Sea of Thieves players are once again locked in battle, but not over pirate treasure this time. Instead, two warring factions are fighting over whether to save or destroy an iconic in-game location.
The grand finale of Sea of Thieves' season six story arc lets players either work to restore Golden Sands – previously a fairly charming outpost but currently brought to ruin – or keep it desolate and see what might appear in its place.
The war started in-game, as players were tasked with taking the side of either the Hunters – who need to deliver supplies to Golden Sands – or the Reapers, who need to destroy supernatural rowboats to hamper repair efforts. On June 9, the most successful side will see their efforts made permanent.
However, as part of the event, developer Rare encouraged players to take their views to social media by posting either #SaveGoldenSands and #RuinGoldenSands. It's fair to say that things are getting interesting outside the game as well as in.
Do your part! Save Golden Sands!#SaveGoldenSands #SeaOfThieves #goldensands #lostsands #xbox @SeaOfThieves pic.twitter.com/wOUyg49AOd
— Fishhook Cook (@Fishhook_Cook) May 27, 2022
Both hashtags are currently trending on Twitter, with #SaveGoldenSands seemingly outperforming its rival by a sliver. Instead of an endless stream of abuse being at the centre of each term, however, the two sides are using social media to campaign for their views (mostly) respectfully, debating philosophy with one another as they share their reasoning.
"After four years of playing, having this dramatic a change is exciting," said JacksonOfTheAndrew on Reddit. "I'm doing my part in making keg go boom at [Golden Sands], but even if Hunters win I would still love the change Rare has planned for that. Expansion and island changes progress this game."
Theprincessoflettuce also chimed in, saying "I think it's pretty obvious that no matter which side wins, they have cool updates in store for us. If the Reapers lose, they won't just go away and give up. There will be a next chapter."
Those campaigning to save Golden Sands are banding together, sharing inspirational messages on Twitter each day until the event concludes on June 9. "Good morning everyone, a glimmer of hope shines through the fog today at Golden Sands", wrote Tavern Keeper Tim.
"We weren't around to protect Golden Sands but we can still save it," added General Robert. "We will not give up."
Regardless of which side emerges victorious, only Rare really knows what's going to happen to Golden Sands. Given Sea of Thieves' history with long-running, dramatic story arcs, this is likely just the start of a much bigger change for the game world.
We fought dear for our outposts before, we must do it once again! Flameheart does not seek true piracy, he wants to rule the waves as king and force his Reapers to do his bidding. Fight for free waters! #savegoldensands #TeamMerrick pic.twitter.com/gZjvRyggVa
— mferr11 (@_mferr11_) May 25, 2022
That being said, this event will bring season six to a close. which previously brought randomised pirate lord adventures to the game.
In our 2020 review of Sea of Thieves, IGN said: "Despite the lack of meaningful progression beyond cosmetics, Sea of Thieves presents an endless sea of possibilities full of exciting encounters with other players and a never-ending list of fun things to do."
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.