So many questions.
Why do we need to choose from the menu outside the world, whether to take part in arena matches?
If you could go to an NPC, use a noticeboard, walk through that upper door in the tavern to access it, it would remain immersive and feel part of the whole world of SoT rather than an add on which may well feel separate to what we thought of as the whole ethos of Sea of Thieves.
How might this impact on the journey to Legend?
If Legend requires 3 factions maxed then those who play mostly arena will need to also spend time in the the main world, how will this affect the experience of those who prefer adventure mode?
How might the presence of players who prefer the arena mode, whose skills and experience is based around pvp affect the balance in the main game, where at the moment the players you encounter have learned their skills over time with everyone else.
Will it be a fast track training ground to being able to easily dominate casual, more social, more adventure orientated crews?
Are there competent plans in place to tackle the behaviours which are common in a fast paced, 'heart thumping, intense' competitive experiences that might make their way over to the main game?
How will Rare reassure those for whom Sea of Thieves was that first toe in the water of online multiplayer games, who now play with family, children, who enjoy solo voyaging, whose enjoyment comes from the beautiful world we sail in and the relaxed pace of the game, that their experience will remain similar?
Will this detract or change the experience of those who have been enjoying Sea of Thieves as it is, a world with adventure and encounters, where you don't know what the intention is of that sail on the horizon..
If players choose not to take part in the arena, will this affect their progress/achievements in any way?
We've seen competitive treasure hunting as an example, what other examples might there be for matches? Might there be pve versions?
Will we see leaderboards, k/d ratios, stats and all the paraphernalia of pvp gaming? Will these be used in matchmaking? How, as an inclusive game, will this cater for differences in hardware, internet etc?
FPS modes are generally focused on particular skills, will there be any work done on the combat system to enhance the experience of those taking part in arena and what effect might this have on the main game?
Oh and crossplay.
While this mode does effectively split the playerbase physically by requiring a different log in, it also splits the player outside the game because the concerns, feedback, complaints, suggestions of those who play arena might well be very different to those of players playing the main game - where might the development focus lie when addressing both sets of feedback?
Hopefully 5pm today might answer some of these.