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Steam News9 February 20264mo ago

Y2S4 PATCH NOTES

Steam post image Look around Captain! Rotting corpses, twisted ships, the DMC and Compagnie are turning these seas into a blood-soaked wasteland.

In this update15

Full notes

Full Skull and Bones update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

What changed

37 fixes36 additions121 changes6 removals
  • Balance
  • Gameplay
  • Store
  • Events
  • Maps
  • UI and audio
addedSteam post image Look around Captain! Rotting corpses, twisted ships, the DMC and Compagnie are turning these seas into a blood-soaked wasteland. And from that cesspit, something ancient and clearly pissed off is waking. It tears every poor soul within its reach limb from limb. But you won’t face it empty-handed. The long-awaited Corvette finally sails into the Indian Ocean. It is your strongest chance against whatever horror is coming up from below. And that’s only the beginning. Year 2 Season 4 brings new seasonal buffs, new ship ranks, a fresh seasonal loadout unlocking a new playstyle, updated Faction War activities, and a wave of quality of life improvements to sharpen every captain’s edge. So tell me, Captain… Are you ready to face the Eye of the Beast?
changedCORVETTE: SHIP PERKSFor each successful shot on hostile targets, or repair on allied targets, is applied a stack of Flagbearer.
changedCORVETTE: SHIP PERKSOn hostile targets, each stack increases the damage dealt to the target by 1% per stack, up to 20%.
changedCORVETTE: SHIP PERKSOn allied targets, increases the repair received by the target by 2.5% per stack, up to 50%.
changedCORVETTE: SHIP PERKSNon-hostile Extra Small, Small and Medium ships within 500m gain 5% increased damage and 5% healing amount.
changedCORVETTE: SHIP PERKSIncreases Hull Health restored by Repair Weapons by 5% per Repair Weapon equipped.
Stacks increase Armor rating10%150%Stacks increase Armor rating increased, buffPlayer Ship rank cap1517Player Ship rank cap increased, buffmaximum Death Tides progression level151175maximum Death Tides progression level increased, buffIdle Reload time32secsIdle Reload time decreased, buff

Skull and Bones changes

addedSteam post image Look around Captain! Rotting corpses, twisted ships, the DMC and Compagnie are turning these seas into a blood-soaked wasteland. And from that cesspit, something ancient and clearly pissed off is waking. It tears every poor soul within its reach limb from limb. But you won’t face it empty-handed. The long-awaited Corvette finally sails into the Indian Ocean. It is your strongest chance against whatever horror is coming up from below. And that’s only the beginning. Year 2 Season 4 brings new seasonal buffs, new ship ranks, a fresh seasonal loadout unlocking a new playstyle, updated Faction War activities, and a wave of quality of life improvements to sharpen every captain’s edge. So tell me, Captain… Are you ready to face the Eye of the Beast?
changedFor each successful shot on hostile targets, or repair on allied targets, is applied a stack of Flagbearer.
changedOn hostile targets, each stack increases the damage dealt to the target by 1% per stack, up to 20%.
changedOn allied targets, increases the repair received by the target by 2.5% per stack, up to 50%.
changedNon-hostile Extra Small, Small and Medium ships within 500m gain 5% increased damage and 5% healing amount.

Steam post image Look around Captain! Rotting corpses, twisted ships, the DMC and Compagnie are turning these seas into a blood-soaked wasteland. And from that cesspit, something ancient and clearly pissed off is waking. It tears every poor soul within its reach limb from limb. But you won’t face it empty-handed. The long-awaited Corvette finally sails into the Indian Ocean. It is your strongest chance against whatever horror is coming up from below. And that’s only the beginning. Year 2 Season 4 brings new seasonal buffs, new ship ranks, a fresh seasonal loadout unlocking a new playstyle, updated Faction War activities, and a wave of quality of life improvements to sharpen every captain’s edge. So tell me, Captain… Are you ready to face the Eye of the Beast?

HIGHLIGHTS

NEW SHIP: CORVETTE

The Corvette sails not to steal the spotlight, but to command it. Flying its colors at the heart of the battle, this formidable warship turns every broadside into a rallying cry and every repair into renewed resolve. Enemies marked by its fire fall faster, while allies fighting beneath its banner endure longer — a true flagship for captains who win wars through coordination, pressure, and presence. If you want a sneak peek of the Corvette in action, check out our recent Deep Dive.

  • Ship Size: Large Ship

  • Archetype: Support / Broadsider

CORVETTE: SHIP PERKS

Flagbearer

  • For each successful shot on hostile targets, or repair on allied targets, is applied a stack of Flagbearer.

  • On hostile targets, each stack increases the damage dealt to the target by 1% per stack, up to 20%.

  • On allied targets, increases the repair received by the target by 2.5% per stack, up to 50%.

  • Non-hostile Extra Small, Small and Medium ships within 500m gain 5% increased damage and 5% healing amount.

  • Increases Hull Health restored by Repair Weapons by 5% per Repair Weapon equipped.

Upgraded Mark

  • At max stack of Flag mark, hostile targets will receive additional 10% weakpoint damage.

  • Allied targets will repair Severe damage by 1% of each incoming repair received.

  • Flagbearer lasts 20 seconds.

NEW SEA MONSTER: KRAKEN

Steam post imageSeeking only the bravest of Captains, the Kraken rises from the depths. It strikes fear in even those who are both steadfast and prepared. This is no mere sea monster. Between its immense body and far-reaching tentacles, it is a giganteum beast that towers over the Indian Ocean — leaving those wide and vast waters feeling small and insignificant in the wake of the monster's shadow.

Once the beast emerges from the depths, you will be faced with a battle shaped by your ability to withstand pressure and to adapt to unpredictable strikes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

  • The Kraken is now available as a World Tier 2 Call to Arms activity.

  • A minimum of Ship Rank 16 is required to participate.

  • A minimum of 3 players is required to awaken the Kraken, with a maximum of 12 players.

  • The Kraken features a phased fight with multiple phases of attack, and a time limit of 10 minutes.

  • Special Ascended equipment and the exclusive Kraken Slayer cosmetic set can be earned from completing this activity. Steam post imageSteam post image

  • The Kraken uses its tentacles and main body to unleash powerful attacks against nearby ships.

  • Weakpoints appear on the Kraken’s tentacles and main body throughout the fight phases and can be targeted to deal additional damage.

  • During specific phases, the Kraken summons whirlpools and crashing waves that disrupt ship movement.

WHIRPOOL - NAVIGATION DISRUPTION

The Kraken cleverly uses its tentacles to create vortices in the ocean, trapping ships into a spiral and dealing continuous flooding damage that increases towards the center. The spinning tentacle in the center deals additional damage when contacted, punishing the failure to navigate away and escape.

NEW COSMETICS

WICKED GREEN

"Wear the rot in your heart like a badge of honor."

Drag your enemies into the ocean’s decaying depths with the Wicked Green cosmetic set.

THE DROWNED ONES

Steam post imageJoin the shadowy cult of The Drowned Ones.

Claim this tentacled cosmetic set forged in the deep sea — and become a force feared by the Kraken itself.

ARGENT WARDEN

Steam post imageDead flames glow the brightest.

Claim the Argent Warden set and sail the seas as a warden forged in cursed silver.

SEASONAL EVENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS

SEASONAL JOURNEY UPDATES

We introduced the Seasonal Journey in the previous season, allowing players to unlock a variety of buffs throughout the season by exchanging excess Gildmarks.

As a new season begins, we’re kicking things off with a refreshed Seasonal Journey track, giving players a headstart on the season and even more buffs to unlock.

NEW DAILY REWARDS

We’re introducing a new way to earn rewards in-game. Players can now claim a free Daily Chest each time they log in, so be sure to check in regularly to collect your rewards.

  • The Daily Chest can contain a variety of rewards, including weapon chests (such as the Legacy Weapon Chest), ascension and upgrade materials, currencies, and more.

SMUGGLER PASS HIGHLIGHTS

Woundcaller (Epic Provoking Torpedo)

  • [Perk] Red Sunrise: Hits have a 15% chance to trigger Taunted on the Target. Targets that are already Taunted will become afflicted with Unlucky Taunt. Unlucky Taunt inflicts 250 Damage per Second and can be stacked up to 5 times. Armed Bonus: Hits have a 50% chance to Trigger Taunt instead.

  • [Perk] Arming: Increases damage from torpedoes by 150% when target is beyond 85m

  • [Perk] Provoking: Hits on a target cause buildup of the Taunted status effect.

  • [Perk] Flooding II: Adds 20% damage as Flooding Damage.

Blubber Works (Epic Major Furniture)

  • After 4 consecutive hits on a sea monster, reduces Reload time of broadside weapons by 15% for 20s. Missing a shot resets the counter.

  • Consecutive hits on sea monster weakpoints deal 10% more secondary damage up to 40% for 5s.

  • Increase Weapon damage to sea monsters by 10%.

Inverted Flag Rack (Rare Minor Furniture)

  • Deal 14% more weapons damage to Taunted targets.

  • Increase the Duration of Taunted Status on targets by 15%.

Tide’s Reprieve (Epic Repair Pulse Armor)

  • [Perk] CaduceusHolding brace charges up a repair pulse that restores up to 3% hull health per second for 12s to allies within 100m. On fully charging a pulse, affected allies receive 12% reduced damage for the duration. This effect cannot stack. Activating and maintaining Bracing consumes 50% as much Crew Stamina.

Mantle of the Deep (Epic Anti Monster Armor)

  • [Perk] Primordial Hides: Reduce damage taken by sea monster attacks by 15%, or by 30% if bracing. Increase weapon damage by 10% for 30s after bracing a sea monster attack.

New Pet Lemur: Miles the Menace

NEW ITEMS AT BLACKWOOD STORE

Cloudbinder (Epic Lightning Ballista)

  • [Perk] Charged Barb: A hit from this weapon attaches a charged metal bolt to the target for 10s. The bolt deals 10% of the weapon's damage as lightning damage every second. If another bolt is within 200m, both explode and trigger a chain of lightning that deals 12% of the weapon's secondary damage to up to 4 targets between the bolts.

  • [Perk] Electric II: Adds 20% damage as Electric Damage.

  • [Perk] Piercing II: Adds 20% of damage as Piercing Damage.

    • Increases damage to weakpoints by 75%.

Stormtongue (Rare Lightning Culverin)

  • [Perk] Electric III: Adds 30% of damage as Electric Damage.

  • [Perk] Combustion I: Adds 10% of damage as Explosive Damage.

Living Bastion (Epic Regenerating Armor)

  • [Perk] Living Metal: Gain a stack of Living Metal per second if no damage was taken for the last 5 seconds. Stacks increase Armor rating by 10% per stack up to 150% at 15 stacks. Lose a stack on every hit taken. Bracing hits will not reduce stacks.

Ballista Mount Smithy (Epic Major Furniture)

  • Dealing 2000 damage with a Ballista Weapon to a target marks them for 20s.

  • While marked, target receives 12% more damage from Ballista Weapons and more secondary damage from all sources.

  • Reduce Charge Time of Ballista Weapons by 18%.

  • Increase Weakpoint damage of Ballista weapons by 14%.

OTHER NEW ITEMS

These items can be obtained via a variety of methods throughout the season.

Celestial Bloom (Epic Repair Rocket)

  • Obtainable through the Faction War Rewards.

  • [Perk] Fortifying Salvo: Each consecutive hit repairs 5% more per projectile. Consecutive hits on the same target also restore Brace Strength by 2% per rocket hit.

  • [Perk] Repair: Applies a lesser restoration of Hull Health to friendly ships.

Brightmaw (Epic Poison Demicannon)

  • Obtainable through the Nian Event.

  • [Perk] Caustic Ammo: Landing 15 hits in a single volley increases the weapon damage the target receives by 8% for 10s. If the target is Poisoned, they instead receive 12% more damage from all sources.

  • [Perk] Toxic III: Hits sap Crew Stamina and add 20% damage that cannot be blocked by Bracing.

Reachwarden (Epic Repair Long Gun)

  • Obtainable through the Faction War Rewards.

  • [Perk] Argus’ Touch: Hits on allied ships apply stacks restoring Hull Health over time. At max stacks removes Torn Sails and prevents additional charges.

  • [Perk] Repair: Lesser restoration Hull Health of a friendly ship.

Drowning Cabinet (Epic Major Furniture)

  • Obtainable through the Faction War Rewards.

  • Flooding weapons deal 15% more damage to targets with reduced max health.

  • Flooded Status Effects within 250m have 12% increased duration.

  • Reduce reload time of Flooding Weapons by 10%.

Anatomy Cabinet (Epic Minor Furniture)

  • Obtainable through the Faction War Rewards.

  • Reduce damage to Brace Strength by sea monster attacks by 18%.

  • Reduce damaging status effects and curse mark duration by 10%.

Apothecary Tool Bench (Rare Minor Furniture)

  • Obtainable through the Nian Event.

  • While at full sails or trimming, reduces Poisoned duration by 50%.

  • Reduce Toxic damage taken by 16%.

TIME-LIMITED EVENTS

FOUNDING EVENT

The Founding returns! Face legendary challenges and earn unique rewards as we celebrate Saint-Anne in our second year. From 10 February 2026, 6am UTC to 10 March 2026, 6am UTC. Complete challenges for rewards, raid Event Convoys and Sea Lord Domains to collect Silver Lions, a unique event currency that can be used at the event vendor in Sainte Anne to purchase every weapon and piece of equipment released since Year 2 Season 1. If you missed your chance to unlock the Frigate in previous seasons, fear not as another chance is coming. If you complete a certain amount of challenges, you’ll obtain not only the Frigate but also a new cosmetic set. Claim Silver Lions, delicious Rum Fruitcake, Founding Caches, Pieces of Eight, Gildmarks, Large Silver Chests and more! Fortune, glory, and drunken revelry await, Cully!

LEGEND OF THE NIAN

Local legends speak of the Nian, a fearsome beast that emerges once a year, terrorizing the population and devastating their livelihoods. Last year courageous captains pushed it back into the abyss but after licking its wounds, it is back with a vengeance. From 24 March 2026, 6am UTC to 21 April 2026, 6am UTC

  • Some improvements were made to the Legend of the Nian AI to ensure it behaves more consistently and it gained the ability to become Enraged.

  • A new Elite Warship Crazed Nian has been introduced and can be summoned via the event buoy.

  • Claim new cosmetics including a ship set, ship aura and fireworks.

  • Earn new exclusive gameplay rewards:

    • Brightmaw (Epic Poison Demicannon)

    • Apothecary Tool Bench (Rare Minor Furniture)

FACTION WAR

NEW FEATURE: TERRITORIAL CONTROL

OVERVIEW

  • A new War Effort feature has been added to territorial conflict. Manufactories can now produce War Assets in Contested Territories.

  • 2 New Events linked to Manufactories have been added.

  • Territories controlled by a Faction now have territory perks impacting Helm production.

  • War Events rewards have been rebalanced (War Assets gains).

WAR ASSETS PRODUCTION

  • Up to 3 POIs can simultaneously produce War Assets only while located inside a contested territory.

  • Produce regular goods for personal gain (Po8), or switch to War Assets to support your faction in the war.

  • Assigned Ship is disabled on a POI when it is producing war assets.

  • When a War Asset batch is ready, an Extraction event becomes available.

NEW EVENTS IN THE CONTESTED TERRITORIES

  • Extraction — Solo – Extract your Production of War Assets from the Contested Territory.

  • Manufactory Raid — Solo / Coop – Attack a Manufactory to gain War Assets and secure it for your Helm Empire.

NEW EVENT: EXTRACTION

  • An extraction can only be triggered at POIs you own and when producing War Assets.

  • The objective is to sail the War Assets through contested waters to the specified location.

  • Fast Travel is disabled during the run.

  • Navigate through enemy patrol ships and ambushes.

  • You must finish an extraction before you can launch another one.

  • Outcome:

    • Win: your produced War Assets are contributed to the territory.

    • Loss: the current production is lost.

NEW EVENT: MANUFACTORY RAID

  • A manufactory raid can happen at any POI in conflicted territories.

  • You can be joined by any ally.

  • To capture a Manufactory, you’ll need to defeat enemy ships and fill the capture bar.

  • As a reward, you’ll take ownership of the Manufactory and earn War Assets as a bonus.

  • You will only receive War Assets when successfully raiding Manufactories you already own in a Contested Territory.

TERRITORY PERKS (PASSIVE)

  • Contested Territory: If the Territory is contested, the recommended Ship Rank for your assigned ship will be +1 above the usual recommendation.

  • Faction Victory: If your Faction controls the Territory, the effect will work in your favor. You’ll receive a 10% boost to Production Rate, and the recommended Ship Rank will be -1 below the usual recommendation.

  • Faction Defeat: If your Faction has lost the Territory, the effect will increase the recommended Ship Rank by +1 above the usual recommendation.

FACTION WAR REWARDS

Y2S4 Rewards preview:

  • Territories Won:

    • New faction themed ship vanity sets for DMC & Compagnie Royale.

    • Progression rewards including upgrade parts, masterwork kits, Gildmarks, Chests, deep iron, etc.

    • 2 Ascended version of Y2S3 new weapons (mid-tier ascension).

  • War Won:

    • Faction themed ship aura for DMC & Compagnie Royale.

    • 10 000 Pieces of Eight.

  • War Lost Rewards:

    • 5000 Pieces of Eight.

  • War Effort additions:

    • New furniture: Anatomy Cabinet, Drowning Cabinet.

    • New weapons: Reachwarden (long gun), Celestial Bloom (rocket).

  • Ascended weapons and armors crafted for the season:

    • Lethal Twin Winch Ballista

    • Self-Healing Warhammer

    • Ironclad Royal Custodian

    • Survivor Immortal Vessel - And more!

Faction Broker now sells previous season’s Cosmetics for Gildmarks.

  • All items can be unlocked with a War Effort level requirement.

  • Available items include Y2S3 Rewards:

    • DMC & Compagnie Ship Vanity Sets

      • Requirement: War Effort level 20

    • DMC Captain Vanity Set

      • Requirement: War Effort level 30

FACTION WAR TIMELINE

  • War Start: 10 February 2026

  • War Ceasefire: 05 May 2026

  • War End: 12 May 2026

Please note the timeline is subject to change and only applicable to Year 2 Season 4.

OTHER FACTION WAR CHANGES

We made some improvements to the tracking of your War Effort progression:

  • Introduction of a loot channel progression.

  • Introduction of a war effort progression bar new layout.

GAMEPLAY UPDATES

MAP UPDATES

  • On controllers, zoom is now bound to the right stick.

UI Changes:

  • Event categories regain distinct colors.

  • Events display difficulty badges and participant counts.

SHIP RANK PROGRESSION CHANGES

Player Ship rank cap has been increased from 15 → 17. However, players can only reach SR17 via full ascension with a number of high-value Mods (god rolls).

  • SR16 can be reached by players with armor & weapon full ascension and at least 1 high-value Mod on an upgraded level 7 Ship.

  • SR17 can only be reached with 15 high-value Mods on weapons at least.

DEATH TIDES

  • The maximum Death Tides progression level has been increased from 151 to 175, adding new rewards for higher levels.

ONBOARDING UPDATES

  • Several onboarding contracts now feature additional narrative and a smoother progression flow.

  • To reduce map clutter, Faction Bosses and Strongholds are now hidden at Zoom Level 4.

  • Added the Journal as a new section in the Guide.

  • Golden Path contracts now use consistent icons for a more cohesive experience.

  • The recommended Ship Rank is now shown when entering a zone to help players avoid overly challenging areas.

  • World Tier 1 now grants health regeneration (0.1% per second) when the player is at severe health.

  • Added a new camera mode to the Action Wheel.

  • Added a new category for camera-based Action Wheel actions.

  • Updated the default wheel preset to use Cycle Camera Mode.

  • When first arriving in the Indian Ocean after the tutorial, players must follow the tutorial flow before docking at Sainte Anne.

  • Several parts of the tutorial have been reworked to create a smoother experience for new players.

NEW HELM ACHIEVEMENTS BADGES

We love those stylish badges on your player card, so we’re adding even more this season. Defeat the Kraken and the Nian to earn new badges — go forth and flaunt your achievements, pirate!

SHIPWRIGHT

  • When crafting ships, it now shows how many ships of that class you already own.

QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS

HUD DECLUTTER

Dev Note:

Throughout the year, the introduction of new gameplay systems has brought with it some visual clutter on the UI. We’re making some minor adjustments to the density of UI elements on the screen to reduce the impact it has on immersion. In addition, we’re adding more options for you to customize the visibility of UI elements on screen.

Options to customize user interface added

Customize User Interface → Ship Info Display Mode:

  • Ship Info Display Mode: Auto, Always Hidden, Always Shown

  • Expand Zone Size: Small, Medium, Large

  • Platform Icon: ON/OFF

  • PVP Icon: ON/OFF

  • Archetype Name: ON/OFF

  • Faction Flag: ON/OFF

  • Passive Reticule: ON/OFF

Updated Images:

  • Behavior Icons

  • Status Effect Icons

  • Affix Icons

Updated the Outdated Images for Map and Journal

  • World Event Edge Clamp

  • World Event Status: All, Active Only

  • World Event Range: All, Closest Only

MANAGE SHIP WHEN NEAR DEN / OUTPOST WITHOUT GOING ON LAND

We’re introducing a quicker way to manage your ship while you’re still out at sea.

Players can now select the Manage Ship button to open the Docking Screen when close enough to a Den or Outpost, without needing to go ashore.

AI ATTACK TELEGRAPHING

  • A new and improved pre-fire VFX has been added to AI ships.

  • AI attacks are now categorized into three intensity levels: Trickle, Moderate, and High, with distinct VFX representing each type.

Dev Note:

Understanding attack danger helps players make quick combat decisions. Clearer differentiation of attack intensity across ships improves communication of incoming damage and highlights Elite Warship behaviors.

This update also fixes cases where high damage ships, like Sharpshooters, used low damage VFX. These VFX improvements will roll out over multiple seasons as we update older Elite Warships to better match the intended encounter experience.

Affected Ships

  • Normal and stronger AI Ships

  • Merchant Convoys

  • Factional Elites:

    • Galvin Roche

    • Dirk Ankeren

    • Dian Sinaga

    • Tangena Rabe

    • Joka Kubwa

    • Ah Pak

    • Soleil Royale

    • Opwelling

    • Mizerja

MAP MERGING

We’re adding a new quality of life feature that reduces on-screen clutter by combining the World Map, Faction War Map, and Helm Empire Map into a single widget. This allows players to easily switch between different types of maps while staying on the same map tab.

BALANCE CHANGES

SHIP PERKS CHANGES

Hulk

Ironclad (Hulk Base)

  • Set sail with 5 stacks of Plating and lose a stack of Plating when hull health decreases on receiving weapon hit. Each stack of Plating increases Armor Rating by 100. Gain a stack of Plating every 10 seconds. (Max 5 stacks).

  • Increase weapon damage by 1% per 50 total Armor Rating (Capped at 50%).

Dev Note:

This rework shifts Hulk more firmly toward Armor Rating as its chase stat, setting it apart from other tank ships. The new Plating mechanic rewards players who Brace or Evade to maintain maximum Plating, reinforcing Hulk’s tank identity and ship size. To offset its low gunport count, Hulk now gains damage scaling from total Armor Rating, offering meaningful build-crafting options and strengthening both its durability and offensive potential.

Brig

Artificer (Brig Base)

  • Consecutive weapon hits targets increase weapon and repair amount by 2%, capping out at 30%. Resets if more than 11 seconds pass between hits.

  • Reduces Reload Time of auxiliary weapons by 10%, as well as for nearby friendly ships.

  • Increases Hull Health restored by Repair Weapons by 5% per Repair Weapon equipped.

Evolved (Brig Upgraded)

  • With non-offensive Auxiliary equipped: Restores Severe Damage by 0.4% and Brace Strength by 2% per second.

  • With offensive Auxiliary equipped: Increase weapon damage by 20%, as well as for nearby friendly ships.

Dev Notes: Brig was originally designed with a strong affinity for Spring Loaders, but this proved restrictive for loadout customization. We’ve taken that feedback to heart. Its base perk, Artificer, has been reworked to remove the Spring Loader dependency and now provides broader bonuses to all weapon hits and repairs. We still want Brig to embody the theme of auxiliary-weapon gameplay. To support this, the upgraded perk, Evolved, has been redesigned to scale based on the type of auxiliary weapon equipped, giving players greater freedom to tailor both perks and loadouts to their preferred playstyle.

WEAPON CHANGES

Culverin

  • Reduced visual recoil on firing.

  • Removed damage falloff.

Long Gun

  • Increased visual recoil on firing.

  • Removed damage falloff.

  • Increased initial pitch of projectile fired to 2 degrees.

Dev Note: Just some minor adjustments made to further differentiate these two weapon types. We’ve also removed damage falloff to make their performance more consistent across engagement ranges.

Ballista

  • All Ballista Draw / Long Draw perks are removed.

New Charge Effect for all Ballista — Impale

  • When charged, projectile will pierce through target and deal damage based on distance travelled within the target.

  • Increased initial pitch of arrow fired to 2 degrees.

All Ballista minus Twin Winch Ballista:

  • Reduced charged multiplier from 3x to 1x.

Bane of Ten Sun:

  • Skyrend: Same as Impale but has the additional effect of allowing more targets to be pierced.

Twin Winch Ballista:

  • Adjusted “Double Draw” perk to have “Impale” perk effect.

  • Reduced charged multiplier from 6x to 2x.

Sea Fire

  • Sea Fire weapons can now be toggled on and kept on while sailing.

  • Reduced Idle Reload time from 3 → 2 secs.

Increased Ammo Capacity for the following Sea Fire:

  • Kallinikos / Blue Specter / Heavenly Thunder / Sea Fire (I, II, III) increased to 40.

  • Virulent Accord increased to 60.

Dev Notes:

We’re reworking both Sea Fire and Ballista to deliver more engaging, skill-based gameplay. Ballista’s long draw time often felt unrewarding when it resulted in only a single hit, so it will now deliver multiple hits to better match the commitment required. Meanwhile, Sea Fire can now be kept activated while sailing, improving visibility and offering a more flexible offensive option.

FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES

  • Fixed an issue where the Bull's Eye achievement would not update when players met the criteria. [☠ Player Reported]

AUDIO

  • Fixed an issue where glitched, repeating audio could occur during the Domain: Zamaharibu event. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the Yo-Ho shanty main-menu music could play during the epic intro.

COMBAT

CONTRACTS

  • Fixed an issue where the Risk of Ruin contract could not be completed because the marker indicated a new upstairs objective incorrectly. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the Risk of Ruin contract could not be completed due to Fort Louis being inaccessible. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the Poisoned Plots contract could not progress after selecting “Continue with Blackwood when ready.”

  • Fixed an issue where the Grim Tidings contract could not continue because disembarking caused the camera to become stuck facing the beach.

  • Fixed an issue where the Against the Tide contract did not display a marker directing players to the agent’s location.

  • Fixed an issue where accepted Faction War contracts did not automatically fail after battle phase 6 ended.

  • Fixed an issue where the Oath Unspoken contract icon was not shown in the Spyglass tooltip.

  • Fixed an issue where the camera could zoom in during the cutscene after accepting the Arms of Night contract from Admiral Rhama.

  • Fixed an issue where the transient ship had no food or repair kits after swapping while progressing the Jailbird quest.

    Fixed an issue where Ascended Perk information was skipped after completing the Dare to Ascend contract.

DENS AND OUTPOSTS

  • Fixed an issue where lighting behaved incorrectly at Turner’s Trading Co. on Telok Penjarah. [☠ Player Reported]

GRAPHICS

  • Fixed an issue where parts of the environment were floating northwest of Forgotten Candi. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where resource nodes still showed the name and model of a removed resource. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where a wrench asset was floating at Vorona Falls.

  • Fixed an issue where the Carpenter appeared duplicated during the Rahma introductory cutscene.

  • Fixed an issue where NPC clothing in Telok Penjarah clipped through character models.

  • Fixed an issue where the Frigate faction flag could block player vision at certain angles.

  • Fixed an issue where RTGI visual artifacts could appear on Frigate-class ships, docks, and during ship customization.

  • Fixed an issue where the TLE interaction artifact was present in St Anne before the TLE period was active.

  • Fixed an issue where low resolution could be observed when inspecting weapon skins and the helm wheel in the store.

HELM EMPIRE

  • Fixed an issue where an equipped ship pet could display twice in the Helm Office. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where Helm contract goods triggered a “Contract Warning” when moved to the warehouse. [☠ Player Reported]

INVENTORY & LOOT

  • Fixed an issue where the Corrupt Dutch Officer sold a chest named “ItemName” instead of its proper item name. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the Gilded Slayers Chest could drop un-ascended items. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where players could exploit the system to hoard Legendary Treasure Maps for later use. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where empty mail remained after purchasing the Premium Edition and revoking it before claiming items.

  • Fixed an issue where Edition vanity rewards could not be received if the player already owned a vanity reward included in the Edition.

UI / UX

  • Fixed an issue where Bloodbound and Roguebane nameplates displayed an incorrect “Privateer” icon. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the recommended PvP activities panel showed the wrong background. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the “New yellow dot” notification appeared on the map but not on the minimap or mailbox. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where the Faction War reward track did not automatically move to the current position. [☠ Player Reported]

  • Fixed an issue where other players’ infamy ranks were not visible in the social menu.

  • Fixed an issue where currency counters overlapped the world map UI.

  • Fixed an issue where double Set Sail cinematics could play.

  • Fixed an issue where spyglassing undiscovered POIs took longer than intended.

TOP KNOWN ISSUES UNDER INVESTIGATION

  • Kraken Head Weakpoints not always registering hits.

  • Unable to transfer cargo during Corvette Mission (Workaround: Restart game).

  • Various cosmetic description issues.

  • Mighty Opwelling spawning multiple times in same cases.

  • Seasonal Journey’s Rocket Boost 1 can be claimed prematurely.

This is not the full list of issues being investigated. We’re constantly reviewing player reports.

BUG REPORTER

Please continue to submit bug reports through the Bug Reporter should you encounter any issues:.

REPORT A BUG

Your Bug Reporter contributions greatly help us prioritize impactful issues and analyze affected player profiles.

Source

Steam News / 9 February 2026

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