Is there a way we can be financially refunded because of the toxicity of Sea Of Thieves?

Hi there,

Regrettably in short, no, there will be no refunds or compensation. If you ever come across players like this, please use the block and mute functions as appropriate, and if it gets severe, report the people causing problems.

If you are to contact Rare to report this as an issue, be tactful in the way you get your message across, that way, people are likely to take more notice, rather than listen to fuelled complaints.

Best,

L

I've never understood why people get upset over people being jerks. I just ignore them.

I'm am surprised this game has toxic players. I've always though this game would have mostly chilled out people playing.

I just bought a brand new XBOX One S Sea of Thieves bundle, in part for the extra drive space, but also because the SoT game trailer reminded me of an old favourite, Monkey Island. After reading the OP's valid concerns I am now wondering if I should
even set sail. Are the waters really so toxic that we need to follow Penguin's good advice on sailing alone? Sad if so, and it completely defeats the point of a game being multiplayer online-only. They should have included a single-player offline mission,
at least for those of us just getting started. If I set sail and find myself being seal clubbed and constantly sworn at I can't see myself sticking around, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. If the developers and Microsoft want to see their games succeed,
as they should, given the money involved, they need to actively eliminate toxic elements. This may well require actively listening in on problem games, not depending entirely on player reporting or self-shielding. By the sound of things that obviously isn't
working. Shame.

Tornado, Sea of Thieves suffers from a two-pronged problem.

There are definitely toxic individuals out there who play online games with the intent of shocking/demeaning other players, this is an industry problem, not unique just to Rare/SoT.

However in the design perspective of SoT, the game lacks a non-competitive mode and the developers Rare keep encouraging their player base to play in a predatory manner against each other.

(also the Ferry Of the Damned construct seems a clear vehicle for where the toxicity and cyber-abuse happens, as it puts defeated players adjacent to each other in voice chat for 90 seconds. Probably 90% of the offensive verbal exchanges happen here)

Rare is insisting that the wasted time, stolen progression, and palpable frustration coming from their player base is a necessary part of the game.

Despite a significant and constant stream of upset and dissatisfied players, Rare just insults them by saying "they just dont understand how the game is supposed to be enjoyed. If they dont like it, they can just play something else."

Sea Of Thieves should come with a big cancer warning like on a package.of cigarettes that says "Warning this game will deliberately antagonize you, demean you, waste your time. we do not care about your feelings".

For the younger players in our household, it managed to bring them to tears on more than one occassion. Meanwhile Rare insists dissatisfied customers "just dont get it"! NICE ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCT!!! THANKS FOR THE CRYING!!!

As the others have said its unfortunate that you cant get a refund but you are able to set it to only here people in your xbox party. I would reccomend doing this so you dont have to stop playing a game it sound like you use to enjoy.

I have received feedback in the past letting me know that action has been taken, so reporting does apparently work, eventually. But as you say, it's "whack a mole", and inefficient. You are correct that certain games suit certain types of gameplay, and
I'm fine with that. In fact if I find myself being constantly robbed in S0T I'll find ways to steal back. We are supposed to be thieves there after all. I don't appreciate bullies and foulmouths though. In the real world I would actively do something about
them, but online that would only get myself reported. Its a shame if the best we can do is put up forcefields, or plug our ears, and leave them to harass kids and others who don't know how to avoid them. Perhaps the developers should create a "Troll/Adult
lobby", where those who want foul language can get together and freely abuse one another, leaving gamers who don't want that unmolested in the general public lobbies. That way all gamers can get the experience they prefer.