How to fix Sea of Thieves crashing errors

Stop the crash.

A fleet of five Emissary ships in Sea of Thieves.
New seas ahead. Image via Rare

Video games are naturally prone to crashes, and Sea of Thieves is no different. If you’re unable to play the pirate adventure due to crashing errors causing it to shut down randomly, don’t worry—this guide features all the workarounds you can try to fix the possible cause. 

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How to fix Sea of Thieves crashing

Three skeletons attack the camera in Sea of thieves
It’s annoying, but you can fix it. Image via Rare

Online multiplayer video games like Sea of Thieves can crash for multiple reasons, the most common being server hiccups. Other reasons include your system not matching the game’s hardware requirements, software interferences, system errors, pending updates, and more. 

If you have already tried the basics like restarting Sea of Thieves and your system but failed to fix the crashes, here are some workarounds to try next:

Check for server downtime

If you can’t play Sea of Thieves due to crashing errors, Rare has likely taken down the servers for maintenance. Check the game’s official social pages on X (formerly Twitter) and Discord to confirm the game is down. If a server hiccup is the culprit, you must wait for the devs to fix the cause. 

Server downtime is also a common cause of other Sea of Thieves errors like Alabasterbeard, Kiwibeard, and more, so watch out.

Update your system software, graphics drivers, and the game

Check if there are any pending OS and graphics driver updates. Outdated system software can cause Sea of Thieves to crash frequently, annoying you in the process. Make sure to also check if Sea of Thieves has a pending update you need to complete. 

Check if Windows Firewall is blocking Sea of Thieves

This is a common cause behind crashes in many video games running on PC. Windows Defender could be blocking access to a crucial feature needed for Sea of Thieves to work. 

Here’s how to tackle it: 

  1. Type Firewall & Network Protection in the Windows search bar and click on the settings option to open it. 
  2. Find the option to Allow an app through your firewall. Select it and then select the Allow another app option. 
  3. Click on Browse and locate the Sea of Thieves game executable. Select it to add to the list of apps allowed through firewall. 
  4. Once done, try launching the game and see if the crashing error persists. 

If you’re using a third-party anti-virus program, dig into its firewall settings and make sure Sea of Thieves is allowed through its barriers. If you can’t find it, try disabling your anti-virus program for a while and check if the crashes continue.

Check if your system is powerful enough to run Sea of Thieves

While it isn’t as demanding as some modern games are, Sea of Thieves can be significantly heavy on your system. Make sure your system is built for it.

Contact Rare Support

If none of the workarounds work, you can always contact the Rare support team for curated solutions.  

Author
Image of Sharmila Ganguly
Sharmila Ganguly
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially VALORANT. Contact: sharmila@dotesports.com