Community Spotlight – Wh1zzrr_

As our community has grown over the last few years, so have the various platforms where you can find the best of them and their content. One such pirate has taken to TikTok to spread the word of life on the Sea of Thieves, offering hints, tips and insight to those new to the seas and sharing stories with more seasoned players. As she’s become known for her wonderful guides and knowledgeable takes, we thought it was time for a sit down on deck with Wh1zzrr_!

[Q]: Can you tell us a little about what got you into gaming?

[A]: One of my earliest memories is my dad playing Prince of Persia on the PC. In fact, he used to play it so much that I’ve been told I used to call the computer ‘dada’ when I was a toddler. Then, as I grew up, my parents bought me a PlayStation 2 and I was obsessed with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 – still one of my favourite games. But it was really when I met my now-husband that he opened my eyes to how big the world of gaming really was and the communities that exist.

[Q]: Were you a Rare fan before Sea of Thieves? Do you have any favourite Rare games?

[A]: As a PlayStation kid, I played Spyro and hadn’t heard of Banjo and Kazooie until I met my now-husband. He was outraged by this, and you’ll be glad to know, has rectified this situation. It seems pretty fun!

[Q]: What other games are you currently playing? Any favourites?

[A]: Grounded is my go-to when I’m not sailing the seas. I really enjoy the building aspect and fighting against lots of different creatures. I’m a wimp though, so I have the arachnophobia settings on the blobs – no fangs or legs for me!

[Q]: What brought you over to Sea of Thieves and its community?

[A]: My best friend had been playing pretty much since release and had tried for a long time to get me to play it. Eventually, I gave in and tried it. That was the day I discovered I get motion sickness with first-person games. So I bought some motion sickness bands and tried again – my first proper sail felt like I was coming home; I had found the game and community I was always meant to be in. I defeated Flameheart, some of his Fort bosses AND a Fort of the Damned on my first sail!

[Q]: What was your motivation to get started on TikTok, and how did you settle on the type of content to create?

[A]: By trade, I’m a Social Media Marketer and I want to work in the game development industry, but have no experience in the field. So I figured that if I can build an audience and community about a game I adore, then that would be a great thing to add to the CV. I chose TikTok because I saw that educational content for Sea of Thieves was lacking at the time and I felt I could offer beginners some handy tips.

Now, 1.5 years on and it’s become something so much bigger than a career development project. It’s a joy to teach people how to be their best pirate selves!

[Q]: What are the most fun videos to create?

[A]: Anything with other people or creators; I love meeting new pirates and jumping into a session to create a new guide or tip. It’s always a barrel of laughs! It’s never a quick task though – a Fort of Fortune spawns, we get sunk or something goes wrong. I usually end up having to edit out moments of fits of giggles from the crew somewhere!

[Q]: Aside from TikTok, you’ve also written some articles on Sea of Thieves. How did you find that and how does it compare to your video content?

[A]: I really love writing long-form pieces. I spent a lot of my teen years blogging and writing stories, which then moved onto a few published pieces in magazines too. So when I was approached by The Lydion Magazine to write about my experience as a Sea of Thieves creator, it was hands-down one of my favourite projects I’ve ever been involved in.

It was really like stretching a muscle I hadn’t used in a few years. My scripts are usually fast, punchy – my article was about the storytelling and atmosphere. It was a real honour to be approached and have the opportunity to tell the wider world about the beauty of the Sea of Thieves and its community. Whilst I do that through my TikToks, I would assume most of my viewers are gamers; the article gave me the chance to speak to those beyond the horizon of that.

[Q]: Thinking back, are there any standout moments for you in Sea of Thieves since you started playing?

[A]: Oooh, too many to count! But one that comes to mind is when I spoke to the Mysterious Stranger to be become a Pirate Legend at Plunder Outpost. That was a special moment, for sure. Another was when our crew, a Brig, lost the two Reapers chasing us in thick fog in The Ancient Isles. We managed to do a U-turn around Discovery Ridge and they lost sight of us. It was one of those sweaty-palm moments, where you have to hold your breath in the hope that your idea works!

[Q]: What are your favourite recent additions to Sea of Thieves?

[A]: I’m a fan of anything glowy so the Seared Forsaken Ashes and the Islehopper Outlaw sets are my favourite cosmetics. But I’m also a huge fan of the Sea Forts as they opened the world for solo Sloopers a lot more and the more casual player base.

That being said, the amount of new barrels we’ve had added to the game over the last year has definitely made me a very happy Storage Crate Hoarder (much to my crew’s annoyance when I regularly say, “oh, I just need to look in one more barrel, then I’m coming back!”).

[Q]: What are your greatest achievements in a game, Sea of Thieves or otherwise?

[A]: In Sea of Thieves, it was sinking the final Order of Souls Tier 5 to get the headband that I wanted. It was the moment of silence when our crew realised what was at stake – you couldn’t have wished for a more atmospheric moment.

In terms of gaming-related achievements, I’ve recently won the Business Awards UK ‘Best Educational Creator’ award for my Sea of Thieves content on TikTok. It was an honour to be considered, let alone to win the title. Beyond my article last year, this award feels like I’m reppin’ the seas even beyond the gaming community and hopefully showing more people how wonderful it can be as a pirate of the Sea of Thieves.

Then there is also the time I chopped down 20,000 trees in Fortnite one season… wouldn’t recommend it if anyone was thinking about trying it.

[Q]: If you had to choose a pirate and ship name, what would they be?

[A]: My pirate’s name is Vix and she sails on Penelope’s Revenge, which is her crew’s name too. We avenge Penelope the Pig – Amy’s pet pig that was sadly taken by a cannonball to the face on her Sloop by another crew – on every sail we have now.

[Q]: What kind of other hobbies do you enjoy outside of gaming?

[A]: I’m a Digimon TCG and Dungeons & Dragons player. Both give me a reason to give the screen a break, plus I get to hang out with friends. I’m also a museum lover as my Masters degree was in Museum and Heritage Development.

[Q]: Share a fun fact about yourself. Anything is fair game!

[A]: I’ve kept a diary since I was a child, just like my mum has done. As time has gone on, I tend to just write about the big milestones or events in my life, rather than a daily play-by-play. But I did actually write about my first sail, and I quote, “Amy (my best friend) is very happy to hear I’ve got into Sea of Thieves. It’s a pirate game and I’m actually enjoying it – just bought it on Steam.”

So it clearly had a pretty big impact on me to make it into my diary forevermore!

And with that, we put down the pen as we reach the end of another Community Spotlight. Thank you so much to Wh1zzrr_ for taking the time to answer all our questions. We’re looking forward to seeing more of her TikTok adventures and writing endeavours!

In the meantime, if you can’t wait to hear more from our community, you can check out our previous Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights. Or to see what else our players have been up to and some of the wonderful creations they’ve been making recently, head over to our Community Hub. Until next time!