'Sea of Thieves' release date, news: Insider Program launches; game to roll out on Xbox One and Windows 10 in early 2017

A promotional image for "Sea of Thieves" Facebook/SeaOfThievesGame

"Sea of Thieves" is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Rare together with Microsoft Studios. The upcoming game will arrive on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC in early 2017, and the company has opened up an Insider Program that will give access to the game for its members.

The studio posted on the game's forum that lucky individuals will be able to play the early phase of the game for testing purposes. The selected gamers will be providing the development team vital information concerning the game by answering questionnaires and surveys. In return, they will receive a unique badge on the official forums, exclusive news, and updates on the game's progress. Interested individuals can register on the game's website.

Meanwhile, on another post, Mike Chapman, lead designer for Rare, shared some of the video game's new details due to the many questions asked by fans. He has pointed some details regarding the personal combat mechanism, as well as the different weapons available.

Chapman said, "The most important element to call out in terms of our general approach to combat is that Sea of Thieves is a game with guns and swords in it, but it's not a game all about guns and swords. We want Sea of Thieves to support different motivations and play styles, but when combat does occur, it should feel right for the pirate experience we're creating, while fully supporting the kinds of emergent encounters that can occur while out on a voyage."

One example that Chapman pointed out is the different stance that a player can have when holding a weapon, specifically, a gun. Players who are not actively pointing their guns to another player will put the barrel close to their body or point it upwards. This also reflects a friendly atmosphere. A hostile player, on the other hand, will be easily recognizable. They will be pointing their guns at another player.

"Sea of Thieves" is expected to arrive for the Xbox One and Windows PC by early 2017.

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