Legend Spotlight – Lizalaroo

As we emerge from the latest Legends Week, we thought it’d be fitting for a long-standing legend to take the next Spotlight! One of our original Deckhands, Lizalaroo also runs competitions for the community, crafts her own Sea of Thieves-inspired creations and is part of the team behind SoTFest. Join us as we set sail with this familiar face on the Forums and the seas alike to find out what she’s been up to since her first Community Spotlight back in 2017…

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

[A]: From the early days of playing Pong with my sister to the many trips down to the amusements, playing video games has always been part of growing up. But it wasn’t until my early 20s that games like Super Mario Bros. and Track & Field caught my eye. My sis and I would often get together for a games night and see who’d win the 100m dash.

From there onwards I had Nintendo consoles right up until buying my first PC and playing Pirates of the Caribbean Online. When that closed down in 2013, I played a bit of Pirate101 before hearing of a new pirate game, and the rest is history!

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

[A]: Yes, I am. I’ve played a few games. I think the attraction with many of them is the cartoony art style, with my favourite being Viva Piñata. Such a colourful game, easy to pick up and was definitely helpful when winding down after a day at work.

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

[A]: I don’t have a lot of time to play other games as getting ready for SoTFest keeps me very busy all year round. But if I do get time, I usually play Guild Wars 2, although I’ve just gotten into playing Palia too. Nothing scary as most know that I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes anything scary or gory, preferring something that doesn’t scare the life out of me, although Sea of Thieves has had its moments.

[Q]: When did you first set sail on the Sea of Thieves, and what was it that attracted you to the pirate life?

[A]: I’ve always been a pirate at heart and enjoyed the history that surrounds pirating, so it was wonderful to find a pirate game that was worth playing, even with its wonkiness (which I love). It is a very beautiful game with the greatest attention to little details and sounds. It shows the love that the dev teams have for the game they’re making for us.

I’ve followed the game’s progression from the first announcement in 2015, played the Alpha and Beta stages, had an amazing session with PC Ted, Craig Duncan and Musicmee at Gamescom (that was a highlight for me!), met Joe Neate in 2017 at EGX with our group, The Old Salts, and today still continue to play and test. The game itself is very different from the early days. It has come a very long way and grown immensely, and for new players there is now so much to do.

[Q]: How did you go about becoming a Pirate Legend? What were the main challenges and highlights of your journey?

[A]: In the early days I sailed with a crew… a LOT! But with every session being different, even with the limited content back then, we always found something to do or someone to sink. It was easy just setting sail and seeing where our session took us.

[Q]: Can you remember the moment when you became a Pirate Legend and how you celebrated?

[A]: Yes, July 14th 2018, and I had been sailing with three very good friends and Old Salts, Musicmee, J4dio and Devious Dogz who helped me reach Pirate Legend. It was such a magic moment playing that shanty for the first time and entering the Hideout! How glad I was that Pirate Legend attire was gold and purple. It’s been my signature colour for a while now.

[Q]: You originally starred in one of Sea of Thieves’ earliest Community Spotlights – what is it that’s kept you sailing the seas for so long?

[A]: I simply love this game and being a pirate, and I’m always surprised by what the devs have in store for us. There have been some wonderful additions to the game over the years, especially the updates that have surprised us all like Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, and now The Legend of Monkey Island. I’m just waiting for The Goonies crossover to complete the hat-trick!

[Q]: You’ve become a legend among Sea of Thieves players, but how would you personally describe your role in the community and how it’s evolved over time?

[A]: I guess you would call me an ambassador for the game? From being a long-standing community member who became a Deckhand with due diligence to keep the community safe, to now hosting a second Sea of Thieves celebration with 800 pirates! It keeps me busy to say the least!

Sea of Thieves has this amazing community that really care for the game, and now with SoTFest we have an excuse to meet up with each other and celebrate every year!

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

[A]: I’ve actually enjoyed Battle for the Sea of Thieves, Season Eight’s on-demand PvP feature, which coming from me is a bit odd, as I usually shy away from any form of PvP. But, with a good Galleon crew, we all progressed to 100 and achieved the Ghostly Curse within a couple of months. I think the emote with the Captain’s chair was a great motivator for me and it’s one of my favourite emotes.

[Q]: Legend status aside, what are your greatest achievements in a game, Sea of Thieves or otherwise?

[A]: Within Sea of Thieves, I became a Deckhand, which was a real honour. My name is in the credits of the game and the key bindings for left-handed people (like myself) were named the ‘Lizalaroo Method’ by PC Ted (Timmins).

I think my greatest achievement is that ‘The Crew’, of which I am a part, have managed to host two unofficial Sea of Thieves events, lovingly called SoTFest, where over 800 pirates from all over the world joined us for a day of pirating fun. It’s hard to believe that it all started with some wonky little pirate game, but I will be eternally grateful for all the friends and wonderful experiences it has brought me. Here’s to 2024 and beyond!

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

[A]: My favourite hobby, when not playing, is to be in my craft room cutting and sticking pieces of EVA foam together to create all manner of items from the Sea of Thieves. My ‘12 Days of Christmas’ giveaway is a favourite thing of mine, where 12 randomly drawn pirates get sent a little piece of the Sea of Thieves crafted by me. It’s my way of saying thank you to the community for supporting me and my craft.

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

[A]: Yes, I still eat my baked beans cold!

And so ends another Spotlight! Thank you so much to Liz for taking the time to chat – this upgrade to a Legend Spotlight is long overdue and we love that she’s still sailing the seas with the same passion years later. Why not get involved with the weekly Forum competitions, follow SoTFest for news on upcoming events or seek Liz out on the seas during Community Weekends when she’s armed with goodies to give away?

We'll be back soon with another Spotlight, but until then you can check out the whole collection of previous Community, Creator and Legend Spotlights, or see some recent player creations over on our Community Hub. Make sure you stay up to date with everything else going on in Sea of Thieves by keeping an eye on one of our many social channels, and we’ll see you next time!