The Pirates of the Burning Sea team has been discussing both new and upcoming additions to the game. The new addition is the opening of the Welcoming Committee, a subgroup of Boarding Party members who have volunteered their time to help out new players. Information on the system, as well as applying to become a member of the Welcoming Commitee, can be found here.

The second, and much more intricate, discussion revolved around the new skirmish system that will be implemented in Patch 1.14. It's the first completely new major game system that has been introduced since launch. Here's some more information on skirmishes, and you can read the whole dev blog here.

Skirmishes provide a vastly expanded range of PvP possibilities. You can now create customizable avatar or ship battles on demand. These battles range from one-on-one duels to massive clashes on a scale comparable to port battles. An easy-to-use matchmaking system helps you find opponents from all across the Caribbean without leaving the comfort of your home port.