Sea of Thieves has been able to stay afloat on the Xbox Game Pass service over the past few years, but it's not exactly everyone's cup of tea. Players who weren't so fond of it said they didn't enjoy the social aspects, while others felt it was underdone on release and were not willing to buy into the "games as a service" model Rare decided to embrace.

If you were one of these individuals hoping Rare's next IP would revert to a more traditional video game model, we've just been reminded once again that this may not necessarily happen. Game Reactor and a number of other websites are reporting a new Everwild trademark filing made by Rare and Microsoft references "SaaS", or "Software as a Service".

In other words, this means the game might not be a one-off or standalone release, but something that's continuously expanded upon after launch. If this is the case, it may or may not be as extreme as the Sea of Thieves model - but only time will tell.

Not long after Everwild was revealed at X019, Rare studio head Craig Duncan told The Verge how the Everwild team would allow players to "share" meaningful experiences:

The Everwild team is focused on building an experience that allows for new ways to play in a natural and magical world. Everwild will give you memorable, engaging and meaningful experiences for players everywhere to share. We cannot wait to share more with you in the future.

How would feel about the next Rare game once again focusing on players sharing the experience with each other? Did you enjoy the amount of social interaction Sea of Thieves required? Tell us your thoughts down below.

[source trademarks.justia.com, via gamereactor.eu]