Sea of Thieves now has its first Pirate Legend, but other players aren't exactly happy about how this high achievement has been reached. Rare's pirate-themed title has been drawing players in with its gameplay and colorful world, and although the game has had its fair share of launch issues nonetheless the allure of earning untold treasures has proven rather tempting for gamers.
Part of this comes from the goal of becoming a Pirate Legend. The highest title bestowed on Sea of Thieves players, to become a Pirate Legend would-be Blackbeards have to first reach level 50 with all three of the game's Trading Companies. From then on, a fair few extras are unlocked, and the mystery around exactly what Pirate Legends can do has driven players through the game.
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The first Pirate Legend has now been found, in Twitch streamer Prod1gyX. Rather than this being a cause of celebration for Sea of Thieves players, however, this has instead been a scene of major disappointment. The streamer has been widely criticized for the way in which he has reached the rank of Pirate Legend, relying on boosting from other players to get the status rather than making it there of his own accord. Essentially, other players helped out Prod1gyX with voyages, doing the majority of the work but sharing in rewards, leaving some feeling as though the streamer is more Billy Bones than Long John Silver.
This has resulted in something of a backlash, causing some serious arguments over on the Sea of Thieves Reddit and even a Twitter hashtag of #NotMyPirateLegend. It's certainly understandable why some are angry about the first Pirate Legend, particularly given the prestige of the status itself and exactly how time consuming it is to reach the rank. However, there's something a little poetic about someone cheating their way to the top spot in a game revolving around pirates - after all, the game is called Sea of Thieves.
Nonetheless, it's unlikely that Prod1gyX will be seen as the true Legend of the game any time soon. At the very least, players may find solace in the fact that the streamer was able to explain a little more of what's available once the rank of Pirate Legend is gained. As it turns out, not only does the player get a set of nifty gear and a nice new hideout after solving a quick riddle, but they then have a new faction called Athena's Fortune that has its own set of legendary voyages. It may not be anything entirely new, but at least it's something extra that takes away from the need to earn gold quick.
All in all, though, Sea of Thieves players aren't happy about the situation. It comes at a fractious time for the game itself, after a former artist on the title suggested that the devs knew Sea of Thieves was repetitive in nature. With some asking for more from the title, should those disappointed in the Pirate Legend content (and the way that it was reached) make a big enough noise it may cause Rare to give the game some tweaks.