Rare announces ‘Sea of Thieves’ closed beta on January 24

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The upcoming swashbuckling adventure “Sea of Thieves” is set for a closed beta scheduled later this month. Starting January 24, 12 pm GMT (11 pm AEDT), gamers will be able to play their pirate fantasies before the title's official release in March.

Rare executive producer Joe Neate posted the announcement on Xbox Wire. Access to closed beta, according to the post, will only be available for those who had joined the Insider Programme and those who have pre-ordered the game. The version will simply appear in the games library one day before beta begins. Simply download and install.

Those who have pre-ordered a physical version will be required “to redeem the code for the Black Dog cosmetic pack.” Doing so will make the game appear in the library as well.

Neate wrote that beta players will not actually experience the finished product. Instead “a bespoke experience for Closed Beta players” has been set “to give everyone a taste of the pirate life that they can expect in the full version of the game at release,” according to the FAQ.

Good news for streamers as well. Rare has also announced that no Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is in place for the closed beta, which means players can “stream, create videos, share clips, [and] take screenshots” of the game as they play. “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.”

Closed beta ends on January 29, 8 am GMT (7 pm AEDT), so players have five days to roam the seas to their hearts' content. “Sea of Thieves” is an action-adventure co-op multiplayer game for the PC and the Xbox One. It is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2018.