TwitchCon Europe 2019 Wrap-Up

This month TwitchCon expanded its horizons and set sail to Berlin so we shipped out there with Sea of Thieves too! We tasked Senior Community Manager Cameron and Senior Brand Producer Adam with recording our presence at the event and they delivered. So let’s hand things over to them…

Cameron: “With TwitchCon Europe 2019 being the first TwitchCon outside of the US, it was hard to know what to expect. We’d attended TwitchCon 2018 in San Jose not too long ago where we met a load of great streamers, but with us bringing something playable that many people hadn’t been hands-on with before, this was set to have a slightly different dynamic.  

“The pre-show nervousness that sometimes comes with demoing something to the public for the first time quickly disappeared as fans started to pour into the booth to test their skills in The Arena. I’d say that there are few things more satisfying than hearing the shouts, jubilation and joy coming from people who are playing something you’ve been working towards for such a long time, and TwitchCon Europe brought that feeling in spades (or in this case shovels?).

“Lucky for me, as the man tasked with looking after moderation of our live streams throughout the weekend, I had the pleasure of watching things unfold on Twitch whilst it all happened at the same time right next to me.

“Watching the likes of veteran Sea of Thieves players KaidaWrath and FOXDIE school everyone who faced them with pure skill (and some cunning use of the new harpoon), or the hilarity that ensued every time Doedelaar entered The Arena, and seeing the enjoyment people were getting out of it regardless of whether they were at the booth or watching at home was pretty special.

“Having said that, I’m not afraid to admit that mixed in with all of that was the fast-growing urge to make a mental note of who I need to crew up with in The Arena once it launches. It was both massively impressive and slightly horrifying to see how quickly some of you dominated the seas.

“Aside from seeing how everyone takes to the new stuff we have to show, just meeting the people who have supported and continue to support what we do is one of the best things about events like this. Catching up with familiar and new faces alike, hearing about the Sea of Thieves stories, strategies, cosplays or other plans they have for various community activities was a treat.

“The community has come a long way over the past few years and TwitchCon Europe really showed that. With the Anniversary Update coming very, very soon, it’s exciting to think about where it will go next!”

Adam: “TwitchCon Berlin was without doubt our most ambitious show floor experience yet – bringing an authentic slice of Sea of Thieves to Berlin both in terms of the first public view of The Arena in all its glory and an experiential build-out that was intended to immerse the attendees in our world.

“Based around a towering central structure, our design of the booth was such that it invited exploration and could be experienced from all vantage points, with the key element being a huge four-metre LED screen (requiring reinforcements to be installed to the roof to hold its weight) that faced the conference entrance and allowed us to broadcast out gameplay from two of the five teams playing, as well as running a ‘best of’ reel from our trailers to date. With key streamers scheduled and others turning up on the day, it allowed us to keep our Twitch channel alive and varied throughout the show and the sheer excitement of those playing is testament to the amazing experience!

“As well as the 20 Arena kiosks, we had a Sea of Thieves temporary tattoo artist who provided a massive draw to the stand and we built in numerous photo opportunities with our statues, The Arena brand ID (on a collapsed sail and mast/banners) and meet-and-greet Tavern area for those who wanted some time with the devs. A massive effort from those at Rare and our partner team at Envy (with over 60 construction workers on site Thursday and Friday), it’s safe to say we dominated the event and have hopefully helped contribute some further momentum to the Anniversary Update launch!”

Thanks to everyone who came by our rather magnificent booth and to those of you who watched online! Find out more about The Arena on our dedicated page and check it out when it arrives as part of our free Anniversary Update, coming to all Sea of Thieves players on April 30th.

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