Rare wanted to be sure it could release the "Forsaken Shores" update with "confidence," according to the team's Joe Neate.

The free DLC is arguably the biggest yet for Sea of Thieves, adding a new region (The Devil's Roar) and a new mission type (Cargo Runs). As such, a smooth release is important. Gamers have complained that Sea of Thieves, as fun as it can be, only has so much you can do. The last thing Rare wants to do is frustrate players right as it's adding the kind of content that could keep them engaged for a long while.