How Xbox’s Divisive 2018 Open World Game Became a Huge Success Years Later

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Xbox has a history of strong franchises like Halo and Gears of War, but building new ones has been challenging. While a game released in 2018 initially caused some disagreement, it’s since become a fan favorite. To expand its offerings, Xbox has been buying many game studios, gaining access to popular titles like Call of Duty, Minecraft, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls. Despite these acquisitions, this particular 2018 game managed to establish itself as a lasting success over time.

Rare, the studio behind popular games like Sea of Thieves, launched the pirate adventure in 2018. They first revealed the co-op game in 2015, and it quickly generated excitement. The idea felt perfect timing, especially since Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag had recently proven players enjoyed pirate-themed games. Throughout development, Rare regularly tested the game with players, using their feedback and suggestions to improve the experience.

Sea of Thieves Wasn’t Beloved at Launch

After four years in development, Sea of Thieves launched to considerable hype, becoming the first game available on day one with Xbox Game Pass. This led to millions of players trying it out, but opinions were divided. The initial Xbox One version received a Metacritic score of 69, which is somewhat low for a major game published by Microsoft. Reviews varied, with IGN and Game Informer giving it a 7/10, while GameSpot scored it a 6/10. This mixed reaction wasn’t limited to professional critics; players also had differing opinions.

Many players thought Sea of Thieves didn’t have enough to do. The gameplay loop was pretty basic: sail a ship, collect treasure, and then deliver it to an island. Playing alone wasn’t very engaging or thrilling. While fighting other players’ ships was fun, the game felt incomplete – like it was missing key features. Overall, the game felt a bit empty when it first launched and didn’t live up to its potential.

Despite initial negative feedback, Rare wasn’t giving up on the game. It still had a player base, and thanks to the popularity of Game Pass, players could easily return even if they stopped playing for a while.

How Rare Turned Sea of Thieves Around

A year after its release, Sea of Thieves received a major update called the “Anniversary” update. This update significantly expanded the game with new quests, a stronger focus on player-versus-player combat through the Arena, and activities like cooking and fishing. Overall, there was simply more to do, offering both relaxing downtime and exciting adventures. The new quests were more involved and interesting, featuring riddles and puzzles that were a step up from the previous simple task of finding buried treasure while fighting skeletons. This added depth revitalized Sea of Thieves, leading many players to reconsider their opinion of the game and recognize it as a successful and evolving live-service title.

The fresh content updates brought more players to Sea of Thieves, and those players started creating their own content too. As exciting clips were shared on social media, the game gained popularity through word of mouth. Rare has consistently supported the game with new additions over the years, including a fantastic collaboration with Pirates of the Caribbean that brought iconic characters like Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones, along with new quests, directly into the game.

For years, Sea of Thieves has remained popular thanks to regular updates and a dedicated player base, even experiencing a renewed surge in popularity in 2024. Microsoft, after previously limiting its games to Xbox and PC, started considering releasing titles on platforms like PlayStation. They began with games that could attract new players, and Sea of Thieves was among the first to become available on PlayStation.

Players were already excited about the game, so it didn’t take much advertising to get PS5 owners interested. A major new feature was cross-play, allowing Xbox and PlayStation players to finally play Sea of Thieves together. This increased popularity benefited the game on all platforms, giving sales another big jump.

It’s surprising to see Sea of Thieves still popular and available on different consoles. Rare’s dedication to making the game enjoyable is the reason it’s thrived. While its future support is uncertain, it’s a remarkable turnaround story for a game many initially dismissed.

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2025-11-27 21:12