Rare has announced that they will be having a technical alpha test next week for their upcoming game Sea of Thieves.

The technical alpha will take place from December 16 to 18, and will only be available to members of the Sea of Thieves Insider Program. The Insider Program is more or less Rare’s mailing list for the game, allowing fans to follow its development and get news as soon as it is available. You can become a member of the Sea of Thieves Insider Program by signing up on their website.

You won’t be guaranteed a spot in the alpha, however, as space will be restricted, with only 1,000 players getting access. Rare says that this will give them “the right scale and experience” for their first test, allowing them to focus more closely on the feedback they will be receiving. With regards to future technical tests, they say “As we move on through the Technical Alpha phase, we’ll gradually increase the player base and frequency of sessions in line with the game’s evolution.”

The alpha will be available during specific timeslots over the weekend. And it should be noted that participants will be subject to a non-disclosure agreement.

A new video of the game was released alongside the announcement, which you can check out below.

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