Ron Gilbert didn’t know about Sea of Thieves’ Monkey Island crossover
polygon.comThe latest Sea of Thieves story expansion, The Legend of Monkey Island, sets sail on June 20, but it seems someone forgot to mention this to Ron Gilbert, head developer and writer for the Monkey Island series. According to a Mastodon thread, Gilbert wasn’t told about the development of this upcoming story, stating “Wasn’t even told about it. Happened behind my back.”
Although Gilbert is credited as the creator of the classic adventure game series, ownership of the Monkey Island franchise technically belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney, which aren’t obligated to ask for Gilbert’s consent.
While the lack of communication on the part of Disney is disappointing, according to a report by Eurogamer, Sea of Thieves developer, Terrible Toybox has stated that “Disney did give him a heads-up on the project as a courtesy, but the game was well into development at that point and he wasn’t given the opportunity to be meaningfully involved.”
This isn’t the first time the Monkey Island series has left port without its captain. The Curse of Monkey Island, Escape from Monkey Island, and Tales of Monkey Island, were all developed without Gilbert at the helm but were made with his prior knowledge.
Regardless of who’s at fault here, it’s a bit sad to see the series’ creator left out of the loop in what otherwise looks like a fitting homage to slapstick on the high seas.
The reveal trailer, which was part of the June 11 Xbox Showcase, shows off a recreation of Mêlée Island, complete with nods to the iconic items, locations, and characters of the franchise.
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