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Yes. Sea of Thieves has both a Pirate Code and a Community Code of Conduct. Stealing treasure and battling rival crews are intended parts of pirate gameplay; harassment, discriminatory abuse, threats, cheating, spam, and stream sniping can break the rules. The key distinction is whether you are playing against another crew in the game or targeting people in a prohibited way.

Which rules apply in Sea of Thieves?

Rare sets expectations in two complementary documents. The Pirate Code describes the spirit of play and how pirates should treat one another. The broader Community Code of Conduct covers behavior in the game and in official community spaces.

The Pirate Code: how pirates are expected to play

The Pirate Code says everyone is welcome, crewmates are equals, new pirates should be respected, and cheating is punishable. It treats conflict between rival crews as part of the game: “None shall quarrel or overly dissent against another crew, but let every engagement be settled by sword, pistol and good seamanship.” By contrast, griefing or trolling your own crew is condemned: “Those who betray their crew and ship through griefing or trolling shall be sent to the brig.”

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The Community Code: conduct boundaries

The Community Code asks players to be respectful, welcoming, courteous, and mindful that the game has an all-ages audience. It prohibits conduct including discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation, threats, encouraging harm, illegal material, cheating or hacking, advertising, spam, trolling, witch hunts, and stream sniping. 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.

#1 Best Overall
Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One
  • 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

Can you steal treasure or sink another crew?

Yes. Rare says that “stealth, stealing and battles are all part of the fun.” Taking another crew’s loot, ambushing them, or sinking their ship is not automatically a rules violation; these are adversarial pirate-play actions. The Pirate Code likewise directs crews to settle engagements through combat and seamanship.

The boundary is conduct the Community Code prohibits, such as discriminatory abuse, threats, cheating, or harassment. Rare specifically treats repeated stream sniping as harassment. An unpleasant encounter is not automatically a violation simply because it is frustrating: the relevant question is whether the behavior falls under the stated rules.

Rank #2
Sale
Sea of Thieves Xbox One (Renewed)
  • 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.

What can get a player punished?

Rare’s Community Code lists prohibited behaviors such as harassment, discrimination, threats, cheating or hacking, spam, trolling, and stream sniping. Depending on the conduct, account action can range from warnings and suspensions to permanent termination. Rare also says alternate accounts used to evade sanctions may be terminated.

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Game-account enforcement

Under Rare’s April 24, 2025 enforcement policy update, accounts start at zero points and permanent removal occurs at 12 points. The point value and suspension depend on the offense. Rare says points can tick down after extended good behavior; a particularly egregious offense can receive 12 points after a thorough investigation when no lesser option is appropriate. This is the current game-account framework described in that update, not an older “third offense means a permanent ban” summary.

Rank #3
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Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One [Digital Code]
  • 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?

Discord, forums, and social channels

Moderation of community spaces has a separate process. Rare’s community-space moderation policy says standard rule breaks generally follow three steps: a warning, then a mute of variable length, then a ban or block. Severe abuse, including targeted harassment, hate speech, and threats, can result in immediate removal. These community-space actions are not the game-account points system.

How do you report a player?

Rare asks players to gather supporting evidence and submit it through the relevant support form. Its player-reporting instructions, updated April 24, 2024, explain how to choose a category, complete the form, and attach files. If a video is too large to attach, the instructions allow an online video link with timestamps. If you want the report to remain confidential, Rare advises securing the necessary permissions. Xbox Live and PlayStation Network reporting are also listed as platform routes.

  1. Collect supporting evidence, such as a video or other relevant material.
  2. Choose the report category that best fits the conduct and complete Rare’s support form.
  3. Attach the evidence. If a video file is too large, use an online video link and include timestamps.
  4. Use the relevant platform’s reporting route as an additional option where appropriate.

Rare’s June 11, 2026 support update says in-game reports include reasons such as hate speech and profanity. After Support acknowledges a report, an in-game update may provide a reference number and confirm action or request more information. If Rare asks for more evidence, create a support request, include the reference number, and upload the evidence.

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Can you appeal an enforcement action?

Yes. Rare directs players to raise a ticket through the Sea of Thieves Support portal. Rare confirms receipt and evaluates the appeal against the Community Code of Conduct.

Best Value
Sea of Thieves Xbox One
  • 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.

How can you reduce unwanted contact?

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 accessible when you need it. These controls reduce particular kinds of contact; they are not a guarantee against every unwanted interaction.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One
Sea of Thieves: Standard Edition – Xbox One
Xbox One Console exclusive
$38.87
SaleBestseller No. 2
Sea of Thieves Xbox One (Renewed)
Sea of Thieves Xbox One (Renewed)
A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot; Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
$30.14
Bestseller No. 5
Sea of Thieves Xbox One
Sea of Thieves Xbox One
A fantastical world of unspoiled islands, mythical monsters and mouth-watering loot; Total freedom to decide how you approach the world and its players
$76.41

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