Sea of Thieves senior designers discuss the game's unique co-op gameplay mechanics, and reveal how players will need to communication and work together for success.

While many Xbox gamers mourn the cancellation of Scalebound and the potential that game had, others are looking forward to the many other Xbox-exclusive titles set for release this year. One of those games, Sea of Thieves, looks to shake up the open-world concept by sending players into the danger zone of the high seas to take on the elements and each other.

Rare’s upcoming pirate game will have plenty for players to enjoy, including a co-op mode, where players will work together in Sea of Thieves to collect loot and build the best ships possible. Senior Designers Shelley and Andrew Preston deliver a few details about the Sea of Thieves co-op in the latest trailer for the game.

As the trailer shows, the co-op mode is about more than just players joining up together in games. Rather, players will need to work together for the good of the crew. One way this is done is by separating the controls of the ship from the map. While one player steers the ship from the deck, another will need to go below deck to check the map and call out directions to the captain.

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Additionally, players in the crow’s nest and around the ship will need to call out what they see, including the location of potential dangers in the beautiful world like rocks and reefs, as well as opportunities to take on other ships or stop at ports.

The team has built numerous mechanics into the game to allow players to work together to accomplish their designs. However, as the Preston couple notes, it is also important to the team building Sea of Thieves that players aren’t relegated to a single role. Instead, they want players to enjoy as much of the game as possible together, while still relying on each other and having to communicate for the best experience.

The co-op aspect is also about protecting and supporting each other. The trailer shows a crew working together to dig up a treasure chest, then running together to escape with the bounty. While they have the chest in-hand, it can be stolen by anyone else, so the crew has to work together to keep it safe and in their care. However, once they sell it to a vendor, they’ll be able to keep the gold.

Ultimately, it seems the developer’s goal with Sea of Thieves is to create an interactive experience that challenges players to work together. As the developer puts it, Sea of Thieves multiplayer will be like Destiny, but more impactful for players. That said, it’ll be interesting to see how these mechanics work for single players, and if players are able to use the mechanics to grief and troll others. Hopefully gamers won't have to wait to long to find out.

What do you think about the co-op features in Sea of Thieves?

Sea of Thieves is set to release this year for Xbox One and PC.