Microsoft announced that Pirates of the Caribbean's Captain Jack Sparrow will be introduced to the Sea of Thieves world in the new Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life expansion.Set for release later this month, the new expansion will task players with freeing Sparrow from prison and helping him avoid pursuit from the infamous Pirates of the Caribbean villain Davy Jones, according to The Verge. Specifically, the expansion will find Sparrow lost in the Sea of the Damned, a place where pirates’ dreams and nightmares are said to become reality.
A trailer for the Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life posted on the official Xbox Twitter account also warned that "an ill wind blows from beyond the horizon" and that in order to save the pirate life, players "must start by saving the life of one."
The caption on the three-minute-long video also teased, "Did everyone see that? Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life launches June 22! ​Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean sails into @SeaofThieves in the ultimate pirate crossover. New environments, new enemies and new adventures await. Savvy?"
"The heart of our story explores what it truly means to be a pirate on the Sea of Thieves, and this has allowed us not only to tap into the deeper meaning of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the original attraction but also allow players to go on adventures with Jack Sparrow, learning more about how he sees the pirate life and his place on the Sea of Thieves,"Â creative director Mike Chapman said in a blog post about the expansion.
He continued, "This story moves the Sea of Thieves world forwards in unexpected ways, and it’s been a joy to bring these two worlds together, treating both in a way that feels authentic and delightful to experience."
As seen in the trailer, the expansion will also feature cameos from a handful of other Pirates of the Caribbean favorites, including Calypso, Captain Hector Barbosa and Joshamee Gibbs.
Sparrow's introduction to Sea of Thieves doesn't mark the first time the character has appeared in video game form. Disney previously released nine video games focused on the Pirates franchise, with the most recent being 2011's Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. Two additional role-playing games -- Pirates of the Caribbean: Master of the Seas and Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War -- were also released for Android and iOS exclusively in 2011 and 2017, respectively.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life will be available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who previously bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC or via Steam on June 22. The expansion will also be available to players who have access to the game with the Xbox Game Pass.
Four out of the five films in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise are available to stream now on Disney+. The fourth film in the franchise, 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, is streaming now on Hulu.