Rare has announced a major Sea of Thieves Community Direct for 10 July 2025, with this surprise showcase set to reveal more about the game’s next two seasons, as well as its future. This is the first major Community Direct for Sea of Thieves, and it notably arrives just a week on from major cuts to Rare and other Microsoft studios.
It’s unclear whether recent layoffs will be addressed directly, although the timing and nature of the broadcast suggests it could be a means to re-connect with fans, and reassure that development continues, even with a reportedly reduced team.
As for what to expect, Rare has provided the following details: ‘Join core crew members for the first ever Sea of Thieves Community Direct, where they’ll talk about upcoming Seasons, big Insider Programme changes and a much-requested feature that’s recently been ticking away in development.’
Read: Microsoft initiates sweeping Xbox layoffs, cancels several games
Given Sea of Thieves has a robust fanbase, and that the game launched on PlayStation 5 in 2024, we do expect this multiplayer adventure has a bright future ahead, and that the Community Direct will provide a clearer vision about how development will progress. While the sudden nature of this showcase and its timing alignment with recent Microsoft layoffs could be cause for some concern, we don’t expect bad news on the way.
In fact, we could see some very good news for the game, possibly in the form of a new platform launch. Since the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, many have speculated Sea of Thieves could launch for the console, inviting in a brand new audience.
In any case, this Sea of Thieves showcase should be worth tuning in for, particularly if you’re looking forward to more content, and for that new, ‘much-requested’ mystery feature.
How to watch the Sea of Thieves Community Direct
As announced, the Sea of Thieves Community Direct will take place on 10 July 2025 (ET/PT). Here’s how the time zones work out around the world:
- Australia – 12:00 am AEST (11 July) | 11:30 pm ACST | 10:00 am AWST (10 July)
- New Zealand – 2:00 am NZST (11 July)
- United Kingdom – 3:00 pm BST | 4:00 pm CEST (10 July)
- United States – 7:00 am PT | 10:00 am ET (10 July)
Stay tuned to see all the latest news and announcements from the Sea of Thieves Community Direct.
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Also on ScreenHub: Microsoft initiates sweeping Xbox layoffs, cancels several games
Microsoft has initiated yet another wave of layoffs, this time targeting its Xbox gaming division, as well as other areas of the company. Many studios under the company’s banner have been gutted as part of this move, and The Initiative, which had been working on a reboot of Perfect Dark, has been shut down entirely. Per various reports, around 9,000 people are believed to have lost their jobs, representing around 4% of the company’s global workforce.
A range of other projects have also reportedly been cancelled as part of the company restructuring, including many long-in-development, highly anticipated games. Rare’s Everwild has been cancelled, despite the excitement around this game and reports in October 2024 describing development as ‘going well.’
A new MMORPG from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios has also reportedly been cancelled, after several years in development. As part of changes at the studio, long-time executive Matt Firor is also departing, bringing an 18-year tenure to a close.
Elsewhere, significant cuts have reportedly changed the landscape at King, Raven Software, Turn 10 Studios, Rare, High Moon, Sledgehammer Games, and more. Microsoft’s decision will have far-reaching impact worldwide, with many employees – including tenured staff – now in the process of being laid off, or transitioning to new roles, in a studio environment with a reduced headcount.
