In 2026, Destiny 2 has moved through multiple expansions and seasonal models, but Season of Plunder remains a standout pirate-themed chapter. The season pitted Drifter, Eido, Mithrax, and Spider against Eramis, the Kell of Darkness, who had escaped her Stasis prison and begun rallying scattered Eliksni pirates. The centerpiece was Sails of the Shipstealer, a 62-step seasonal quest that unfolded week by week. For anyone revisiting this legacy content—or simply curious about how it worked—this walkthrough covers Week 1, steps 1 through 10.
⚠️ Editor's note for 2026: Season of Plunder originally launched in 2022. Most of its seasonal activities and quests have since been vaulted or altered in the live game. This guide serves as a historical reference and a lore-focused recap rather than a current live-service roadmap.
How to Start Sails of the Shipstealer
Before the season-long quest appears, players must complete a few preliminary steps. First comes the prologue mission, which involves “rescuing” Spider from his transport and learning that Eramis has escaped. She is hunting mysterious artifacts of Darkness, and if she wants them, Guardians should want them first. After the prologue, a cutscene brings Drifter, Eido, Mithrax, and the Guardian together. They agree—Mithrax reluctantly—to form a pirate operation to counter Eramis’s growing forces.
Next, travel to the Eliksni Quarter, accessible from the H.E.L.M., and visit Spider at the Ether Tank. He offers his Ketch and some crew, which unlocks the Ahoy And Aweigh quest and the Ketchcrash seasonal activity. Play one round of Ketchcrash with up to six Guardians, then return to the Star Chart in the H.E.L.M. to finish Ahoy And Aweigh. Only then does Sails of the Shipstealer become available.
Step 1: Visit the Star Chart in the H.E.L.M.
After completing Ahoy And Aweigh, speak with Mithrax at the Star Chart. He and Spider provide the Star Chart so the Guardian can hunt Eramis and her pirate captains. This step also grants the Captain’s Atlas, a battered atlas used to log hidden riches and plan voyages with a crew.
Step 2: Examine the Details of the Captain’s Atlas
The Captain’s Atlas tracks two resources: Map Fragments and Treasure Coordinates. It can hold up to 50 Map Fragments and 325 Treasure Coordinates. Map Fragments come from Ketchcrash activities. Treasure Coordinates drop from core playlists like Strikes, Gambit, Crucible, and Raids. To complete Step 2, open the Atlas, select the empty Treasure Map icon, choose the Basic Treasure Map, and apply it.
Step 3: Loot Buried Treasure at the End of an Expedition
Step 3 unlocks the Expedition Playlist, found in the H.E.L.M. beside the Ketchcrash icon. Complete an Expedition, and at the end, three green X marks appear on the ground behind the reward chest. Interact with one to dig up the buried treasure. Because the Basic Treasure Map was applied earlier, this completes Step 3.
Step 4: Claim the Successful Expedition Weekly Challenge
This step is simple. Open the Week 1 Seasonal Challenges and claim the reward for a Successful Expedition. The reward includes Repute and Challenger XP. Repute is a limited seasonal resource used to upgrade the Star Chart.
Step 5: Upgrade the Star Chart in the H.E.L.M.
Return to the Star Chart and open the Pirate Crew icon. With one Repute, the first upgrade in each path becomes available. Each path unlocks a different crewmate:
| Upgrade Path | Crewmate | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Quartermaster | SCUR-V the Servitor | Slightly increased reload speed; unlocks armor focusing for Season of Plunder armor. |
| Navigator | Halsiks the Sniper | Slightly increased precision damage; unlocks occasional Treasure Coordinates from defeated combatants. |
| Swashbuckler | Skiffblades | Slightly increased melee damage; unlocks a random bonus reward when emoting with the crew after Ketchcrash or Expedition. |
While all options have value, the Navigator path is often the most immediately useful because Treasure Coordinates are needed throughout the season. Choose a crewmate to complete Step 5.
Step 6: Complete Pirate Hideout: Val’aug, The Brute
Step 5 unlocks Pirate Hideout: The Brute. Storm Val’aug’s hideout solo or with up to three players. Fight through his minions until reaching the boss. Val’aug periodically shields and retreats deeper into the hideout, summoning larger waves of enemies—similar to Caiatl’s champions from Season of the Chosen. Defeat Storm Val’aug to claim a lost relic from his treasure horde.
Step 7: Visit the Ether Tank Holoprojector
Fast travel to The Last City: Eliksni Quarter. The Ether Tank Holoprojector is right in front of the player, on the outside wall of Spider’s new residence. Interacting with it triggers a scene with Eido. She thanks the Guardian for letting her join the crew despite her inexperience and expresses excitement for the mission ahead.
Step 8: Visit Spider in the Ether Tank in the Eliksni Quarter
Enter the Ether Tank and speak with Spider. He explains that he acquired some “incredible gear” through trade with the Vanguard and offers the Guardian a choice. Three Spider’s Special Engrams are available, but their contents are hidden. Selecting one rewards a powerful weapon from the season’s offerings.
Step 9: Check In With Spider in the Ether Tank
No travel is needed for this step. After the previous interaction, simply speak with Spider again. He offers light banter and promises similar rewards in the future. Eido also chimes in briefly. This completes Step 9.
Step 10: Mithrax and Eido Will Contact You Soon
The final Week 1 step reads: “Mithrax and Eido are studying what you recovered from the pirate hideout. They will contact you when they have more information.” This means the quest chain is over for now. The next set of Sails of the Shipstealer steps unlocks in a future weekly reset.
For bonus story, return to the Holoprojector outside the Ether Tank. A message from Eramis to Mithrax plays. She expresses disappointment that Mithrax will not join her and strongly hints at his dark past—questioning whether his daughter, Eido, knows who he used to be. That mystery would unfold across the rest of the season.
Final Thoughts
Season of Plunder’s Week 1 is a dense but rewarding introduction to the pirate fantasy. It mixes story missions, seasonal activities, resource management, and crew upgrades. In 2026, the content is largely a memory, but its structure still shows how Destiny 2 seasons once guided players through a weekly narrative. For lore fans, the Eramis message and Mithrax’s hidden history remain among the season’s most intriguing threads.
Data referenced from GameFAQs helps contextualize how Destiny 2’s Season of Plunder Week 1 quest flow functioned as a structured checklist: unlocking the Captain’s Atlas, running Ketchcrash and Expeditions for Map Fragments and Treasure Coordinates, then using early Star Chart upgrades to open the first Pirate Hideout and progress the narrative beats with Eido, Spider, and Mithrax.