Pirates of the Burning Sea has announced some new stuff in the last few days, and here's my chance to catch you up with what's going on!

Firstly a new devlog: Introducing Bey's Retreat

Bey’s Retreat is the unapproachable stronghold to which the Corsairs of the Main escape when the national navies and Brethren pirates chase them down. It is a series of powerful fortresses built into a small island near Caracas, watched over by the most ruthless and dangerous Corsairs in the Caribbean. The Spanish have attacked it. The Brethren of the Coast have laid siege to it. But the defenses of Bey’s Retreat and the massive Corsair fleet that protects it have repelled every incursion.

And a welcome to our Oceania players with their own dedicated server!

If you are in Australia or New Zealand, you are invited to download Pirates of the Burning Sea and participate in a 7-day free trial by visiting this link to the BigPond website.

As an added bonus, our Oceanic customers gain access to a limited edition in-game item, the Captain’s Cockatoo! The Captain’s Cockatoo is available to all new characters created in the first month of the Oceanic server, across all nations! All you have to do is create a character and the Captain’s Cockatoo will be standing on your shoulder to greet you.

Last but certainly not least - New UI improvements!

After reading forum threads like this and this, we decided to bend to your collective will and add chat bubbles to the game. This is a contentious issue, as people seem to either love chat bubbles or hate them with the fire of one thousand suns… so before anyone starts yelling, let me say very clearly: Yes, you can turn them off.

Lots more changes, including De-spamification, new chat art, and floaty names abound!