Sea of Thieves Receives Closed Beta Release Date

Rare’s upcoming multiplayer pirate action game Sea of Thieves is coming in March, and the closed beta begins in January.

Ever since Microsoft revealed Rare’s online multiplayer pirate action game Sea of Thieves, PC and Xbox One fans alike have been eager to get their hands on the upcoming title’s seafaring misadventures. And this month, fans are finally getting the chance to hop in and play. With the game’s release date on the horizon, Sea of Thieves is hosting a closed beta at the end of January.

The closed beta, which was announced earlier today through Xbox Wire, begins Jan. 24 at 4am PT and ends Jan. 29 at 12am PT. That means fans will have around five days in total to play through the game, promising a “a bespoke experience” specifically created for the beta. Oh, and there’s no NDA, either, so players can do anything from stream gameplay to write up reviews highlighting the game’s highs and lows.

Don’t expect to play through the full game yet, though. Rare’s executive producer, Joe Neate, clarifies that the Sea of Thieves beta is just a selection of the game’s experience, not a full palette. So expect plenty more features and surprises to be revealed once Sea of Thieves launches later this year.

As for getting in, anyone who is part of the Sea of Thieves Insider Programme can play, as long as they joined up before Dec. 1, 2017. Also, anyone who pre-orders the game can hop online and play the closed beta. To download the client in time for Jan. 24, head over to the game’s closed beta FAQ. And for everyone else, Sea of Thieves launches for PC and Xbox One on March 20, 2018.

H/T Gematsu