Ron Gilbert, the original creator of the iconic Monkey Island adventure game series, has stated that developing a new installment would be a "really complicated" undertaking. This complexity stems largely from the need to involve numerous companies, a factor that influenced his approach to his next project, Thimbleweed Park 2.
In a recent interview, Gilbert elaborated on the challenges of reviving Monkey Island. The most recent entry, 2022's Return to Monkey Island, was published by Devolver Digital and required significant involvement from Disney, the current rights holder of the series. Gilbert explained that Disney's corporate structure and preference for working with large entities necessitate additional intermediaries, such as a publisher like Devolver, making the process more intricate.
"Disney, just because of the way they are, they like to work with large companies," Gilbert told Bloomberg. "They would not work with me directly, which means there would have to be somebody else like a Devolver in the mix for the whole thing. It just gets really complicated."
Gilbert also expressed dissatisfaction with current publishing deals available to independent developers. Consequently, for Thimbleweed Park 2, he opted for direct funding from a wealthy investor rather than pursuing a traditional publishing agreement. This arrangement, he noted, is more equitable, allowing for a quicker return for the investor and a reasonable subsequent profit split.
While a new Monkey Island game is not on the immediate horizon, Thimbleweed Park 2 is slated for a Windows PC release in early 2028. Return to Monkey Island remains accessible on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS devices.