Sea of Thieves' latest Adventure sees players picking sides to permanently change its map
So long Golden Sands?
Sea of Thieves' sixth season of content is nearing its end, but there's still time for one last Adventure before we say farewell - and this final episode of the season is promising to be a biggie, asking players to determine the fate of Golden Sands outpost once and for all.
Lost Sands will the fourth monthly instalment in Seas of Thieves' ongoing, seasons-spanning narrative, and is aiming to significantly raise the stakes by giving players the option to side with an in-game faction and make a permanent mark on the world.
Golden Sands has, of course, been at the very centre of Sea of Thieves' current story arc, beginning in January when the beautiful tropical island outpost became shrouded in a mysterious green fog and, amid signs of a desperate battle, saw all its inhabitants disappear.
Since then, Golden Sands has remained a rather gloomy blot in the otherwise beautiful Shores of Plenty, and now players will have the chance to decide its future.
Those wishing to see Golden Sands returned to its former glory will be able to help the rebuilding efforts by collecting supplies when Sea of Thieves' latest adventure launches on Thursday, 26th May. Other, more nefarious sorts, might prefer to side with the Reaper's Bones faction and ensure the outpost remains in ruins.
What happens after the adventure ends on 9th June will depend on whichever group has managed to make the most communal progress for its chosen cause.
Lost Sands arrives just days after the launch of Sea of Thieves' first Mystery, the second major component in Rare's ambitious new narrative approach. Unlike adventures, which are tied to major game updates, Mysteries - essentially side stories that play out in parallel with Sea of Thieves' main overarching plot - will progress dynamically over time as the community works together to crack the case through a combination of in-game puzzle-solving and sleuthing around other Sea of Thieves channels.
Mystery #1 kicks off with a bit of a murder, and pirates might be able to uncover a few clues to get their investigations started in Rare's recently shared introductory video.