Sea of Thieves is adding banjos to the musical mix

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If there’s one thing we all learned from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, it’s that the best thing about being a pirate is the music. Sea shanties are an integral part of Rare’s Sea of Thieves, and soon Rare will be adding playable banjos to the mix.

Shacknews noticed the banjo while playing Sea of Thieves Arena at Gamescom this past week. They were able to pick up and play a banjo they found in the build Rare had brought to the show, which is a pretty good confirmation that Rare plans on adding the long-requested feature to the game.

For the landlubbers out there, Sea of Thieves has a delightful music system that allows players to pick up instruments and spontaneously start playing a tune that others can join in or take the lead on. Initially, Sea of Thieves included a concertina and a hurdy-gurdy for players to use, and the Hungering Deep update last May added a drum (which becomes important when you decide to take on the legendary megalodon). All these instruments can start, join, or lead a song in the game, and the way the music shifts to reflect who’s playing what is one of the more magical elements of Sea of Thieves.

Shacknews points out that the build Rare had at Gamescom isn’t final, but the presence of the banjo in it means that it’s highly likely that Sea of Thieves players will be seeing the banjo sooner rather than later.

The majestic banjo isn’t the only thing on its way to Sea of Thieves, of course. September’s Reaper’s Bones update is set to finally introduce pets, as well as the Pirate Emporium. And thanks to one Rare developer’s slip-up during a livestream, we know that fire is on the way, too.