The Monkey Island creator’s relationship with Rare is questionable, but Gilbert was keen to put the story to rest.

Rare’s pirate game Sea of Thieves appeared during the Xbox Games Showcase. As this game has already been released, it’s way ahead of Ubisoft’s Skull & Bones, which will soon be back in closed beta (end of August). Rare, part of Xbox Game Studios, is trying to keep its live service game alive and therefore receives frequent updates, such as a Monkey Island-themed add-on.

Ron Gilbert worked on the first two Monkey Island games. He co-wrote the first with LucasArts colleagues Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer and returned to the IP last year with Return to Monkey Island. He was asked on Mastodon if he knew the DLC. He replied, “Nope. It was all done without my knowledge or input. [I] wasn’t even told about it. [It] happened behind my back.” In 2019, Gilbert and Devolver Digital agreed with Disney to make a new game, but “The Mouse Empire” retained the IP, so they could decide whether Microsoft could use the intellectual property.

Gilbert later wrote in an email to PCGamer that Disney owned all the rights and could do what they wanted, but earlier responses from Mastodon suggested he had no idea. He also clarified it on Mastodon, as not everything was clear: “I was given a heads up [about the DLC] before the announcement, but [I] wasn’t allowed to be meaningfully involved. I do wish the game well. I love Monkey Island.” But Microsoft and Rare could have approached Gilbert to work together or at least get some ideas from him that they could have used.

The Sea of Thieves Monkey Island DLC will be released on July 20.

Source: PCGamer