Can you set up a private server in Sea of Thieves?

It doesn’t matter how social a game is; there will always be people that prefer to play games in private lobbies. Some players do not wish to encounter other ships while playing Sea of Thieves because they have been attacked so many times when out on their own adventure. To them, that part of the game is easily the worst, and it takes away a lot of fun for them. With this in mind, can you set up a private server in Sea of Thieves?

Related: Sea of Thieves ship PvP combat — tips and strategies

Does Sea of Thieves have private servers?

Unfortunately, at least as of this writing, Sea of Thieves does not have a private server option for the open public to use whenever they want. Back in 2020, Rare announced that a custom server option was on the way, but this isn’t really intended for all players since this will not carry over any progression into the main game for you. This is a way to create adventures, not a main way to play the game. The feature is currently only accessible to Sea of Thieves Insiders.

In short, it is highly unlikely that Rare will ever make a private server option that lets you carry over your earned gold and reputation into your profile. The development team has remained pretty steadfast in that they like the PvEvP environment they have in the game now. While some of the community wants to focus on just doing their normal voyage to gather gold, others like the pirate aspect where they can attack player ships to come away with their earnings. This makes Sea of Thieves a unique destination in the games space, but it also means you need to keep a steady eye out for any other players at all times.