While many may not have been expecting the mashup, bringing the classic film seriesPirates of the Caribbeanto the multiplayerSea of Thievesis quite fitting. This summer, Jack Sparrow and his crew will appear in a brand-new tale. Additionally, theSea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Lifeexpansionwill be completely free for all players starting June 22.
Aside from theLEGOgames and the games based on the films,Pirates of the Caribbeanhas also appeared in video games in the form ofKingdom Hearts. Specifically, Sora and his gang must travel to Port Royal and the Caribbean inKingdom Hearts 2and3, respectively. There, they meet the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow and join him on his adventures. But much likeall worlds inKingdom Hearts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy jump into the plot of the films. TheSea of Thievesexpansion, on the other hand, will be a completely different tale than fans have ever seen before.
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Jack Sparrow in Kingdom Hearts
Even though Jack Sparrow is only one of a few main characters in thePirates of the Caribbeanfilms, Sora’s adventures inKingdom Hearts 2and3follow the Captain more so than Will or Elizabeth. His visit to Port Royal inKingdom Hearts 2follows the plot of the first film, wherein Jack is searching for the Black Pearl whilst suffering the pirate curse.
However, like most Disney characters inKingdom Heartsgames,Jack Sparrow’s personais more of an abridged version of his film personality, likely to fit the childish tone of the game franchise. For example, Jack tells Sora he believes pirates can still be “good men” despite being pirates, which is a bit of a change in attitude from his movie character. He also refers to Will and Elizabeth as his friends, comparing them to Donald and Goofy’s relationship to Sora, though the trio’s relationship in thePiratesfilms is a bit more complicated than that. Still, he’s one of the more morally gray Disney characters to fight alongside the protagonist as an ally, makingPirates of the Caribbeana bit of an oddball choice for aKingdom Heartscollaboration, but fun nonetheless.
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Jack Sparrow in Sea of Thieves
Story isn’t the norm for the action multiplayerSea of Thieves. Instead, the online title is an open-ended open-world, allowing players to live out their pirate dreams, whether it be looting, exploring, sailing, or fighting, without any stagnant roles or goals. This has resulted inAmazing Raceexperiencesand treasure hunts, but developer Rare is changing the tides with the incoming expansion pack.
TheA Pirate’s Lifeexpansion pack has been created in collaboration with Disney, much liketheKingdom Heartsfranchise, but the general plot will sound a bit familiar to fans of the film series. Players will be tasked with freeing Jack Sparrow, once again the main character of this epic adventure, from his prison and escape from the pursuit of his long-time enemy Davy Jones. WhileKingdom Heartsbrought Sora into the world of the films, Sparrow and Jones will come into the world of the game in a narrative experience that is said to propel theSea of Thievesworld forward.
As for design, whereasKingdom Heartswent with a literal version of Jack Sparrow that turned into a stunning cinematic representation inKingdom Hearts 3, the Captain will matchSea of Thieves’art style inA Pirate’sLife,combining low polygon with a paintbrush effect to simulate a style that opposing developer Blizzard has mastered. Jack Sparrow is more cartoonish, looking a bit less likeJohnny Deppwhile maintaining the same iconic smug swagger that the actor made famous.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Lifewill release May 21, 2025, on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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