Community Spotlight - Arianwen

We're heading into winter, it's cold and dark outside and you may be wishing that you really were doing some sightseeing over in The Devil's Roar. Alternatively, you could just find a comfy seat by a fire and some solid reading material, which we can certainly provide with our latest Community Spotlight!

In this Spotlight we're speaking to a big Sea of Thieves fan and talented artist Arianwen. Owner of DeliriouStudios, Arianwen has made waves on social media with some 'humerus' Sea of Thieves art and comic strips. Of course, being the nosey lot we are, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get in touch and learn more about Arianwen and her work.

[Q]: Tell us a little about what got you into gaming!

[A]: I've been exposed to gaming since I was a toddler, my dad has a PS1 and I'd happily watch him play and join him when I was old enough to understand how. In my teens I played PS2 and Wii games but didn't get into gaming until my boyfriend at the time gave me his old gaming laptop. It was then that I was exposed to the wonders of PC gaming where I eventually met my partner in League of Legends.

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

[A]: I honestly didn't know Rare existed until I was introduced to Sea of Thieves!

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

[A]: I am currently gaming the heck out of World of Warcraft's new expansion! I am playing a Highmountain Tauren Monk and a Nightborne Warlock. Though my favourite games of all time are definitely Skyrim and Okami!

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

[A]: My partner was very interested in Sea of Thieves and followed its development though social media up until its release. It was through him that I heard about it and wasn't that interested to begin with, but as the release date drew nearer the hype increased and he bought us both the game.

[Q]: You've done some great illustrations from what we've seen! Where did this all start for you?

[A]: It all started before The Hungering Deep event when there were about a dozen sharks in the sea. I threatened to make a comic about a friend who kept falling off the ship and dying to sharks before he could mermaid back. It was becoming a meme amongst our crew so I decided to feature him in my first comic. I shared it on a Sea of Thieves Facebook group and everyone loved it which encouraged me to make more about other fun adventures we had.

[Q]: We've noticed your style is also well-defined. How did you settle on it and what process do you go through when creating new artwork?

[A]: My normal style is completely different to my comics and wouldn't match the derpy/meme theme I wanted to create in these comics. So a massive inspiration for the style was from a well-known comic artist, most people have probably already seen some of her work online. She goes by the name of Sarah's Scribbles on Facebook. So you can thank her for the stubby bodies and goofy eyes in my comics!

[Q]: Which of your illustrations was the most fun to work on, and why?

[A]: It's hard to pick, but I have two main favourites. Comics no. 6 "Sneak Thief" and 7 "Oh hi, Karen" were a lot of fun to make and had me smiling throughout making them. The goofiness of the characters is a lot of fun to make and it's great to see how extra derpy I can make their expressions.

[Q]: Any plans for where you'll take DeliriouStudios next?

[A]: Well, at the moment my work towards Sea of Thieves comics is at a standstill until I start my new job soon. After things have settled down I may pick up my tablet again and make some more!

[Q]: Do you have any standout Sea of Thieves moments?

[A]: One of the best things that ever happened to me in Sea of Thieves I did make into a comic! The fifth comic in my series tells the story of when me and my crew managed to defend a Fort against this other Galleon, we sank them and defeated the Fort. The opposing crew started to chase us so we ran with the loot, but we were getting bored of being chased so I decided it would be a great idea to throw a powder keg off the back of the ship. As I did that the Meg spawned... and swam behind us in the path of the keg and soaked up the explosion. She was so angry BUT instead of attacking us, she bee-lined to the opposing Galleon and attacked, giving us enough time to hand in our loot at the next Outpost!

[Q]: What are you looking forward to most in Sea of Thieves' future?

[A]: Probably patches that don't break the game every week lol (Good lord, the absolute savagery – Rare) and pets of course!

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

[A]: I enjoy collecting achievements in World of Warcraft, especially the "Glory of the Raider" achievements where you complete certain objectives that you wouldn't normally do while defeating bosses in raids. So far I have "Glory of the Argus Raider", "Glory of the Hellfire Raider" and "Glory of the Thundering Raider". Each achievement awards a special mount so you can flex at other players that you put yourself through way more stress than it was probably worth!

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

[A]: It would have to be Crusty Jack as that's the name my partner gave his pirate.

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

[A]: When you make me think about it I really don't do much outside of gaming! But I obviously draw, and I keep geckos as well as tropical cichlid fish. Me and my partner also go fishing when the weather's nice. And my cat's favourite hobby is to sit on my lap while I game, so by proxy I guess that is also my hobby.

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

[A]: My in-game pirate is male which really confuses random people when I use game chat. Also being female has saved my booty as well as my ship more times than I can count!

Thus concludes another Community Spotlight. Thanks to Arianwen for chatting with us and for the awesome art she creates for fans and players to enjoy. We look forward to seeing more in the future! We'll be back soon with another Spotlight primed on a member of the Sea of Thieves community, but until then be sure to stay up to date on all of the latest from us through our official channels.

Catch you next time!