I wanted to write the headline for this news item as "what?! There's submersibles in Sea of Thieves now?!?", but opted for a more succinct option. Still, for those of us who haven't played in some time, the idea of your boat descending the waves so you can hunt other players is... frankly, scary and exciting all at once.

Season Eight of Sea of Thieves is upon us and amidst a treasure of info, one thing has become abundantly clear -- this season is all about risk-reward and how far you're willing to go for an allegiance.



Fair warning, the video above is nine-minutes-long but the gist of it is that in S8 of Sea of Thieves commitment and allegiance are key among player and crew incentives, and that the game intends to make sure you follow through with those decisions. Running from a fight after you've nominated your allegiance, which openly targets you, while in battle, will sink you. So you must stand and fight (in PvP, which is totally opt-in).

Carried over from the Return of the Damned adventure is the factions that dominated that experience by way of the Guardians of Fortune and the Servants of the Flame, serving as the allegiance aspect of the whole thing we've talked about. There are, of course, rewards for streaks, hunts and more, as well as whole new treasures and items and other doodads. And it's all free for anyone who has purchased the game, and if you haven't, it's currently just $25AUD (or free with Game Pass).

For more info on all of the above, click here.