Creator Spotlight – Shredz

Whether hosting high-seas scavenger hunts or crafting culinary content inspired by Sea of Thieves’ lore, the streamer who shows up in our latest Creator Spotlight is all about cookery and creativity. We took some time to sit down and chat about these things and more with Shredz, also known as ElGatoPub, these days a member of the Sea of Thieves Community Stream Team too!

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]: Wow, it seems like eons ago for sure, but arcade games like Defender and Joust and then online games such as Unreal Tournament and Doom were my gateway. Unreal Tournament was a great intro to competitive gaming and Doom was just plain addictive, the SFX alone were like ear candy.

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

[A]: When I started playing Fallout 76 beta in 2018, I met a whole new world of people online. Before that I really only played single-player games. As a diver and a lover of all things pirate, my gaming friends encouraged me to check out Sea of Thieves, as they knew I would enjoy it. They were not wrong. The look, the feel, the ocean, the pirating, all of it gave me such a fantastic Caribbean vibe, I could truly get lost in here for hours on end.

I started streaming Fallout 76 on Mixer completely by sheer dumb luck and eventually started sharing my crew’s adventures on the high seas, some more successful than most, creating Splashmobs and in-game events with an amazing community. When the pandemic hit, and my work life changed dramatically, I looked for enhanced creative outlets that could fill the void. So as a photographer and home chef I cooked, staged, photographed and published many of my recipes. Sea of Thieves inspired me even further to create, stage, photograph and publish drink recipes on my website.

To say I was over the moon when I got offered the opportunity to write Sea of Thieves: The Cookbook is putting it mildly. I have been so grateful and in a state of disbelief ever since that day. The minute I got the go-ahead, I had a whiteboard listing out how I saw the story unfolding, because it wasn’t just about the recipes, it was about how they would integrate into the amazing tapestry that is the game. I mean, there are no in-game recipes, so I re-read the books, chatted up some NPCs, listened to their tales, and developed a culinary journey that could see the creation of meals at every Outpost, all in the hopes that the community would feel as though this book could very well be part of our beloved game.

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

[A]: Usually when you get to the end of a game, that’s it, you put the disc away or uninstall it. I came to realize that sandbox games were anything but a linear journey, in fact quite the opposite. I learned that the storylines and quests were just the beginning and there was so much more.

In Fallout 76 I created Cat Fight Nights at The Litter Box, the first of its kind in-game Championship Boxing Tourney, with everything that comes to mind when you think of fisticuffs matchups. I created the first of its kind in-game cooking competition CLAWED, complete with Gordon Ramsay-style judges. In both Fallout 76 and Sea of Thieves we’ve had scavenger hunts, timed races, Pictionary and so many flashmobs. During all of this, I realized that I love creating content that engages the community, is inclusive and brings people together.

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

[A]: Well, it depends. Currently I have three different types of content. I film cooking videos, which take a lot of time, but I really enjoy making. I focus on recipes from the book and on recipes that didn’t make it into the book or are new inspirations. To that end I want the Sea of Thieves Cooking Channel to feel like a companion series.

Then there are the competitions and flashmobs, where I look for community members to get involved and be a part of the fun, these usually happen quarterly. And last but certainly not least is my streaming. I absolutely love engaging with chat, playing with community members and using that outlet for charity campaigns throughout the year. I run a virtual pub that was always meant to be a place anyone can stumble into (or out of) and just relax, chat with friends and enjoy decompressing.

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

[A]: Three things come to mind:

Technical challenges. Yes. We all have them. My most popular comment on stream: “Is my audio okay?” That is because every program decides to change our audio settings on a whim.

Self-doubt and growth. It’s a hard thing to overcome sometimes. Being a part-time streamer is hard on the psyche, when your channel doesn’t grow at the rate you imagine it should, self-doubt creeps in and it can mess with creativity.

Time. I wish I had more time in the day to do all the things.

[Q]: What different channels do you have?

[A]: You can find me streaming on Twitch – @elgatopub
Cooking videos can be found on YouTube – @SeaofThievesCooking
Other content can be found on my website – elgatopub.com

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

[A]: Seeing the Shores of Gold for the first time. And seeing them again through a new crew’s eyes.

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

[A]: I love the diversity of things to do. I absolutely adore the quality-of-life updates. I can now say things like “Back in the day we had to sail all the way to the other side of the map through storms, uphill, both ways, and could only sell one gem at a time… also through storms”.

I’m looking forward to someday having Photo Mode and possibly a brawler mode where all weapons can be put away and we can brawl in the taverns. Would love to have a Grog-Fueled Punchy Pirate Tourney! Oh, and recipes in game would be a wonderful addition, of course.

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

[A]: Creating in-game contests that are engaging and really bring things to life. I like it when we can break the fourth wall with events and somehow give those who are in my events the feeling that it’s not just in-game. For Cat Fight Nights I had welcome boxes, VIP Fighter Badges with lanyards, T-shirts, hand towels and shot glasses made. Everyone who registered got a kit, and I ended up with quite a write-up in Forbes magazine.

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

[A]: I have always wanted to open a pub or food truck, and I love cats. My pub would be serving tacos, tequila and beer and would of course have a pub cat lounging lazily on the bar while patrons would shuffle in and out. El Gato Pub was born.

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

[A]: Oh, well... I wish I could be doing all of it at once, but in this order: enjoying quiet time and watching TV with Mr. Shredz, gaming, cooking, planning for more content, traveling, scuba diving, fishing, reading, and occasionally golfing.

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

[A]: Plan. Plan. Prepare. When you plan your content, and prepare for issues, you can easily pivot when things go sideways. When I first started streaming, my audio was simply a nightmare. But I planned events down to the smallest detail along with all the timing. So, when things went awry, which they did, they were more like hiccups than full-blown emergencies.

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

[A]: Don’t give up. Remember that life happens, don’t give up when it gets in the way, pivot to a new goal. Be patient. Don’t expect everything to happen at once and be aware that growth takes time and effort. Don’t set unrealistic goals.

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

[A]: I have a certificate in Tequila and am just a few hours short of being a Tequila Sommelier.

That’s all for this Spotlight! Huge thanks to Shredz for taking the time to talk to us, we’re excited to see what those next events have in store along with any more delicious recipes on the horizon! If you’re interested in streaming and maybe being part of the Stream Team next year, you can sign up for the Sea of Thieves Creator Crew and keep an eye out for announcements. And check out the current Community Stream Team!

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!