Community Spotlight - LatchedGlue

Celebrating Sea of Thieves players and their achievements is something that, over the years, has become part of the game’s DNA. What started with the likes of our Play It First Contest and Community Spotlights has grown to include the likes of #SoTShots and of course, player immortalisations.

Player immortalisations especially stand out by bridging the gap between the community and Sea of Thieves’ world. In our latest update, Legends of the Sea, these immortalisations take centre stage, becoming a deeper part of Sea of Thieves lore. It felt like the perfect occasion to delve deeper into the lives of some of the pirates whose tributes are featured, and we do just that in this latest Community Spotlight featuring painter of miniature pirate portraits LatchedGlue!

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

[A]: My aunt and uncle got me into gaming when I was younger. It was a good way to spend time with family and have fun. As I grew older, it allowed me to connect with other people in the gaming community and make friends.

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

[A]: I was! My aunt was a big fan of Rare and she had a lot of games by the company. Battletoads is one of the first games I ever got to play, and it was a lot of fun. Then later, I was introduced to other games like GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. Along with Battletoads, a few favorites of mine are Jet Force Gemini, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark and Kameo.

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

[A]: Besides Sea of Thieves, I’m currently playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and Borderlands 3. It’s hard to pick a favorite!

[Q]: What was it that first drew you towards Sea of Thieves and its community?

[A]: A friend recommended the game to me and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. It’s been my main game since then. Plus, the community has gotten me more into it. I love how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. It’s like one big family, and I am very grateful to be a part of it.

[Q]: What would you say are your favourite things about being part of this community?

[A]: My favorite thing about being a part of this community is seeing people come together no matter what the situation is, and it shocks and amazes me. Also the creativity everyone has and seeing others help build each other up. I’m very proud to be a part of this community.

[Q]: You’ve always been a positive contributor to the community, but you made a name for yourself by painting portraits of your pirate compatriots. What made you start doing this?

[A]: It was around the holidays when I started doing these portraits. I was getting back into painting and looking for a way to show my appreciation towards the community. I wanted to do this as a way of saying thank you!

[Q]: What process do you go through when painting fellow pirates?

[A]: I look for positive attitudes in the community. I choose them at random, and then I start the process of painting. I used to sketch them out first but now I have started to just freehand the pirates, painting them instead of sketching them out. I use miniature canvases that I find at a local craft store and acrylic paint. I tend to spend more money on my paintbrushes since it’s hard to find good fine point and liner brushes.

It takes me roughly five to 10 hours to get a painting done. I like to take a little bit of a break and step away to look at what I need to focus on next in the painting I’m working on!

[Q]: Your paintings made such a splash that you ended up being immortalised in Sea of Thieves! When did you first find out about it, and how did it make you feel?

[A]: I found out about it early last year, and I was very surprised. It took a bit for it to get into the game and I didn’t know for sure when it would be. I was busy with work and then eventually started back into college, so with everything going on in my daily life, I kind of forgot.

When a new update for the game came out, I was late getting to download it and my friends Captain Ballzonia, Calico, CarryTheLegend and DeathZealot pleaded for me not to get on any social media until I had the update downloaded and we were all able to get on the game and play at the same time. I was so overwhelmed and so happy when I finally saw it! Seeing the egg in the game at last and all the work my friends put in to make it a surprise for me was just unbelievable.

[Q]: If you had to pick a member of your crew and personally immortalise them in Sea of Thieves or otherwise, how would you go about it?

[A]: I would more than likely have a painting hidden away somewhere on their favorite island.

[Q]: What are your favourite new additions to the game since the Anniversary Update?

[A]: My favorite new additions are fishing and cooking. I have spent countless hours just doing this, and they’re my favorite things to do in the game now.

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

[A]: My greatest achievement in Sea of Thieves is the fact that I was able to make friends. I think if you’re able to make friends with other players in a game then that’s the greatest achievement you can hope for.

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

[A]: I’ve had a lot of good standout moments in this game, so it’s hard to pick one. Every one of them has included me somehow making friends with other players at the end of the journey!

[Q]: With it being a new year and plenty more Sea of Thieves to come, what are your hopes for where the game and your adventures will go next?

[A]: I tend to like to be surprised. All my best adventures never happened by me just planning something. I think Rare is doing an excellent job with what they’re bringing, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us players this new year.

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

[A]: Whenever I have time, I really enjoy horseback riding, sewing, writing, painting, and drawing. I couldn’t do a lot of it last year so hopefully this year things will be different.

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

[A]: I’m currently going back to school to pursue a career in art and animation.

That concludes this latest Community Spotlight! Thank you to LatchedGlue for talking to the team – we look forward to seeing where you go next on your adventures both inside and outside of the game. To the rest of the community, we hope you continue to enjoy Legends of the Sea!

We’ll be back soon enough with another Community Spotlight but until then, stay up to date with the latest from Rare and Sea of Thieves on our treasure trove of social and community channels. And, if the wait for the next one is really getting to you, how about checking out our previous Community Spotlights?

Until next time!