In Sea of Thieves, you aren’t given objective markers to find out where the treasure is located. Instead, you’re given access to treasure maps that highlight where you’re supposed to go without directly pointing out their location. If you’re first starting out, this system can be a little tricky to figure out, with it being a lot less obvious to work out a particular direction than simply referring to a mini-map with a bunch of checkpoints dotted around on it. However, once you get the hang of it, it can be a lot of fun to navigate the game world in this unique way. Let’s take a look at how to use maps in Sea of Thieves:
How to Find Maps in Sea of Thieves
Maps are predominantly given out by way of embarking on voyages. These voyages can be unlocked by talking to one of the three guilds located in any of the game’s outposts; the Gold Hoarders, the Merchant Alliance on the dock, and the Order of Souls. The Gold Hoarders are the guild who send you on treasure hunts. For more information on how to activate and complete these voyages, read our Sea of Thieves voyages guide.
After you have unlocked a map, you can find it on your radial map wheel — RB on Xbox One, the E key on PC — and from there you can select it to take a look at it, or show it to other players so they can see where you’re headed.
How to Read Maps in Sea of Thieves
After you receive a map, it will depict a small island that is located in the Sea of Thieves world. In order to find its location, you’re going to need to head to the scrolling world map on a table on your ship, and take a look around it to find an island that matches the one on your newly acquired map. These islands can be any size, so you’re going to want to zoom in to take a closer look if you initially don’t spot it.
At least in the opening hours of the game, maps will typically take you to an island located nearby, so you needn’t worry about looking through the far reaches of the world map in order to find it. Once you’ve found it, make a note of which direction your ship will head in, and inform the pirate sailing the ship of whether they’ll need to travel North, South, East, or West.
How to Find Treasure in Sea of Thieves
Once you reach an island, you find treasure by taking a note of your surroundings in relation to how they appear on your acquired map. Then you need to find the location of the red ‘X,’ before equipping your shovel and digging in that location. If you hear a thudding sound, you’ve just struck gold. Now pick up the chest, take it back to your ship and return it to the outpost for that treasure.
For more information on Sea of Thieves, check out our game hub.
