Sea of Thieves will be getting a few stress tests this month leading up to the game's March 20 release date, Rare has announced.
The first of these scale tests begins February 16 at 2 am PT/5 am ET/10 am UK/8 pm AEST and concludes on February 18 at 2 am PT/5 am ET/10 am UK/8 pm AEST. Xbox Insiders and and closed beta participants can partake in the stress tests, which Rare will use to get feedback on the game's server capabilities and identify areas for improvement ahead of launch.
As such, the tests won't be reflective of the final product and will most likely contain issues such as sessions getting interrupted, problems with using shops in-game, and the inability to join the game at certain times throughout the weekend. Content will be identical to the closed beta and gameplay will be restricted to the Gold Hoarders trading company and accompanying Voyages.
Rare also promises another beta is on the way for the game.
For more on Sea of Thieves, which will contain microtransactions three months after release, read how the game has a smart approach to sever size and why to why the maximum party size is 4. Also be sure to check out what Sea of Thieves' PC requirements are.
Alex Gilyadov is a freelance writer for IGN. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel and follow him on Twitter.