Weekly Stream Recap - March 2020

When Bill Gates invented the internet in 1999, or something, he probably didn’t realise just how important it would be to folks like yourselves who enjoy watching people play games remotely. Nevertheless, here we are again to recap a month’s worth of weekly (-ish) Sea of Thieves streams, meaning that if you missed any, you can catch them all now in one place! Cheers, Bill.

Firstly, please note that there were only three streams this month, due to events beyond the Shroud of which we’re all aware. Still, we opened with this thigh-slapper (careful with those hooks) on March 3rd that featured the boisterous Captain Carrillo. Hosting the show was our regular guide Jon McFarlane, while Community Producer Chay supported in the booth (and immediately upped the silliness with a few firebombs – boys will be boys). The gang set out to take on some Crews of Rage content, meaning that Molten Sands Fortress was open for business, and so off went an incredibly loud crew with a suitably loudly coloured bout!

Wondering what Crews of Rage is or was? There’s a trove of background information to be read about the work behind that update right here. Seizing a chance to engage with this fiery free update’s challenges, Carrillo and crew soon got to the Fort (despite being easily distracted by their own shenanigans) and once there showed us some dramatic scenes from this action hotspot such as at 34:54, which also featured a nice ‘come hither’ from Chay. All in all, between the Fort, a very persistent Megalodon and a grub-eating challenge (could there be a connection between scoffing bait and being chased by sharks, one wonders?), the crew had no shortage of laughs. This was a great stream for fans of big, brash gaming. You may recall reading about Captain Carrillo in our Creator Spotlight back in March, and you can check out his Twitch channel here.

Next up was a name surely familiar to long-term Weekly Stream fans: Shillianth! March 10th’s stream graced us with this regular online personality known for her recaps of these very streams. You can see them on her YouTube channel right here, to which we must doff our caps as she delves into some fun extra detail, such as a stat rundown per stream (including her own, which must have been a strange experience).

John was joined by Graphic Designer Kate and of course Shillianth herself (one Scottish pirate and two Antipodeans – sorry, we were unable to provide subtitles). Starting in The Ancient Isles, they were soon operating like a finely tuned machine, sharing some interesting titbits on upcoming updates and background information about the game itself (Shillianth should consider reporting for the Pirate Times)! The crew made a friend before you could say ‘Australian hospitality’, while Kate shone in swordplay against skellies. Crew communication was less impressive when it came to co-ordinating their treasure hunting, but sheer luck got them through at around 1:19:40. Shillianth (also a past Creator Spotlight participant) proved cool-headed company despite being a self-confessed content creator rather than natural streamer, but she was a valuable crewmate through various missions, mishaps and a Megalodon – all without killing other pirates!

The 20th brought us our last stream of March, but don’t fret as it was also the perfect time of year to celebrate Sea of Thieves’ second anniversary and reveal some of the brand new Tall Tale ‘Heart of Fire’, part of the eponymous free update. Read more about the making of that right here! If you tuned in to watch the stream live, you’d also have been treated to a MixPot with a chance to win the fearsome Spinal Figurehead. Better still, comedian and writer Burnie Burns appeared as this week’s guest, and needs no introduction for fans of Rooster Teeth content like RWBY and Red vs. Blue.

Our stand-in host and video producer John McMurtrie was joined by Sea of Thieves Creative Director Mike, treating folks to some casual in-person emoting (and a lovely mic echo to make sure everyone was awake). Lead Designer Andrew was in the brig, making it a four-pirate crew! Since it included two people heavily involved in the Heart of Fire update, this was another great chance to learn more about the design choices behind the new Tall Tale (so expect spoilers if you haven’t played it yet). John did a fantastic job of adding the classic Sea of Thieves voiceover magic to the lore books found in-game, while Burnie Burns did an even better job of making light throughout. We got to see wonder, suspense, surprises and of course, moments when things didn’t quite go to plan even for the people who made the game, such as just after 1:06:20…

So despite a slightly quieter month of streams, we still had some amazing shows and a real treat with Burnie and our launch day chance to reveal more about Heart of Fire. Due to the current situation with COVID-19 preventing certain working arrangements, the regular stream as we know it is taking a break – so while we’re working out a remote solution, please enjoy all the other content available on our official YouTube and Twitch channels! Stay subscribed and you’ll soon find out when things are ship-shape again.