Community Spotlight – Soycha

From competitive gaming to capering around the Outposts, one of the wonderfully talented artists within the Sea of Thieves community steps into the Spotlight for us today. You’ve likely seen his work across social channels or if you’ve attended the fan-run SoTFest event in the last few years. If you haven’t, then chances are you have seen the face of his highly distinctive pirate. Join us as we catch up with the creative force behind that clownish countenance: it’s Soycha!

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

[A]: I’ve been playing video games my entire life: I vividly remember playing my Game Boy Advance for hours into the night when I was far too young, losing in the original Doom on our family PC or fighting with my brothers over the better controllers when we would play split-screen games across the N64, GameCube and more. Growing up in parallel with some of the hugest leaps in gaming history has definitely been a highlight of my childhood.

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

[A]: I spent a lot of time laughing with my brothers playing split-screen ‘Slappers only!’ or ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ with Big Head mode enabled on GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64, a game which I’m sure cemented my love of the first-person shooter genre. I’m currently replaying the campaign on the Nintendo Switch Online N64 emulator and reliving those fond memories. It wasn’t until I was more involved in Sea of Thieves that I learned more about Rare and developed an appreciation for their legacy and impact on the gaming industry.

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

[A]: With my background in FPS games and love of the extraction shooter subgenre, I’ve been extensively enjoying the latest Delta Force game and have even reconnected with a few old friends through it. Outside of this I’m a huge fan of single-player game series such as Deus Ex, Dishonored and Metro, and have enjoyed each sequel more than the previous instalment without fail.

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

[A]: At the time of launch I was knee-deep in competitive gaming, and a friend I had made through those scenes had taken part in the Closed Beta for Sea of Thieves and suggested we all try it out with them on release. I found myself coming back to it with each update and was eventually hooked! I played on Xbox for a few years with my existing friend groups before transitioning back to PC gaming, and thanks to this found the wider online Sea of Thieves communities, making new friends and started sharing my art with them.

[Q]: Do you remember the first piece of Sea of Thieves art you created?

[A]: I’ve always been enamoured by the iconic design of the skeletons within Sea of Thieves, and would often sketch my first pirate as a Skeleton Captain with the moniker ‘Sea Dog Soy’. I actually managed to find one of these drawings from late 2019, so please enjoy! It would take some time before I would post my piratical art publicly, but I distinctly remember showing some sketches on the Sea of Thieves UK Facebook group way before I had even created a Twitter account.

[Q]: What’s been your favourite piece to work on and why?

[A]: Lately I’ve found myself working on reference sheets for my clients’ original characters and it’s been so much fun to help envision their personal creativity. I used to design a lot of my own characters when I was younger, so it’s been incredibly nostalgic to render out all the details and aspects of their designs in the same way that I did for myself. I’ve always loved the idea of working in the field of character design and I’m hoping to develop my portfolio enough to pursue a career in it soon.

[Q]: What sort of challenges do you find that you face when creating art?

[A]: Every so often I go through a long period of fatigue with creativity, but I’ve always consistently come back to it with increased enthusiasm after the break. Outside of this I generally have a hard time pinning down an aesthetic for my art that I like, and tend to bounce around between styles after reaching my limits with each.

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

[A]: I’ve spent thousands of hours playing Sea of Thieves and have made so many friends through various communities and encounters that it’s hard to count, but my absolute favourite memories have been meeting those people for the first time at SoTFest and cementing our relationships with real-world shared experiences.

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

[A]: I absolutely love the Horn of Fair Winds and the chaotic moments that it creates. I’ve always managed to burn through the whole thing with silly exploits whenever my crew has found one. I’ve definitely sent my crewmates flying into the seas with it more times than I can count.

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

[A]: Just before the release of Season Six and after months of dedication and effort, I had completed every Commendation and achievement in the game (outside of finding another four Shrouded Ghosts...) and for a long while I took over as the owner of the SoT Completionists community to help other gamers do the same. I also believe I was the first person to dispatch a thousand sharks for the ‘Sharks Vanquished’ Milestone, and even made a Call of Duty-styled montage of some of the best moments to celebrate.

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

[A]: My ship is named Day Ruiner due to the PvP-oriented hijinks me and my crew would get up to on the seas! I never considered formally naming my pirate, but my peers always called it The Clown which I’ve always found ominous and fun, so the name stuck.

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

[A]: I’ve always been a creative type, and ever since I was very young I’ve been drawing, painting or playing instruments. Over the last few years, I’ve developed a love for cooking and now jump on the opportunity to cook elaborate meals to share with friends and family whenever I can.

Lately I’ve also been getting back into traditional art and drawing with ink, a medium I developed a passion for during my time studying Fine Art at university. Here’s a recent traditional piece of Captain Flameheart I did for SoTFest this year!

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

[A]: I’m part of the growing club of sailors who met their partners because of Sea of Thieves and its communities, and as of the end of last year: we’re engaged!

Huge thanks to Soycha for taking time to answer our questions, and congratulations too! We can’t wait to see where his artistic adventures lead him next in his ongoing journey across the seas.

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!