever put to screen, andSea of Thievesis just as over-the-top with the same underlying sense of absurdity.
There are many different pirate-y adventure movies under Disney’s ownership, such asPeter Pan,Treasure Planet, and even classics likeThe Swiss Family Robinson. However, what setsPirates of the Caribbeanapart as a franchise that works perfectly in a video game setting is the incredible sense of adventure one feels while watching them.Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Lifegrants this fantasyto players in a satisfying and engaging way.
Sea of Thieves and Pirates of the Caribbean Are Both Rooted In Fantasy
One of the major connections betweenSea of ThievesandPirates of the Caribbeanis where their primary inspirations lie. The originalPirates of the CaribbeanDisney ride was heavily inspired by classic pirate stories likeTreasure Island, where pirates were depicted as treasure hunting adventurers who weren’t afraid of anything. Of course, in real life, this isn’t the case, but it is classics like this and the Disney ride that have created the modern perception of pirates being free explorers rather than outlaws.
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ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies took a lot of cues from the original Disney ride and made plenty of references to it, but it also put its own unique spin on the adventurer stereotype. In the movies, the supernatural elements add to the mystery and drive the plot in unique ways.
InSea of Thieves,the supernatural is everywhere –on just about every islanda player lands on they are bound to come across some risen skeletons or find some kind of magical presence. The game is only very loosely inspired by real-life pirates and much more inspired by the noble, free adventurer stereotype. The fantastical elements of both the Disney franchise andSea of Thievesmatch tonally very well, and players can now explore some of the mysteries of the movies for themselves.
Both Franchises Universes Link Together In A Way That Works
The story forSea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Liferevolves around the player finding and rescuing Captain Jack Sparrow after he finds himself transported to the Sea of the Damned. Davy Jones, one of the main antagonists of thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise, gives chase and finds himself unable to feel his connection with the souls of dead sailors in this new realm.
The story ofA Pirate’s Lifekeeps the central details and personalities ofcharactersfrom thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise intact, while also telling an original tale. Joe Neate, the executive producer forSea of Thieves, told Game Rant during a preview event that the game would feature its own completely original story that takes place canonically afterPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
As such, neither universe will be forever irreparably damaged by its inclusion in the other. It’s even in the name, according to Neate. On why Rare and Disney decided to go withA Pirate’s Lifeinstead ofusing thePirates of the Caribbeanbranding, Neate said, “ultimately this is a Sea of Thieves update, we wanted to make it clear that this is Sea of Thieves.”
Pirates of the Caribbean Characters Are Perfectly Wacky For Sea of Thieves
One of the main thematic aspects ofSea of Thievesis its humorous take on the pirate life that is counteracted by the game’s intense ship battles. ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies are the same, with comedy beats intertwining with fast-paced and bombastic action sequences. The characters inSea of Thievesare wacky, over-the-toprepresentations of classic pirate stereotypes– and the characters ofPirates of the Caribbeanare no different.
Captain Jack Sparrow, for example, is the ultimate solo pirate, somehow always able to find his way out of a corner – even if that corner is the afterlife. Elizabeth Swan is a stereotypical upper-class lady, Davy Jones is based on classic sailor stories, and every side character seems to have a kind of gruff, grouchy stupidness to them.
The humor of Jack Sparrow is iconic and fits well with the game’s already absurd take on the pirate life. Other characters like Joshamee Gibbs, Captain Barbossa, and Will Turner also have a light-hearted ‘edge’ to them that is easily tweaked for the purposes of theSea of Thievesaesthetic. Only a few of these characters have beenconfirmed forA Pirate’s Life, but generally, these less-iconic characters could still seamlessly fit into the new expansion alongside Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Lifewill launch June 13, 2025 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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