Sea Of Thieves Will Now Be Easier For Players With An Underwater Phobia To Play

Sea of Thieves has a new feature that should help players who fear the dark depths of the ocean--a fairly common fear. Developer Rare has added an auto float feature that doesn't let the player sink below the surface. If the fear of drowning has kept you from playing, this could be the option that gets you into Sea of Thieves--it's no longer possible to meet a watery end.

"Should you leap off a high ledge or a cannonball forces you out of the crow's nest and into the deep blue, this option will automatically see you bob to the surface," the studio wrote in a post on its official site. Players can activate the feature by going to the settings menu and turning "Automatically Float in Water" on.

This option could help players with thalassophobia--which includes the fear of being in deep bodies of water, fear of the vast emptiness of the sea, of sea waves, sea creatures, and fear of distance from land--as well as other similar phobias.

Other studios have implemented accessibility features that help players with phobias play more easily. Obsidian implemented a new type of arachnophobia mode in its sandbox survival adventure Grounded. It lets players adjust how many legs, eyes, and other spider-like features the giant creepy crawlies have in-game. When turned up all the way, the feature essentially turns the spiders into floating blobs. However, the gameplay experience isn't hindered as a result.

Rare has added all sorts of new features and content to Sea of Thieves since it launched in 2018. GameSpot's Michael Rougeau broke down how much the game has improved in his updated review of Sea of Thieves.

"Since the game's launch over two years ago, Rare has worked continuously to build on Sea of Thieves' strong framework, and the countless features and systems they've added have all enhanced that core, undeniable truth. They still have work to do, and for some players, it will never be enough. But there are open seas and clear skies ahead. For the current and future Pirate Legends out there--and even for the players who will never reach that level, but simply want to make some of their own tall tales out on the unforgiving waves--Sea of Thieves is finally a voyage worth embarking on."