

Thankfully however, that's changed, with developer Rare drastically streamlining the process for the game's launch.

So that means that you could be playing the game totally free if you already have an Xbox Live Gold subscription - even if you don't, it's only $9.99 for one month.The Sea of Thieves installation method was, especially on PC, pretty awkward back during the closed betas, with players being forced through various Microsoft Store-shaped hoops and multiple windows (no pun intended) just to get it going. If you've never used Game Pass before, however, there's an even more interesting offer: a free 14-day trial period. So even if you don't currently have Game Pass you could sign up for the month, download Sea of Thieves and play it all month long for only $10, saving yourself $50 on the full purchase price and gaining access to a bunch of other games, as well. That means that all you need to play Sea of Thieves at launch is a Game Pass subscription and a subscription to Xbox Live Gold, because this is a multiplayer game. The company also recently announced that Game Pass will include all new first-party releases from Microsoft studios at launch, of which Sea of Thieves will be the first. However, Microsoft also has a subscription program called Game Pass that gives players access to an instant library of games for $10 a month, something like a (more) premium version of Games With Gold. As a full-fledged AAA release, Sea of Thieves costs $60 to buy outright, just like every other full-fledged AAA release on the market.

We'll back up a second for those not already familiar.
