Why Another Monkey Island Game Is Harder Than Ever to Make
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Series creator Ron Gilbert explains that corporate red tape and publishing hurdles make a new Monkey Island game unlikely anytime soon, prompting his indie studio to self-finance Thimbleweed Park 2 instead.
Getting another adventure in the iconic Monkey Island series off the ground is a massive hurdle, according to creator Ron Gilbert. In a recent interview with Bloomberg highlighted by Polygon, Gilbert explained that navigating the corporate structures required to build a sequel today is a logistical maze. Because Disney holds the intellectual property rights and prefers partnering with large corporate publishers rather than boutique indie studios directly, any future project requires intermediaries like Devolver Digital to bridge the gap.
This corporate red tape is a major reason why Gilbert decided to completely bypass traditional publishers for his next project, Thimbleweed Park 2. Instead of signing a restrictive deal with a major publisher, his indie team at Terrible Toybox secured funding through a private investor. Gilbert noted that this alternative financing model offers a much fairer split for the developers, allowing the studio to retain creative freedom without sacrificing profits to a middleman.
While a new Monkey Island installment sits on hold indefinitely due to these corporate realities, fans of classic point-and-click adventures can look forward to Thimbleweed Park 2 heading to PC in early 2028. It highlights a broader shift in how indie developers are looking outside standard publishing pipelines to sustain themselves, proving that making games on your own terms often requires creative financial solutions.
Tags: Monkey Island, Indie Games, Game Development, Polygon
Original article: Polygon