17. The Hoarder’s Hunt

This week, Rare announced that the second mystery, "The Hoarder’s Hunt," will begin on May 11. All I can say is... I can hardly contain my excitement. I can't wait for this mystery!!!!

The Grand Prize, awarded to the first player to complete the Hoarder's Hunt Mystery, is a one-of-a-kind £20,000 golden skull.

1. The Scoop on "Hoarder's Hunt

(1) The mystery will be a treasure hunt.

(2) The mystery will be released in four installments. Starting May 11, a new installment will be opened every week.

(3) Each installment will have two parts: an online puzzle and a voyage in game. Every week, players will receive a clue on the Sea of Thieves website that will lead them around the Internet trying to figure out a keyword. Pirates plug the keyword into the website to get a special voyage in game (the voyage is the second part).

(4) There will be in-game prizes for all who complete all four installments... and very cool real world prizes for the first 112* pirates to complete the mystery! 😮
*The first scoundrel to complete the mystery will get a skull made of real gold as a reward. The next ten pirates will get silver keys. The 100 picaroons after that will get coins.

In this video, the Rare staff introduces the new Mystery.

2. Looking Back at Mystery #1

There are so many great minds on the Sea of Thieves that I doubt I will have a chance at winning any of the real world prizes, but I am so excited to participate in the race to solve this mystery!

In preparation, I spent the weekend revisiting last year's mystery, in which we searched for the killer of DeMarco. You can still experience the ending of the mystery, which I recommend you check out! 

Despite all the negative reviews about last year's mystery, I am very happy to have experienced the grand finale. Next time you are looking for something to do on the Seas, I heartily recommend it!

There were many clues that you can no longer find in-game, but you can read about them on the Sea of Thieves Fandom website. In fact, to complete the final chapter you will need to play a specific song at five specific locations around the map. The hints pointing the way to these locations are no longer in game, so you will have to look them up online. 

You can still visit many locations from the first mystery, such as the wreck of DeMarco's ship, The Howling Wolf! 

3. Looking Ahead

Most coverage of Mystery #1 has been negative. I think the main problem with the first mystery was that it was difficult for the average player to keep up with it. It was often unclear whether the mystery was progressing or paused. Sometimes, members of the community were scouring the map for clues... only to learn that Rare had not yet added any new clues to the map! With its four installments, the new mystery seems to correct this problem. 

Revisiting Mystery #1 this past week, I was able to see past many of its problems and appreciate its merits. It is so amazing that there is a hidden adventure in the background. Mysteries have the potential to really bring out the magic and magnitude of the Sea of Thieves. I'm looking forward to the Hoarder's Hunt... Shovels ready!

 

If you complete a mystery, a new section will appear in your Pirate Log under Bilge Rats Adventures commendations. It will be fun to look back on the mysteries we've participated in!