Sea of Thieves Closed Beta Begins Later This Month

A closed beta has been scheduled for Sea of Thieves that gives more players a chance to try the pirate-filled game before it launches in March.

Rare's executive producer Joe Neate shared more details on the closed beta that starts on Jan. 24 in an Xbox Wire post for Xbox One and PC title along with details on what players will be able to access during the beta.

"The Sea of Thieves Closed Beta will run from 12 p.m. GMT on January 24 to 8 a.m. GMT on January 29 (4 a.m. PST on January 24 to 12 a.m. PST on January 29), which gives pirates a full five days of sailing, shanties and shenanigans. 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. So get your calendars out and get those dates pencilled in!"

When it comes to accessing the closed beta, those who either joined the game's Insider Program prior to Dec. 1 or have preordered the game will be able to participate. You can still access the closed beta when it starts by preordering the game between now and the time that the beta starts, but you'll have to download the closed beta client first.

And for those content creators who hope to share all of their seafaring adventures during the Sea of Thieves closed beta, you'll be able to make your own videos, take screenshots, and share your gameplay however you want. The closed beta isn't covered by an NDA, players are free to make their own content out of the closed beta to share with others.

Sea of Thieves is scheduled to release on March 20 for the Xbox One and PC.