Sea of Thieves players have been anxiously awaiting Rare's March 20 announcement, long-planned to confirm details regarding the pirate game's massive Anniversary Update. Rare has since delivered the Anniversary Update trailer, which confirms the new content will arrive on April 30. Players can expect not only the previously announced Arena PvP mode, but also The Hunter's Call new Trading Company, the story-rich Tall Tales - Shores of Gold missions, new ship destruction features, fishing, and more.

The Arena likely remains the most exciting new feature of Sea of Thieves' Anniversary Update. The PvP Mode will pull pirates away from their typical adventures and into a special new mode where they'll compete directly against other crews to amass loot (and stay afloat). A special preview event for The Arena will be held on April 10 at 9:00 am PT for those interested in seeing what the fuss is about, or to try out The Arena's hot tub for themselves.

The Hunter's Call Trading Company remains a mysterious new addition, but as with the Merchant Alliance, Gold Hoarders, and Order of Souls, new voyages will be offered with their own unique gameplay. This fourth Trading Company will also offer more ways to progress toward Pirate Legend, for those still grinding away at it. A special preview event for The Hunter's Call will start on April 16 at 9:00 am PT.

Rare has been experimenting with telling stories in Sea of Thieves for some time now and the Tall Tales missions appear to be the product of that. Tall Tales' first chapter, Shores of Gold, is described as "an epic adventure of love, honor, and betrayal in search of the mythical Shores of Gold." Players can start their search in a preview event on April 23 at 9:00 am PT.

Beyond The Arena, the new Trading Company, and the new Tall Tales story missions, there's more content to be found in the Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update trailer. Both fishing and cooking are teased, as well as an odd book item a pirate is seen reading. The destructible masts are guaranteed to mix up ship combat, as is the harpoon cannon shown spearing a megalodon. Then there's the odd compass and treasure chest shown early in the trailer, perhaps implying a new type of adventure to be found.

The Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update will be the game's biggest content release yet, which is why the pirate game has taken a break from big content updates in recent months. But as a result of Rare's concerted effort, Sea of Thieves may feel like an entirely new experience after the Anniversary update. It's a gamble for a game that depends on players returning month-to-month, but if the Anniversary Update can refresh the game's community then it'll all have been worth the effort. There's no denying that the Anniversary Update features enough content to deserve revisiting, but whether players new and old return actually return remains to be seen.

Sea of Thieves is available now on PC and Xbox One.