Yes. Sea of Thieves has both a Pirate Code and an enforceable Community Code of Conduct. Stealing treasure, sinking rival ships and fighting other crews are intended parts of pirate gameplay; harassment, discriminatory abuse, threats, cheating and other prohibited conduct can lead to account action. The key distinction is whether you are playing against another crew or targeting people in ways Rare’s conduct rules prohibit.
Which rules apply in Sea of Thieves?
Rare sets expectations in two related documents. The Pirate Code describes the spirit of play, including how crews should treat one another and their own crewmates. The broader Community Code of Conduct spells out conduct expectations for the game and official community spaces, and explains that violations can lead to warnings, suspensions or permanent account termination.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One | $38.87 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Sea of Thieves Xbox One (Renewed) | $30.14 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41RiuntPiNL._SL160_.jpg)
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Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One [Digital Code] | $35.19 | Buy on Amazon |
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Sea of Thieves - Xbox One/PC - Full Game - Key Card | $57.90 | Buy on Amazon |
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Sea of Thieves Xbox One | $76.41 | Buy on Amazon |
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- Pirate Code: principles for a welcoming community and fair play on the seas. It says disputes between crews belong in gameplay, while griefing or trolling your own crew is condemned.
- Community Code of Conduct: rules against conduct such as harassment, discrimination, threats, cheating, spam and stream sniping.
Rare also has a separate process for moderating Discord, forums and social channels. That process is not the same as enforcement against a game account.
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Can you steal treasure or attack another crew?
Yes. Stealth, stealing and battles are part of the game, and taking another crew’s loot or sinking its ship is not automatically a rule violation. The Pirate Code puts it plainly: “None shall quarrel or overly dissent against another crew, but let every engagement be settled by sword, pistol and good seamanship.”
#1 Best Overall
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare’s irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot. Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Xbox One Console exclusive
- Battery: no battery used;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Crude humor, use of alcohol, violence
The boundary is conduct that targets or harms players in ways the Community Code prohibits. Rare describes bullying as activity solely designed to target and upset another player or crew, and harassment as repeated activity designed to ruin their experience. Those definitions do not mean every unpleasant encounter is a violation or that every report will result in a penalty.
What behavior can lead to a penalty?
Rare’s Community Code prohibits a range of behavior, including:
Rank #2
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare's irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends!
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot
- Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Available on the Xbox One family of devices and Windows 10 PCs. Supports Xbox Play Anywhere and cross-platform play** (**Play on one device at a time. PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10).The Hungering Deep, the first major Sea of Thieves content update landing May 2018, brings with it an exciting new threat to the Sea of Thieves world. Work together with other crews on a completely new adventure with gameplay enhancements and unique rewards.The May kick-off of the Sea of Thieves weekly events programme also introduces fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.
- Discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation and threats.
- Encouraging harm or sharing illegal material.
- Cheating or hacking, spam, advertising and trolling.
- Witch hunts and stream sniping; repeated stream sniping is treated as harassment.
These restrictions apply to conduct, not ordinary pirate conflict. A battle over loot is gameplay; abuse, cheating or repeated targeting can cross the line.
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How game-account enforcement works
Rare’s April 24, 2025 Enforcement Policy Update describes a points-based system for game-account sanctions. Accounts start at zero points, and reaching 12 points results in permanent removal. The points and suspension depend on the offense; Rare says a particularly egregious offense may receive 12 points after a thorough investigation when no lesser option is appropriate. Points can tick down after an extended period of good behavior.
Rank #3
- Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right.
- Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared-world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?
Rare says alternate accounts used to evade sanctions may also be terminated. Players who believe an account enforcement decision was wrong can raise a ticket through the Sea of Thieves Support portal; Rare says it evaluates appeals against the Community Code of Conduct.
How community-space moderation differs
For Discord, forums and social channels, Rare describes a standard three-strike path: a warning, then a mute of variable length, then a ban or block. Severe abuse—including targeted harassment, hate speech and threats—can lead to immediate removal. This is a community-space moderation process, not the game-account points system.
Rare’s Moderation of Community Spaces page sets out the scope and approach for those spaces. Where conduct happens matters: an in-game account sanction and a forum or Discord moderation action are handled under different policies.
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Rare asks players to gather supporting evidence and submit it through the relevant support form. Its player-reporting guide explains how to choose a report category, complete the form and attach files. If a video is too large to attach, the guide permits an online video link with timestamps; it also advises securing permissions if the report is intended to remain confidential. Xbox Live and PlayStation Network reporting are additional options.
Best Value
- A shared-world adventure game by acclaimed UK developer Rare Ltd. Xbox Live Gold required to play (sold separately)
- Live the essential pirate life in a world rich with Rare's irreverent charm. Sail and fight together, hunt treasure and create your own legends!
- A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot
- Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
- Available on the Xbox One family of devices and Windows 10 PCs. Supports Xbox Play Anywhere and cross-platform play** (**Play on one device at a time. PC hardware requirements may vary for games on Windows 10).The Hungering Deep, the first major Sea of Thieves content update landing May 2018, brings with it an exciting new threat to the Sea of Thieves world. Work together with other crews on a completely new adventure with gameplay enhancements and unique rewards.The May kick-off of the Sea of Thieves weekly events programme also introduces fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.
Rare’s June 11, 2026 support update says in-game report reasons now include options such as hate speech and profanity. After Support acknowledges a report, an in-game update may provide a reference number and say whether action was taken or more information is needed. If Rare requests more evidence, create a support request, include the reference number and upload the evidence.
How to reduce unwanted contact
If you want less communication from other crews, Rare’s Streaming Support page documents settings to mute other crews’ voice chat, text chat and phrase chat. Rare recommends leaving voice chat on by default for the shared-world experience, while keeping the mute setting readily available. Muting is a communication control, not a guarantee against every unwanted interaction.
What Rare’s historical enforcement figure means
In its Spring 2023 fair-play update, the Sea of Thieves Security Team reported more than 8,500 manual suspensions in response to player reports during the preceding 12 months. That is a historical figure from Rare’s 2023 statement—not a current annual rate or a measure of how common misconduct is today.
For the official principles behind the game’s rules, see Rare’s Pirate Code and Community Code of Conduct.
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