When sailing the waters ofSea of Thieves, players will have plenty of options for customization. That includes what their ship looks like to what outfits they would like to wear. While most of the cosmetics in the game can be purchased, there are some that are earned in the gameplay.
One variant of the cosmetics that needs to be earned are curses. As of the time of this article’s publishing, there are manycurses inSea of Thieveswith all of them involving different steps needed to earn them. Luckily, once players are aware of what they need to do to get the curses, they aren’t the most daunting cosmetics to earn.
Updated June 15, 2025, by Gemma Johnson:Sea of Thievesgives players numerous ways to customize the appearance of their pirate, including traditional pirate clothing like eyepatches and peglegs, to more unusual types like curses. Indeed, there are now numerousSea of Thieves cursesfor players to work their way towards obtaining one of the more challenging types of cosmetics to get in Rare’s pirate adventure game. Some players might be drawn to the mysterious appearance of Sea of Thieves' Curse of Sunken Sorrow, whereas other players might be eager to showcase their love for treasure with Sea of Thieves' gold curse. Either way, there’s a curse for every pirate to get their hands on, with more added to the game with Season 12’s Creeping Stone Curse, plus the ever-desirable Skeleton and Ghostly curses. This article adds three new entries and updates the existing entries.
Skeleton Curse
Display PVP Prowess And Commitment To The Reaper’s Bones
Sea of ThievesSeason 8brought players faction ship battles with the introduction of PVP on demand and one of two curses to work towards - the Skeleton Curse. Instead of just fighting skeletons, players can look like one in service of Captain Flameheart. To get the Skeleton Curse, players must reach Level 100 Allegiance with the Servants of the Flame Faction and also have a rank of 75 with the Reaper’s Bones. However, reaching Allegiance 100 is no easy task, as players can only do this while representing the Servants of the Flame via the Hourglass on the ship and either engaging in Hourglass ship PVP battles or by cashing in treasure, the latter taking much longer.
Once players reach level 100 Allegiance and level 75 with the Reapers, this enables them to access the Reaper’s secret lair deep below the Reaper Hideout, where they receive the Skeleton Curse through the Ritual of the Flame. Here, players literally see their pirates' hands transform into bones. Players can also customize the appearance of the Skeleton Curse.
Ghostly Curse
Showcase Allegiance To The Guardians of Fortune
Alternatively, players choose to represent the Guardians of Fortune faction inSea of Thieves' PVP on-demandship battles; they can obtain theGhostly Curse, the second curse introduced toSea of Thievesin Season 8. However, like the Skeleton Curse, the Ghostly Curse is not easy to obtain. To get the Ghostly Curse, players must raise their Guardians of Fortune Allegiance to level 100.
Doing so opens the door to another zone in the secret Athena’s Fortune hideout for Pirate Legends, where players receive the Blessing of Athena’s Fortune, turning them into a ghost. The Blessing is another type of special ceremony where players get to see their characters physically transform into a corporeal specter as the curse takes hold. However, this one is performed by the Pirate Lord, so as the name suggests, it’s more of an honor than a curse.
Creeping Stone And Solid Stone Curses
Display The Cost Of Surviving A Gorgon
TheCreeping Stone Cursewas introduced inSea of ThievesSeason 12as part of its seasonal Plunder Pass Rewards. Certainly, it’s aSea of Thievescurse with the appearance of a pirate that’s slowly turning to stone. It’s said to be a curse that pirates get from staring at Gorgon’s gaze, hence many do not survive to tell the tale. While no such creatures exist currently in the world ofSea of Thieves, it’s an intriguing step into Greek mythology.
To get the Creeping Stone Curse, players must purchase Season 12’s Plunder Pass and reach Level 20 Renown. Players can also get theSold Stone Cursefrom the same Plunder Pass on reaching Renown level 90, which is the completely solid version of the same Curse.
Curse of Sunken Sorrow
Wear The Mark Of Accomplishing A Mysterious Underwater Voyage
TheCurse of Sunken Sorrowwill give players bright blue eyes and will add purple patches and colorful wisps to the body. To earn it, players must completeThe Curse of the Sunken Kingdomcommendation. To do this, players must explore each ofSea of Thieves' Shrines and Treasuresthat are under the water and have read all 30 journals.
Doing so will earnThe Mysteries of the Sunken Kingdomcommendation, which unlocks Larinna’sLegend of the Sunken Kingdomvoyage. Players who complete this voyage and uncover the final mystery of the Sunken Kingdom will earn “The Curse of the Sunken Kingdom” commendation, which will grant the player the Curse of Sunken Sorrow.
Curse of the Order
Proudly Profess Dedication To The Order Of Souls With The Power Of The Kraken
Those who want a creepy look will want to try to get theCurse of the Order. This cosmetic turns someone’s eyes completely black with black ink fromSea of Thieves' Krakenrunning down their face from their eyes. Players must get theFateful Memoriescommendation, which involves getting all commendations duringThe Cursed RogueTall Tale. This includes:
Legendary Curse
Become A Pirate Legend Inside And Out With This Magical Malady
TheLegendary Curseis a simple cosmetic as it just makes a person’s eyes glow and a skull patch on their chest glow. However, earning this curse requires players to becomePirate Legends. Reaching this status will also earn the player a whole set of clothes to wear and a new shanty. To become a Pirate Legend, players need to do three things:
Players will then need to speak with the Mysterious Stranger in the tavern to gain access to the Pirate Legends Hideout. It is here that players will be granted the title of Pirate Legends. However, the Legendary Curse does not come free. To get the Legendary Curse, players must first reach Level 105 Allegiance with the Guardians of Fortune in Hourglass PVP. They can then obtain it from the Athena’s Fortune shop from the Pirate Lord in the Pirate Legends Hideout.
Shores of Gold Curse
Display A Passion For Gold And Dedication To Tall Tales
In the mood for adventure? Well, for theShores of Gold Curse, players will need to adventure a lot. The overall aesthetic of the curse cosmetic is unsurprising as its main theme is gold. Players will have their right eye completely turned into gold patches, along with covering up other parts of their body.
To get the Gold Curse inSea of Thieves, players first need to earn theSeeker of Grand Adventurecommendation. This requires players to get every commendation across allSea of Thieves' Tall Tales. These are:
That is a grand total of 64 commendations, some of which require playing a Tall Tale a minimum of five times. Earning all 64 will earn the Seeker of Grand Adventure commendation and the Shores of Gold Curse.
The Ashen Curse
Proudly Wear The Flames of An Ashen Lord
One of the Tall Tales that was added in a later update isHeart of Fire. This quest centers around stopping the resurrection ofCaptain Flameheart inSea of Thieves, so it’s fitting that the cosmetic players can earn on this tale isThe Ashen Curse. A person wearing the curse will be given glowing orange eyes with flame scars covering their body with parts being charred.
Getting this cosmetic requiresThe Blackwyche Reborncommendation to be completed. This is earned by getting all the commendations associated with Heart of Fire. That includes:
