Sea of Thieves Official E3 FAQ

Since our showing at E3 2016, we've been getting loads of questions! Find some answers here.

It’s Day Three of E3, and in case you missed the news, we've made some big waves with Rare’s upcoming pirate adventure. Now that everyone has seen the gameplay and gotten a glimpse of what’s in store for Sea of Thieves moving forward, we’ve started to get a lot of questions about the game.

While we’re doing our best to respond to everyone we can on Twitter, we wanted to take some time to answer some of the top questions here on the website. Without further ado, here’s your bona fide, peg-legged pirate FAQ for E3 2016:

Q: What kind of game is Sea of Thieves?
A: Sea of Thieves is a shared-world adventure game (or “SWAG,” as we’re fond of calling it here in the office). It’s a multiplayer game with crew co-operation at its core, and our ambition is to let players be the kind of pirates they want to be. Whether you’d like to hunt for legendary treasures, sail to the furthest island in the distance or hunt down rival crews, our ambition is to build a game that lets you pursue whichever adventure your salty heart desires.

Q: When is the game coming out?
A: We have not announced a release date for Sea of Thieves. Right now our focus is on getting the game into players hands in the form of a limited closed beta.

Q: Will there be a beta?
A: Yes! We’re keen to get the game into players’ hands so that we can receive feedback about the game as soon as possible. To quote Design Director and Rare veteran Gregg Mayles from his interview with Metro: “We want to release a beta as soon as we can, but not a one-week-before-release beta, a proper beta where we can start observing how people play, and get their feedback.”

Q: How do I get into the beta?
A: We don’t have specific details on how to get into the beta just yet, but the best thing you can do for now is make sure you’re following the game on Twitter and Facebook, and that you’re subscribed for updates on our website. We’ll have more details to share about the beta through these channels as they become available!

Q: Can I play the game alone?
A: In an interview with VentureBeat, Lead Designer Mike Chapman detailed our thoughts regarding single-player adventuring for the final game. “We want to allow people to be the pirate they want to be. If you want to be the solitary pirate who sails around on a small, one-man ship, we want to allow you to do that... We’re trying to build [a] co-operative adventure game, but we don’t want to limit what players can do for people who want to get lost in the world. That’s just as valid.”

Q: How many people can be in a crew?
A: On the E3 show floor, we demoed a build of the game that featured three five-person crews. However, in an interview with IGN, Gregg Mayles did say that a “crew limit” has yet to be determined by the team.

Q: Who are the players in your E3 Gameplay Trailer?
A: Not actors, not YouTube or Twitch celebrities, but genuine Rare fans and winners of our Play It First contest, who we invited to Rare HQ ahead of E3 to play the game for the first time. After seeing their infectious joy in those first play sessions we felt there was no better way to demo Sea of Thieves’ gameplay to the world!

Q: What kind of things can I do in the game?
A: We’ve received countless questions about what else can be done in the game, covering everything from quests and exploration to melee and gun combat! Right now we don’t have any more details to share beyond what’s in the E3 demo, but we are looking forward to telling everyone more about the full Sea of Thieves experience over the coming weeks and months. Make sure you’re signed up to our channels to learn more about the game as we set sail for adventure!

Q: Will I be able to customise my pirate/ship?
A: Yes, customisation will be available for pirates and their ships. To quote Lead Designer Mike Chapman in a Twitch interview with Xbox: “When you think about pirates and the way pirates peacock, they have these cool outfits and […] their ship is an extension of their character – that will be an important part of the game.” More details about customisation will be available in the future.

Q: Will Sea of Thieves support split-screen?
A: Split-screen will not be supported. However, co-operative social play is at the heart of the Sea of Thieves online experience.

Q: Will melee combat be included in the game?
A: Yes, melee combat will be part of Sea of Thieves! We'll share more details on this in the coming months.

Q: Will Sea of Thieves be free-to-play?
A: Sea of Thieves will not be free-to-play, but more information on pricing and release plans will be shared in the future.