Microsoft announced the dates for the first closed beta for cooperative pirate adventure Sea of Thieves. The closed beta will begin Wednesday, January 24 on 4 am Pacific/7 am Eastern and end on Monday, January 29 at 12 am Pacific/3 am Eastern. The beta is available on Xbox One and PC (Windows 10 Store). Sea of Thieves launches on March 20.
The Closed Beta is only available to people who pre-order Sea of Thieves, as well as fans who joined the Sea of Thieves Insider Programme before December 1, 2017. You can still pre-order and gain access to the Closed Beta at any time. Pre-ordering will also grant the Black Dog cosmetic pack. The beta should appear in your games library 24 hours before the beta begins, giving you some time to pre-download and install.
The Closed Beta will not include the full game. According to the FAQ, the beta will feature “a bespoke experience for Closed Beta players that has been designed to give everyone a taste of the pirate life that they can expect in the full version of the game at release.”
Although the Closed Beta is limited to pre-order folks and Insider fans, it’s completely open to streaming, video capture, and screenshots. Microsoft and developer Rare will be sharing user content throughout the beta.
Last month Sea of Thieves was given an official release date: March 20 along with a new trailer (above). Sea of Thieves will feature cross-platform play between PC and Xbox One, as well as enhanced visual and audio settings for Xbox One X. It’s still pending a rating from the ESRB.
