Ahoy, Seafarers!
Early Access Update 5: The Co-op Crew Update is now live on the default branch!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on the public_beta branch, tested the update early, reported issues, and shared their feedback with us.
The main focus of the Co-op Crew Update is multiplayer. For the first time, you can form a crew with up to three other players and operate the same vessel together across selected cargo operations, firefighting missions, rescue missions, and more.
Alongside multiplayer, the update introduces two new missions, expands the Free Trade system with LNG and bulk cargo, and includes several improvements addressing feedback and issues from the Career Update.
Before we get into everything included in the update, take a look at the release trailer:
👥 Multiplayer is here!
You can now create or join a multiplayer session with up to four players and operate the same vessel together.
Depending on the mission, you can divide responsibilities, complete different tasks at the same time, and support each other throughout the operation.
During container cargo operations with the Herbert, one player can operate the crane while another handles the twist locks and lashing rods. On the Big Trip, two players can control both cranes simultaneously and load or unload containers in parallel.
For LNG operations, one player can operate the crane while the rest of the crew manages the loading or unloading process. During bulk cargo missions, two players can operate the cranes at the same time.
Firefighting and rescue missions give larger crews even more ways to work together. One player can steer the vessel while up to three others operate the fire extinguishers, or support a rescue operation by throwing lifebuoys and assisting the pilot.
Cargo activities are especially well suited to crews of two, while firefighting and rescue missions allow crews of up to four players to contribute at the same time.
🆕 New Content
The Co-op Crew Update also introduces two new missions.
Highjacked! is now available in Mettington after reaching Reputation Level 3 in the harbor and obtaining either the Rigid or the Density.
Exchange and Jump In! has been added to all major harbors and becomes available after obtaining a tugboat.
The Free Trade system has also been expanded with LNG and bulk cargo. Both cargo types can now be bought and sold between major harbors, giving you more options for building your career and making use of your vessels.
🥤 Knabe Drinks come aboard
We’re happy to welcome Knabe Drinks by HandOfBlood into the world of Seafarer!
With its strong connection to the gaming community, the partnership feels like a great fit for Seafarer, and you’ll now be able to spot Knabe Drinks in-game as part of life aboard your vessels.
And if you’re visiting us at gamescom next week, keep an eye out – you might also get the chance to try a Knabe Mix at our booth. 🥤
We’re excited to have Knabe Drinks on board and to bring this collaboration into Seafarer! 🧡
⚙️ Career Update Improvements
The update also includes several improvements addressing feedback and issues from the Career Update.
Trading information is now clearer, cargo availability has been increased, and the harbor schedule and Reputation progression have been improved. Work Shifts, controller support, mission rewards, and several related systems have also received adjustments.
You can find the complete list of changes in the changelog below.
🧭 Changelog
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is now accessible! You can now play in a group of up to 4 players, completing curated missions together.
Knabe-branded content
Knabe billboards in harbours
Containers featuring Knabe branding
A random delivery event featuring Knabe drinks
UX & Balancing
Several goods in the Free Trade system have had their prices adjusted to be more profitable.
Added several hints, pop-ups and warnings in missions.
Work Shifts now provide their payment after every completed shift instead of at the end of a mission.
Work Shifts can now be claimed at the end of a mission, providing additional Reputation for every manually completed shift.
Players can now repair, refill their resources and upgrade their ship equipment even on inactive vessels.
Campaign missions now grant Reputation.
Inspection missions now end with a results screen summarizing the vessel's status.
Missions
Highjacked! A new mission has been added in Mettington. It becomes available after reaching Reputation Level 3 in Mettington and obtaining a Rigid or Density.
Exchange and Jump In! A new mission has been added in all major harbours. It becomes available after obtaining a Tugboat.
My Career – Free Trade
LNG has been added to the Free Trade system and can now be traded freely between major harbours.
Bulk cargo has been added to the Free Trade system and can now be traded freely between major harbours.
Bug Fixes
Several bug fixes, including major issues reported by the community.
Hot Fix #2 (included in Patch #5.0)
The following improvements were originally planned for Hot Fix #2 and are now included as part of Patch #5.0.
Trading & Cargo
Cargo Compatibility
Issue: It was not clear which cargo types could be transported by which ships, causing unavailable trading options to be perceived as bugs.
Fix: Containers now have clear labels, and the ship menu displays which cargo types the selected vessel can transport. In addition, the trading screen now explains that certain goods can only be transported using the Big Trip.
Big Trip Trading Improvements
Issue: Trading could fail even when sufficient total cargo capacity was available if containers were not evenly distributed across both cargo sections.
Fix: The Big Trip now supports asymmetric cargo distribution between its cargo sections, allowing purchases to succeed as long as enough overall capacity is available.
Market Rotation Timer
Issue: Players could not see when a port's market inventory would refresh.
Fix: The trading screen now displays the remaining time until the next market rotation, along with an explanation that market offers refresh periodically.
Loading Service
Issue: Manually loading and unloading containers was time-consuming, and the feature was not clearly explained.
Fix: A paid loading service now automatically loads and unloads all compatible containers. The interface has also been improved with a clearer button and a confirmation dialog showing the associated costs.
Increased Cargo Availability
Issue: Trading opportunities were frequently limited by the number of available cargo containers.
Fix: The number of containers available for trading has been significantly increased, making goods available more frequently and in larger quantities.
New Trade Goods
Issue: Some container types were not available through the trading system.
Fix: Bulk and LNG cargo can now be bought and sold through the regular trading system.
Harbour & Navigation
Extended Harbour Schedule
Issue: The previous 7-day schedule provided limited visibility for planning future deliveries.
Fix: The harbour schedule has been expanded to four weeks. Deliveries are now highlighted more clearly, and individual days can be selected directly.
Skip to Selected Day
Issue: Players had to advance time step by step to reach future events.
Fix: Players can now skip directly to a selected day from the harbour schedule. A confirmation dialog is displayed before time is advanced.
Locked Harbour Information
Issue: Locked harbours did not indicate when or how they could be unlocked.
Fix: Locked harbours now display the required global reputation level needed for unlocking.
Controls
Controller Support
Issue: Not all new menus and features were fully accessible using a controller.
Fix: Controller support has been expanded to cover the new user interface and gameplay features.
Progression
Rebalanced Reputation Progression
Issue: Progression pacing for unlocking new content was uneven and could result in unnecessary delays.
Fix: Reputation requirements for harbour unlocks, missions, and player levels have been rebalanced to provide a smoother progression experience.
Campaign Reputation Rewards
Issue: Campaign missions only rewarded players indirectly through the work completed during the mission.
Fix: Campaign missions now grant additional direct reputation rewards, making campaign progression more rewarding.
Update #5 – Known Issues
Multiplayer
Voice Chat can sometimes not work properly.
The client will sometimes seem stuck during inspection
The wrong error message is displayed while kicking another player
Clients will sometimes not see the actual containers on Ferries
Clients cannot interact with the ship horn
Reputation
There are currently no credits rewarded when the player increases their reputation
Missions
Currently a problem with the rewards calculation where some missions are giving much less credits and reputation than anticipated
Occasionally, while unloading the Big Trip in “Exchange and Jump in” the mission will automatically cancel itself
Practice Course currently does not grant any rewards
Bulk
The Bulk Hatch Screen cannot be opened via controller
The Bulk Hatch screen does not currently respond while undocked.
Miscellaneous
The digital clock currently does not work as intended.
After fast travel the sea map has to be closed manually
While interacting with icons in “Challenges” the icons might change their appearance
💬 Share Your Feedback
Once again, thank you to everyone who took part in the Open Beta and helped us test the Co-op Crew Update before release.
We’ll continue reading your feedback now that the update is available to everyone, so let us know how your multiplayer sessions are going, which activities you enjoy most with your crew, and what you think of the other changes included in the update.
Follow our social channels and join the conversation on Discord to stay up-to-date,
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Thank you for being part of the journey.
Gather your crew and see you on the horizon, Your Seafarer Team 🚣
