Can't play sea of thieves

Question

I bought sea of thieves back in 2019 and haven't played for a while. When i try to play again it says the game is under maintenance. Same thing has happened over a couple of different login attempts during the week.

I tried opening it from microsoft store and when the game opens up it says season 11 even though this is quite old and the game has moved on quite a bit since then. It says I own the 2025 edition.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Hello Izanami,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

That is a weird behavior on a game, especially online games like Sea of Thieves. Before we proceed, I'd like to ask a few questions to better understand the situation.

• Did you uninstall the game in the time that you don't play it? Usually uninstalling the game and reinstalling it will force the computer to download the latest version.
• May I know if you have any similar issue with other games?

I'm waiting for your reply.

Answer 2

Follow these steps to resolve Microsoft Store/Xbox app issues that can prevent Sea of Thieves from updating and connecting correctly:

1. Check Windows and Microsoft Store updates (Windows 10)
   1. Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates and install any available updates.
   2. Open Microsoft Store.
   3. Select See more (⋯) > Downloads and updates > Get updates and let Store and Gaming Services update.
2. Reset the Microsoft Store cache
   1. Press Windows key + R.
   2. Type wsreset.exe and select OK.
   3. A blank Command Prompt will open and close; Microsoft Store will reopen automatically.
   4. In Store, go to Library and check Sea of Thieves for updates or reinstall if needed.
3. Repair or reset Microsoft Store and Xbox app
   1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
   2. Find Microsoft Store, select Advanced options, then choose Repair. If that does not help, choose Reset.
   3. Do the same for the Xbox app (if installed).
4. Ensure Gaming Services are up to date (required for Game Pass / Store games)
   1. Launch PowerShell as administrator.
   2. Run:

            get-appxpackage Microsoft.GamingServices | remove-AppxPackage -allusers
      

   3. In the same PowerShell window, run:

            start ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN
      

   4. In Microsoft Store, install Gaming Services from that page and accept the UAC prompt.
   5. After installation, try launching Sea of Thieves again.
5. Check bandwidth and metered connection (for slow/stuck updates) If downloads or updates for Sea of Thieves are stuck or extremely slow:
   1. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
   2. Under Download options, choose Percentage of measured bandwidth and either uncheck the limits or set Background and Foreground to 100%.
   3. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > select the active connection and make sure Metered connection is turned Off.
   4. Restart the PC and retry the update from Microsoft Store > Library.
6. Restart and sign-in checks
   1. Restart the PC after completing the steps above.
   2. Make sure the same Microsoft account that owns Sea of Thieves is signed in to Windows, Microsoft Store, and Xbox app.

If after these steps Sea of Thieves still shows an old season and “under maintenance” on every attempt across multiple days, the most likely causes are a corrupted local install or outdated Gaming Services/Xbox components; reinstalling Gaming Services and repairing/resetting Store/Xbox as above typically resolves that.

---

References:

• I can't find or install an app from Microsoft Store
• Fix problems with apps from Microsoft Store
• Troubleshooting Sign-in and Sandbox Errors
• Get trusted apps and games from Microsoft Store on Windows
• Extremely Slow Download Speeds From Xbox and Microsoft Store - Microsoft Q&A
• Microsoft Store not working – unable to download or update any apps - Microsoft Q&A