Creator Spotlight – CJShiz

The latest creator to slide into our Spotlight is a fierce fighter on the Sea of Thieves and a fervent fisherman in real life. Known for his high-energy PvP-focused content as well as those IRL streams where he aims to reel in prize catches for all to see, CJShiz is the Sea of Thieves Partner on our radar today!

Interested in signing up to the Sea of Thieves Creator Crew? Find out more here.

[Q]: What was your introduction to the world of games?

[A]: I started gaming at a young age, mainly with my younger brother. We had the Nintendo 64 on which we played the classics like Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, GoldenEye etc. We then got the original Xbox and my mom put in to be an Xbox Live Beta tester which we ended up being chosen for!

Even though I played games at an early age, I didn't really deep dive into gaming until I got into college and started grinding games like Call of Duty and Destiny. One of my roommates was big into PC gaming and he got us all to transition from console to PC and pick up games like League of Legends, Rust and then Sea of Thieves.

[Q]: How did you become part of the Sea of Thieves community?

[A]: The same college roommate who got me into PC gaming came up to me and said “Yo, there’s this new pirate game coming out soon and the Beta test ends tomorrow, we should try it”. Well, needless to say we hopped on SoT, got on a server and sank everyone and anyone who came at us. This got me addicted and super-excited for the game’s release.

When the game fully came out I was streaming other games, but when I streamed SoT it was different. More people would show up and the community just seemed more welcoming than anything else I tried to be a part of, and it still is to this day!

[Q]: How did creating content become your ‘thing’?

[A]: When I was younger we filmed everything. Fishing, little movies, skits, skateboard and snowboard sesh/montages, music videos, literally everything. Ever since I can remember me and my friends were always ‘making content’ even though back then no one called it that. We were just kids messing around. So when I started getting more serious about gaming, it was the same thing. It just felt natural to record and hop in front of a camera and just be me.

[Q]: How do you decide what kind of content to create?

[A]: The only time I plan content is when I do my IRL fishing streams. Those need to be somewhat planned because of weather and the outdoors. But honestly, when it comes to gaming, I don’t. I’m a very go-with-the-flow kinda guy. I very rarely have a set plan when I go live. I think in order to be a good content creator you need to be able to adapt to what’s in front of you.

That’s why I enjoy open-world games like Sea of Thieves because you never know what’s going to happen. One minute you’re roleplaying with swabbies you just met, and the next you’re leading them into battle because a Galley of sweats just rolled up on you.

[Q]: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while creating content?

[A]: My biggest challenge is being consistent. It was very hard for me to balance work, life and streaming. I worked as a nurse’s aide at a children's hospital for six years and have been in the medical field for over 15 years, mainly working night shift. So trying to balance night shift work with IRL life, and also trying to grow my stream at the same time, was very difficult.

The thing some people don’t understand is in order to get where you want to be, some sacrifices need to be made, and making those decisions can be extremely hard. At the end of the day it comes down to how badly you want it. There’s a lot more to content creation than just hitting the go-live button!

[Q]: What different channels do you have?

[A]: My main channel is Twitch, but I am starting to focus more on my YouTube and TikTok. I stream some variety games over on Kick, and I also use Twitter to keep up to date on the community and to update my own community about things happening.

[Q]: What’s been your most memorable Sea of Thieves moment so far?

[A]: I’d say my most memorable moment has to be the time my crew and I stole an 11-stack Fort of the Damned. It was around when the Fort was first released and it was my first ever BIG heist. I just remember the adrenaline pumping, leading up to the sink and the shock when all the loot floated up and we saw how much treasure they actually had.

[Q]: What do you enjoy most about the game now, and what are you looking forward to in future?

[A]: This is such a loaded question because the game is always changing, and with that I’m always changing what I am doing, but right now I would say sailing around and finding players to either help or troll. ESPECIALLY if they are hot mics and can easily respond in-game. The best part about this is you never know what you’re going to stumble upon.

The biggest thing I would love to see in the future of Sea of Thieves is another player-activated Fort, activated with high-tier loot you get from around the map. This Fort could have a new boss with a new mechanic that has a new chest in the Vault. The chest would be linked to a new Faction where you can only get rep from that one chest. This would bring back the feel of the original Athena and Fort of the Damned!

[Q]: What’s something you’re particularly proud of accomplishing in gaming?

[A]: I think what I am proud of most is hitting the goals I set out to hit. I had goals to become Twitch and SoT Partner, and with hard work and persistence I was able to accomplish both. I also would say being able to build a fun and welcoming community. The Durds are the best around, very supportive of not only me but everyone in the community!

[Q]: How did you come up with your channel name?

[A]: I have been CJShiz since I was young. CJ is my name which stands for Curt Jr. and Shiz is a play on my last name. Growing up when Snoop Dogg’s lyrics of “shizzle” first came out was for sure an interesting time for me!

[Q]: What do you like to get up to when you’re not streaming?

[A]: When I’m not making content I like to hang out with my friends and family. I’m big into anime so I relax and watch a lot of that. I’m also into punk rock/metal and used to go to TONS of shows when I was younger. But mainly in the summer months we do a lot of fishing because it’s one of my favourite things to do. In the winter I like to spend my time ice fishing and out on the slopes snowboarding.

[Q]: What advice would you give to a new content creator?

[A]: Don’t start off doing it for the wrong reasons. Do it because it’s something that is fun, something that you enjoy, something that you love. If you do it for these reasons and work hard at it, everything will fall into place. I got into content creation as a hobby and for the love of it and I always encourage others to do the same!

[Q]: What’s one thing you would advise a content creator not to do?

[A]: DO NOT only post on one platform. Put your content EVERYWHERE. The more places your content is, the more likely you are to get discovered!

[Q]: Could you give us one more random fact about yourself?

[A]: I have caught an ‘old hat’ IRL. I was fishing one day and reeled in a hat someone lost and freaked out because I caught real Treacherous Plunder!

Thanks to CJ for taking the time to talk with us. We’re looking forward to more streaming hijinks on and off the seas soon! Catch his content when you get a chance on Twitch, YouTube or TikTok.

Keep up with all the latest from Sea of Thieves by following us on our many social channels. You can also find previous Creator, Community and Legend Spotlights in our News section, catch the latest activity in our Community Hub and check out all our current Partners in the Sea of Thieves Partner Directory. Until next time!