As Season 11 bobs along, occasionally dipping below the waves so it can crash back above them in dramatic fashion, we’re slowly ticking off the usual Seasonal activities. But if there’s one thing that players keep asking about in our social replies that’s yet to make its debut, it’s Anti-Cheat. Good news you lot, that’s just arrived in the March update!
If there’s another thing we see the odd mention of (not so many it’s annoying, but just enough that it causes a little irritation right on the small of the back where you just can’t scratch no matter how well you contort, or how fancy your hook) it’s people wondering when the next Style of Thieves contest will be. Well get ready, because we’re about to write it… any second now…
Sea of Thieves Season 11’s Style of Thieves contest will take place from March 25th-28th!
Phew, there we go. Definitely the biggest secret we’ve had to hold on to for quite some time. Usual advice applies – while you’re more than welcome to try on some threads and take your pictures in advance, those four days, March 25th-28th, will open the 24-hour windows in which to enter this Season’s four themes via social media channels.
Once a theme opens for entry (you’ll know because we’ll make a post announcing it), it’s up to you to share your stylish screenshots, including the name of the theme you’re entering and any other relevant information. Scroll down and read the How to Enter section for a rundown of the full rules and advice.
Once a theme has closed, our crew will pore over every entry to select the sailors they feel found the most fascinating fits (by their questionable taste, at least). That list is then chiselled into stone and dropped onto the desk of the nearest member of our Art team, with potentially destructive results. Regardless of whether their desk survives, they’ll have the final decision on up to 21 winning pirates.
Three winners per category, meaning 12 entries total, will take home a pair of the Fashionista’s Finery Gloves – and for the first time in a main Style of Thieves contest, one of our categories is open to groups of three and four pirates! The plan is then to announce the winning pirates via social channels on April 4th. And remember – even if you don’t win, it’s all a bit of fun, and we hope you enjoy exploring some fresh looks for your pirate.
Right, let’s talk about what we want you to dress up like this time…
The Themes
Each theme will start at 10am UTC on the dates detailed below with entries accepted via a variety of social media channels for a full 24 hours.
Red Carpet
Embrace the glamorous side of the whole pirating business and dress to impress with an outfit designed for striking a pose every five seconds.
Entry date: March 25th
Castaway
from torn sleeves to scraggly beards, reject hygiene and tell us a tale of survival through slovenly style.
Entry date: March 26th
Pop Band
Gather a group of three or four pirates and select complementary clothing that would pop on a poster and have your fans fawning. The outfits simply need to give the impression of a musical group, and don’t need to be based on a real act. Please remember to name the other pirates you’re posing with.
Entry date: March 27th
Artist
From passionate painters to tortured souls, don some duds that express your pirates’ capacity for expression to the world.
Entry date: March 28th
Image credit: @destmorr on Twitter/X
How to Enter
Now into the part of the article that’s the same every time. We’ve got eyes everywhere, in a nice ‘enter however you feel comfortable’ kind of way, so you’re free to submit on a variety of social channels. That said, each comes with its own quirks as follows:
- To enter on Twitter/X, make sure you include @SeaOfThieves and #StyleOfThieves in your post.
- For Instagram, you just need to post using #StyleOfThieves.
- Add your entry as a reply to that day’s theme post on Facebook.
- Post your entry with #StyleOfThieves in the #pirate-fashion channel of our official Discord server.
And regardless of where you’re sharing your entry, be sure to include the name of the theme you’re entering in your post, along with any extra info called for by the theme.
Rules of the Runway
We’ve put together some handy hints and rules to make sure you capture your pirate’s best side and don’t accidentally enter an ineligible picture:
- No Costumes on the catwalk – we want to see your creativity and individuality in how you mix and match items, so no all-in-one Costumes.
- Complete cosmetic sets are not permitted. Our artists designed those items to go together and, again, we want to see stylish creativity. Ideally, an outfit should contain no more than four items from the same named set, but as long as creativity from multiple styles is evident then your outfit will be accepted.
- Unless a theme calls for it, like the Pop Band theme in this Season, all shots should be solo pirates and not crews. Only the pirate(s) in the picture will be eligible for the prize.
- Find a simple or plain background to pose against to let your outfit pop. Backgrounds and locations will not be considered when judging the outfit.
- Lighting helps, so find a well-lit spot to fully peacock your picks. Coloured or tactical lighting won’t be considered part of the outfit.
- Toggle off your HUD for a clean snap and avoid a name getting in the way! If you haven’t set it, the Toggle HUD command can be assigned to a button from the HUD category of the Keyboard and Mouse or Controller area of your Settings menu.
- Screenshots should be a reflection of the game – no external editing or filters should be applied.
- Keep your submissions to a 16:9 or 1:1 ratio, making sure your entire outfit is in shot. This will help us when framing winners, and ensures a degree of parity when comparing submissions.
- While you may use any emotes for your shot, any features added to the outfit via the emote (e.g. oars, weapons, sparklers) won’t be taken into consideration as part of an outfit during judging.
- One shortlist will be compiled per theme, using entries across all platforms, meaning it’s not necessary to post your submission to all channels. If you make sure you use the correct tags, we will see it!
- The unique prize means you can’t win more than once in Style of Thieves, but you’re more than welcome to continue entering for the fun of it!
Image credit: @Ankerwisp on Twitter/X
Right, done. That should be everything you need to know to enter the next round of Style of Thieves between March 25th and 28th, 2024. Time once more to find your frocks and ponder your pants, and we wish you good luck. Have fun!