Update: A PR representative for Gilbert’s studio Terrible Toybox reached out to GameRevolution, and issued the following statement:
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. He cares deeply about Monkey Island and wishes the team at Rare well with the project.
During Xbox’s Gaming Showcase over the weekend, a Sea of Thieves Monkey Island DLC crossover was announced. According to the creator of Monkey Island, however, he had no clue this was happening.
Ron Gilbert had no input in the Sea of Thieves DLC
Following the announcement of the crossover DLC, users celebrated at the seemingly perfect mix of both video games. Over on the social media site Mastodon, some fans began asking if Ron Gilbert — who created the first two Monkey Island games — had anything to do with making the connection.
According to Gilbert, though, he wasn’t even aware this was happening.
“Nope. Wasn’t even told about it. Happened behind my back,” said Gilbert. The news shocked some fans, with some fans mentioning that it makes sense given the characters and story of the DLC, which features content from Monkey Island games that Gilbert did not work on.
Gilbert was also asked if he’d be working on the DLC in any capacity and said that since it was done without his “knowledge or input,” he wouldn’t be.
Gilbert’s history in the world of video games is long, but he is best known for his time at LucasArts, where he worked while creating the first two Monkey Island games. After the company in 1995, Gilbert wouldn’t have a hand in many of the Monkey Island games that followed but did return to the franchise, serving as director, designer, and writer of 2022’s Return to Monkey Island, which was developed by Terrible Toybox and published by Devolver Digital.
The Sea of Thieves and Monkey Island crossover is set to release into the game for free on July 23, 2023.
