Microsoft Studios released the game in March 2018 for Windows and Xbox One it was also one of the earliest first-party games released for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Compared to Rare's other games, Sea of Thieves 's development process was more transparent, with Rare inviting fans to test the game's early builds. The game features a progression system that only unlocks cosmetic items as the development team wanted to encourage both casual and experienced players to play together. The company explored different settings for the game, such as vampires and dinosaurs, though it eventually settled on the pirate theme, drawing inspirations from films including Pirates of the Caribbean and The Goonies. Rare was inspired by players of PC titles such as Eve Online, DayZ and Rust, who used the tools provided by these games to create their own personal stories.

The game was first conceptualized in 2014. Players need to become at least level 50 with 3 of the trading companies to become a Pirate Legend. The player assumes the role of a pirate who completes voyages from different trading companies in order to become the ultimate pirate legend. The game is described as a 'shared world adventure game', which means groups of players will encounter each other regularly during their adventures, sometimes forming alliances, sometimes going head-to-head. In the game, players explore an open world via a pirate ship. Sea of Thieves is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios.

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