Season 12's Style of Thieves Theme Reveal!

Whether it’s Season 12, launching on PlayStation®5, a recent Community Weekend, tweaks to ship speeds or the Emporium Extravaganza, it’s been an absolute onslaught of activities on the seas of late, but we still need to put a big tick in the Style of Thieves box before Season 13 rears its fiery beard on July 25th. So let’s get it in the diary now – how does July 8th–11th sound?

Well, it’s good for us, so we’re looking forward to the company of those who can join. While you’re more than welcome to select your clothes and snap your suits in advance, please note that only images submitted via social media within each theme’s 24-hour window will be accepted.

On each of the aforementioned days we will create a post across Sea of Thieves social channels declaring that a theme has begun. It’s then up to you to share your screenshots of surprising fashion, including the name of the theme you’re entering and any other relevant information (a couple of the themes this time need some additional details, so check before you share)! Scroll down and read the How to Enter section for a rundown of the full rules, as well as some helpful advice.

Once a theme’s 24-hour entry period has ended, our crew will scroll the digital catwalks and select the pirates they feel found the most fascinating fits. That list is then whispered into the ear of a passing parrot which is then trusted to deliver the information through squawked Morse code to the most approachable member of our Art team. As long as this bird-based message is communicated effectively, this far more artistically minded individual will have the final decision on the pirates who win this Season’s Style of Thieves prizes!

There will be three winners per category, meaning 12 entries total, and those lucky pirates will take home a pair of the elusive Fashionista’s Finery Gloves. The plan is to announce the winning pirates via social channels on July 18th, a week after the final theme takes place. And as always, a necessary reminder that even if you don’t win Style of Thieves, as with all of our social media contests, is intended to be about the fun first and foremost. More than anything, we hope you enjoy messing about with your pirate’s wardrobe.

And speaking of clothes containers, here are your points of inspiration we’re asking you to pick some fits for this time around:

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.

Superhero
Pick a costume and a name to match your pirate’s new justice-seeking persona! Make sure you state what your hero name would be when you share your entry.
Entry date: July 8th

Seven Deadly Sins
Gluttony, Anger, Envy, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Greed offer a range of twisted angles for pirates happy to embrace their darker side. Remember to state your outfit’s inspiration when you share your entry.
Entry date: July 9th

Monochrome
Find a focused fit designed around a single shade for this minimalist-minded theme.
Entry date: July 10th

Gaudy
From flashy rings to oversized pantaloons, push the idea of restraint from your mind and embrace your pirate’s most lavish looks, coherence be damned.
Entry date: July 11th

How to Enter

Now into the part of the article that’s the same every time, including the sentence you just read. 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 X/Twitter, 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, 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, including your shoes! 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!

There we are, the details of the next Style of Thieves contest are now known in more places than one little spot in the Midlands, and we’ll see the fashion-minded freebooters among you between July 8th and 11th 2024. Find your frocks, ponder your pants, have fun and good luck!