Edward Kenway’s hideout sits at Great Inagua, and it doubles as the base you feed Reales into for stronger ships, rarer weapons, and passive income. The bulk of the upgrades live around the Great Inagua dock, and each one is tied to a merchant you talk to, a facility you restore, or a flat cash payment.
Quick answer: Finish the “This Old Cove” main quest in Sequence Four to open the hideout, then visit each dock merchant at Great Inagua and pay the listed Reales cost. Start with the Harbourmaster, since it gates every Jackdaw upgrade tier.
When hideout upgrades unlock
The hideout becomes fully manageable once you clear the “This Old Cove” main quest in Sequence Four. After that point, the merchants scattered across the Great Inagua dock start offering their services. Nearly every upgrade asks for Reales, but a few only require you to restore a linked facility first before the merchant will deal with you.
Some facilities chain into one another. The Treasure Dealer, Brothel, and Fisherman’s Wharf only appear after you have already restored specific buildings, so the order you invest in matters more than the raw cost.
Every hideout upgrade, cost, and perk
Here is the full list of hideout upgrades, how you unlock each one, and what it gives you.
| Upgrade | How to unlock | Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Campfire | Restore the Tavern | Drunk pirates are free to hire; adds two ship berths for Kenway’s fleet |
| Harbourmaster I | Talk to the Harbourmaster at the Great Inagua docks | Opens Jackdaw upgrades up to Tier II |
| Harbourmaster II | Spend 2,500 Reales at the Harbourmaster | Opens Jackdaw upgrades up to Tier III |
| Harbourmaster III | Spend 5,000 Reales at the Harbourmaster | Opens all Jackdaw upgrades |
| General Store I | Talk to the General Store merchant at the dock | Unlocks some wildlife skins for purchase |
| General Store II | Spend 2,500 Reales | Adds more wildlife skins and rare weapons for purchase |
| General Store III | Spend 5,000 Reales | Adds all wildlife skins and legendary weapons for purchase |
| Treasure Dealer | Restore the General Store and Tavern, then talk to the treasure dealer at the dock | Increases hideout profit over time; unlocks exclusive items and map restoration |
| Fisherman’s Wharf | Restore the Harbourmaster and Tavern, then talk to the merchant at the dock | Increases hideout profit over time; doubles skins gathered from sea animals |
| Tavern | Talk to the Tavern merchant at the dock | Unlocks three mini-games at expert level; raises the chance of a Royal Convoy |
| Brothel | Restore the Tavern, then talk to the Brothel merchant at the dock | Dancers are free to hire; boarding crew deals more damage |
| Facade | Spend 4,000 Reales | Unlocks the protection money box; adds one ship berth for Kenway’s fleet |
| Tower and Garden | Upgrade the Facade | Raises maximum protection money; adds one ship berth |
| Guesthouse | Upgrade the Tower and Garden | Raises maximum protection money; adds one ship berth |
Which upgrades to buy first
Naval combat and open-sea exploration carry a large share of the game, so the upgrades that touch the Jackdaw pay off fastest. Prioritize the Harbourmaster line. Harbourmaster I unlocks the moment you speak with him, and each following tier removes the cap on Jackdaw upgrades until all of them are available.
The Facade is the next strong pick. For 4,000 Reales it installs the protection money box, which drops a small amount of Reales every minute or two even while you are away from Great Inagua. Upgrading it into the Tower and Garden, then the Guesthouse, raises the cap on that stored money and keeps adding ship berths for Edward’s fleet.
Those extra berths matter because the fleet can be sent out on missions that return large hauls of materials and Reales. While a ship is away earning, you are free to push through the main quest and collect the rewards on top.
How to confirm an upgrade worked
Each purchase triggers a “Building Upgraded” notification naming the facility, for example “General Store II”. After that, the new perk is live immediately. The Harbourmaster shows the higher Jackdaw tiers on his upgrade screen, the General Store lists the newly stocked weapons and skins, and the Facade begins filling the protection money box on its own.
If a facility is missing from the dock, you have likely skipped its prerequisite. The Treasure Dealer needs both the General Store and Tavern restored, the Fisherman’s Wharf needs the Harbourmaster and Tavern, and the Brothel needs the Tavern. Restore the linked building first, then return and the merchant will appear.
Investing in the hideout early smooths out the whole voyage, since better ships, stronger weapons, and steady passive income all trace back to these few Great Inagua facilities.
