Microsoft, currently busy trimming its game development wings and downsizing its studio subsidiaries, has decided that the next logical step is to pivot its internal IPs toward the silver screen.

According to a report from Entertainment Weekly on the 22nd (local time), Microsoft is officially setting sail on a live-action adaptation of Sea of Thieves. Matt Booty, Xbox's President of Game Content and Studios, confirmed the project during an interview, noting that Hisako Film—the production house led by Destin Daniel Cretton, the mind behind Marvel’s 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'—will be steering the ship.

It’s a bold, if not predictable, move in Microsoft's latest entertainment strategy to squeeze every bit of value out of its existing game IPs. For those unacquainted, Sea of Thieves is the pirate-themed multiplayer sandbox from Rare. It’s all about gathering a crew of four, navigating the open seas, hunting for treasure, raiding fortresses, and interacting with NPCs to line your pockets with gold. The core gameplay loop focuses heavily on the nautical grind: manning the ship, patching up holes, and engaging in chaotic naval combat with other players.

Naturally, eyebrows are being raised. How exactly do you turn a multiplayer sandbox that lacks a clear protagonist or a structured narrative into a feature film? Matt Booty has attempted to quell the skepticism, stressing that the heart of the game isn't a single character, but the players and the community itself. If he’s to be believed, we should expect the film to lean heavily into the cooperative chaos and lighthearted shenanigans that define the Sea of Thieves experience.

For now, the specific director for the adaptation and the cast list remain as uncharted as the deep sea.