Insider Programme FAQ

Who are the Insiders?
For Sea of Thieves fans who enjoy exploring the unknown, there’s a crew of like minded pirates waiting to welcome you aboard – the Insiders! Join the Insider Programme to gain access to preview ‘builds’ of the game and see new content first, before the general public. You’ll also get newsletters and behind-the-scenes content from the developers, plus you can use an exclusive forum to discuss new changes. Insiders give us valuable feedback that raises the quality of all new Sea of Thieves content!

How do I join the Insider Programme?
You must own Sea of Thieves or be an active member of Game Pass, you will then need to register on this site with your Xbox Live account and accept the Insider terms and conditions.

Am I eligible to sign up?

All current locations where Sea of Thieves can be purchased are eligible to sign up to be an Insider. These locations can be found in our article for What regions can I purchase Sea of Thieves in?

You will also need to be 18+ years of age and also have played the retail version of Sea of Thieves within the last 14 days.

Additionally, the account applying for Insiders must be at least 30 days old.

Where do I sign up to be an Insider
https://www.seaofthieves.com/insider

How often is an Insider build released?
Insider builds are typically released each week.

How do I install the Insider version of the game on PC?

Microsoft Store / Game Pass

When you own Sea of Thieves digitally through the Microsoft Store or Game Pass, please proceed to the Sea of Thieves Insider Microsoft store page to access the build being sure to sign your Microsoft account which owns Sea of Thieves or your Game Pass into the top right corner. If another account is signed in, please switch accounts. Once the correct account is signed in, you will have the option to 'Install' the Insider build. On some browsers, you may also be then shown a link to open the Insider build product page within your Microsoft Store app. Proceeding through this method will also allow you to install the Insider build as normal. Please also ensure this account is also signed into your Microsoft Store.

However, you will need to have signed up through the Sea of Thieves Insider webpage and accepted the terms and conditions to be able to play the Insider build.

Steam Insiders

If you own Sea of Thieves through Steam, you are also eligible to access the Steam Insider build. However, you will need to have signed up through the Sea of Thieves Insider webpage and accepted the terms and conditions to be able to play the Insider build. Once signed up to Insiders you can claim your Steam Insider key by entering the through the Sea of Thieves Insider webpage then scrolling down the page to the ‘Get a Steam code’ section and selecting ‘Get Code’. This will generate your Steam Insider code which you can copy to clipboard and claim by opening the Steam Client and selecting Games> Activate a Product on Steam… then pasting your code when prompted. Once complete, the Steam Insiders build will be available in your games list.

How do I install the Insider version of the game on Xbox?

Digital Version

Ensure that you have opted into the Sea of Thieves Insider Programme via the website and that Sea of Thieves is installed on your Xbox hard drive.
 
On your Xbox Console, sign-in and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub app from the Store first if needed)
Navigate to Previews > Sea of Thieves Insider
Select Join
Wait for the registration to complete to be directed to the Store and install “Sea of Thieves Insider”.

Game Pass Subscriber

If you are a game pass subscriber you will need to search the store for 'Sea of Thieves Insider' and install it from there. However, you will need to have signed up through the Sea of Thieves Insider webpage and accepted the terms and conditions to be able to play the Insider build.

Physical Disc

If you play Sea of Thieves via a physical disc on Xbox, you will need to follow these steps to ensure you get access to the Insider builds of Sea of Thieves:

  1. Ensure that you have opted into the Sea of Thieves Insider Programme via the website and that Sea of Thieves is installed on your Xbox hard drive.
  2. On your Xbox Console, sign-in and launch the Xbox Insider Hub app (or install the Xbox Insider Hub app from the Store first if needed)
  3. Navigate to Previews > Sea of Thieves Insider
  4. Select Join
  5. Wait for the registration to complete to be directed to the Store and install “Sea of Thieves Insider”.

After downloading the build for the first time, you’re good to go! All subsequent updates can be downloaded on Xbox Console and Windows PC through auto-updates.

What do I get for being an Insider?!
Being an Insider is a great move if you’re a very keen Sea of Thieves fan or if you take an interest in game development. Insiders get a closer relationship to the developers than typical fans, not just by seeing some exclusive behind-the-scenes content such as interviews and newsletters, but also by seeing work in progress and taking part in the process of testing. In addition to seeing pre-release builds or versions of the game before the public does, Insiders are also rewarded with in-game currency and cosmetics.

When am I eligible to earn the following week's reward
The reset day / time is Friday midnight - 00:00AM UK time. You can only earn credit to one reward per week and will need to return to play for an hour the following week after the reset period to begin to earn progress toward your next reward. 

How is being an Insider different to being a Pioneer?
There’s no difference other than extra rewards – we have simply updated and restructured the programme.

How do I get access to the Insider forums?
Once you’re an Insider, you’ll see the additional Insider category automatically appear on the forums.

How do I give my feedback on the latest build?
Please use the special Insider section of the Sea of Thieves forums.

How often can I play?
We aim to have weekly sessions and there may be times where there are multiple sessions in one week.

Can I stream or share what I see in Insider builds?
Sorry, no – all content revealed to Insiders is considered confidential and falls under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).

How do I report a NDA breach?
Please report any NDA breaches with a support ticket using the 'Raise a support request' button below so that we can take any appropriate actions

What happens to Insiders that break their NDA?
Any Insiders found breaking the NDA will be removed from the programme.

Do not take photos, videos, or audio recordings of the Game.
Do not post photos, videos, or audio recordings of the Game on any venue. This also includes the Insider Forum.
Do not describe any part of the Game on any venue unless we’ve instructed you to.
Do not allow others to watch you play the Game.
Do not leave the Game running unattended.

Datamining of any sorts violates the Microsoft Terms of Service Agreement, and will result in permanent account actions and possible legal consequences.

 

 

 


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