Microsoft Stores hosting Sea of Thieves launch parties on March 20

If you're stoked to hit the high seas with Sea of Thieves next week, Microsoft is celebrating the game's launch with parties at its retail stores. Gamers will be able to hit up their local Microsoft Stores starting at 6 p.m. on March 20 for three hours of pirate goodness, including giveaways, a pirate costume contest. and, of course, the game itself.

From Microsoft:

Bring your shipmates to play the new Sea of Thieves at Microsoft Store. Win exclusive prizes and giveaways, compete in a pirate costume contest, and enjoy free food and drinks.

There's no cost to attend, so as long as you have a Microsoft Store nearby, you can join in. You may want to be early, though: Microsoft says that the first 50 attendees in line starting at 5:30 p.m. will receive exclusive Sea of Thieves posters. If you're interested in attending, you can check out the exact event details for your local store at Microsoft's event site.

Sea of Thieves is scheduled for release on March 20 and is available for preorder now for $59.99 on Xbox One and Windows 10. The game will also be available via Xbox Game Pass, which runs $9.99 per month.

• See at Amazon
• See at Microsoft Store
• See Sea of Thieves controller at Amazon