Sea of Thieves Closed Beta FAQ

It’s the news everyone’s been waiting for – the Sea of Thieves Closed Beta runs from January 24th-31st. 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 our full release on March 20^th. So get your calendars out and write these dates in a thick, permanent marker pen!

[Q]: When is the Closed Beta running?

[A]: The Closed Beta runs from 12pm GMT on Wednesday 24^th January until 8am GMT on Wednesday 31^st January. For those in other time zones, this works out as:

· Eastern Standard Time (EST):
7am on Wednesday 24^th January to 3am on Wednesday 31^st January

· Central Standard Time (CST):
6am on Wednesday 24^th January to 2am on Wednesday 31^st January

· Pacific Standard Time (PST):
4am on Wednesday 24^th January to 12am on Wednesday 31^st January

· Central European Time (CET): 
1pm on Wednesday 24^th January to 9am on Wednesday 31^st January

[Q]: How can I get access to the Closed Beta?

[A]: The Closed Beta is accessible to Founders (eligible players who joined the Sea of Thieves Insider Programme before December 1^st 2017) and players who have pre-ordered the game.

If you pre-ordered the game through the Xbox or Windows Store, the game should appear in your games library. You will need to download and install it.

If you pre-ordered the game through a retailer, you will need to redeem the code for the Black Dog cosmetic pack. Once you have done this, the game should appear in your games library. You will need to download and install the game.

If the game does not appear in your games library, navigate to the Store, search for Sea of Thieves and install from there.

Having trouble? A step-by-step guide to installing the Closed Beta on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC (whether you pre-ordered or you're a Founder) can be found on the dedicated installation support page.

If you haven’t pre-ordered the game yet but you want to get into the Closed Beta, you can pre-order Sea of Thieves here.

[Q]: What content will be available in the Closed Beta?

[A]: We’ve crafted 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. We won’t be testing the full game during the Closed Beta phase: we want to keep a good selection of things up our sleeves for players to discover at launch.

[Q]: Can I stream or capture my play sessions in the Closed Beta?

[A]: Yes. The Closed Beta is not covered by an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) so you can stream, capture, clip and screenshot to your heart’s content. If you do create content, make sure you tag it “Sea of Thieves” (or use the #SeaOfThieves hashtag) 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!

[Q]: I'm having trouble with the Closed Beta! Can you help?

[A]: We hope so! Here are all our support resources:

Closed Beta Install Instructions (for pre-orders and Founders)

Release Notes and Status Page (new features, known issues and handy links)

Sea of Thieves support site (additional knowledge articles and enquiries)

Closed Beta – New Player Guide (gameplay guidance)

We’re looking forward to sailing with you on the Sea of Thieves! Stay in touch with us via our social channels for updates and dive into our Forums to join the conversation – we’d love to hear what you think. See you out there, pirates!