Developer Rare and Xbox recently announced the dates for the Sea of Thieves closed beta, which runs from Jan. 24 to Jan. 29 on both PC and console. But if you want to know what the closed beta contains, how to gain access to the closed beta, and when and how to download the Sea of Thieves closed beta client, read on.
There are only two ways to get access to the Sea of Thieves closed beta. One way was to sign up for the Sea of Thieves Insider Program newsletter before Dec. 1, so if you haven’t already done that, you’re doomed, sorry.
Just kidding! If you pre-order the game digitally through the Xbox or Microsoft store, the beta will appear automatically. In your games library. And if you pre-ordered through another retailer, then you need to redeem your code for the Black Dog cosmetic pack. Once you’ve done that, the beta will appear automatically for you. Pre-orders are still available here if you’re interested in joining the Sea of Thieves closed beta.
Here are the Sea of Thieves closed beta start times on Jan. 24:
GMT – 12PM
CET – 1PM
EST – 7AM
PST – 4AM
Here are the Sea of Thieves closed beta end times on Jan. 29:
GMT – 8AM
CET – 9AM
EST – 3AM
PST – 12AM
The Sea of Thieves closed beta will be available for pre-load 24 hours before it goes live. The client will automatically appear for you to download and install.
But what’s in the beta? The Sea of Thieves beta will not feature the complete game or anything close to it. Instead, Rare has carefully curated the beta specifically to give players an idea of what they can expect, while also holding back some surprises for the game’s launch.
“We’ve crafted a bespoke experience for Closed Beta players that offers a true taste of the pirate life and a great chance to get your sea legs ahead of March 20! We won’t be testing the full game during this Closed Beta phase: we want to keep a good selection of things up our sleeves for players to discover at launch,” the announcement states.
Unlike other alpha/betas for Sea of Thieves , this closed beta is not under any sort of non-disclosure agreement. “If you do create content, make sure you tag it ‘Sea of Thieves’ so we can see it too – we’ll also be sharing some of our favourites on our social channels and website. We are incredibly excited to see the content you create and the stories you tell!” states the Sea of Thieves team on their FAQ page.
Sea of Thieves launches simultaneously on PC and Xbox One on March 20. Sea of Thieves supports cross-platform play between Xbox One and PC, so you’ll be able to meet your friends on other platforms from across the seas. Unless they’re on PlayStation 4, in which case, screw your friends.
Will you be sailing the seven seas? Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum? Let us know your Sea of Thieves plans in the comments section below.
