The vampirates are upon us!

The ocean's brigands have unearthed something terrible: an ancient vampire curse! They've taken to it rather warmly, so mortal pirates be warned!

Until the end of Halloween, losing a puzzle challenge to a brigand or pirate who has been affected by the vampirate curse will force you to become a member of their horde! Telltale signs of having contracted vampirism include sharp fangs, abnormal eye colors and insatiable thirst for blood. Mwa ha ha!

But fear not, fair pirates, as there is hope! Any vampirates who are bested in battle by a pure-blooded mortal will find themselves cured of their affliction, with no permanent damage! Civic-minded individuals would do well to challenge any vampires they see on sight to keep the spreading curse at bay.

Rest assured, however, that there is an even easier way out (or back in) for pirates who prefer one form over the other: the Palace Shoppe has a couple amulets for sale that will switch you to either mortal or vampire form at will! Keep some garlic handy!

The curse only remains until you log off, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Captains of the Night

In true Puzzle Pirate tradition, with the vampirates comes a delicious Halloween competition! Each pirate has been assigned to a competition team for the duration of the vampirates' incursion. The goal is to defeat as many pirates from opposing teams as you can in 1 v. 1 and team puzzle challenges. Everyone who participates will be eligible for a fantastic, one-of-a-kind trophy at the end of the event, so be sure to sink your teeth in before it's too late!

Dress to Impress

The vampirates have also brought with them some very spooky new clothing! Lucky for you, they're willing to share it for the right price. Check out the Palace Shoppe to get yourself properly attired for the vampire gala!

New for Halloween: Skeletal Ship Upgrades!

Arm yer ship in properly spooky fashion with Skeletal Cannons!

Steer yer boat to the ends of the earth and beyond with the Skeletal Helm!

Haunt both yer hearties and yer enemies with the Skelly Cap'n and Skelly Mermaid Figureheads!

The new Skeletal items will only be on sale in October, so hurry and snag yers now from yer local Furnisher!

Just because it's September doesn't mean the summer fun has to end! It's time to celebrate the end of summer vacation with... a Puzzle Pirates vacation!

From now until the end of the month, pirates who visit and complete three of the following four exciting Puzzle Pirate destinations will earn themselves an awesome Seal o' Piracy trophy for September! What are those destinations, you ask?

• An Atlantean Citadel!
• A Cursed Island!
• A Buried Treasure Atoll!
• A Lost Shipwreck!

Better hurry, though: once September slips away, your chance at the Seal will be gone, so grab your favorite ship and some friends and head on out for adventure! Oh, and be sure to bring us back some cool souvenirs.

NOTE: Players on Crimson are only required to visit two of those destinations to earn their trophy. Sorry for any confusion!

¡Bienvenidos al nuevo Océano Jade!

Jade fue abierto al publico el 1ro de Julio del 2009, Jade es el primer océano completamente español de Puzzle Pirates.

Piratas de todo el mundo son bienvenidos para unírsenos en: ¡Aventuras, Juegos y Emoción! ¡¡Yarr!! ¡Al abordaje!

The Halloween competition starts today! Get out there and earn yerself a trophy or two! Ye can learn more here.

Candy-bearing brigands have also now donned their Halloween masks, perhaps in the mistaken belief that they're invited to the Masquerade ball. Foolish brigands indeed! But if you want to match them for sartorial elegance, you can! Halloween masks are now for sale at the Palace Shoppe in game.

But remember! Halloween masks last for but 10 days! Halloween is a solid 12 days off (we be writing this on Monday, skallywag). Plan accordingly.

The Pirate Summer Games are now in full-swing, and although we've seen tremendous participation so far, it seems a few of you are still a bit confused about how the Games actually work. I suspect ye soft noodley types have been spendin' a wee too much time with the rum bottle, but we'll go over the Games once again for good measure!

Read the full article...

16th century depiction of Hydra

For the duration of the Summer Games, we will be holding a Team Competition with something of an Olympic feel. Players will be allocated to the following teams:

Cyclops: Keep your eye on the prize!
Gorgon: It's game face time!
Cerberus: Victory will take dogged determination!
Hydra: Put your heads together!
Minotaur: You're a giant bull. Get on with it.

While not everyone will answer the siren call of the Pirate Summer Games, no Pirate worth their name can pass up the chance to test themselves in head to head combat with another Pirate. So, as in previous events, scoring for the Team Competition will be based on the victories won by Pirates from each team in one on one challenges.

But wait, there's more! In addition to points for winning challenges, your team will also score (big!) based on how you and your team mates do in the Summer Games. Participate and earn glory for you and your team!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

An important announcement for Pirates of all stripes: This month, Puzzle Pirates will be holding the first official Pirate Summer Games.

The Summer Games are a series of organized Puzzle Competitions run by the Ocean Masters. Special prizes will be awarded for the winners of each event.

The Games will occur over three weekends starting Friday, August 8th. The first two weeks will feature events as part of the Festival of Piracy, including Ocean-wide competitions for each of the Puzzles used in the game and a couple of extra unique events here and there. During the Festival, prizes will be awarded by category in each event.

During the final week of the Games, we will hold competitions with prizes for the top three performers in each event. Each competition will be based on puzzling skill and will be open to all Pirates.

Please join us next weekend for the kick-off of the Summer Games! And in the meantime feel free to discuss in the forums.

Check out the winners of Feylind's recent Botanical Arrrt contest! Entrants were asked create a piratey sculpture or model decorated with botanical (plant) material. Can I eat one?