Return to Monkey Island is bringing the series back after a 13-year hiatus but the reaction hasn't been as positive as you might expect. Fans are digging into creator Ron Gilbert, specifically for the art style, and sending so much abuse and harassment that he has shut down comments on his blog and vowed to stop talking about the game.
Gilbert opted for a cartoonish and stylised visual aesthetic, moving away from pixel art to avoid having Return to Monkey Island dubbed a "throwback game." This is something he and Dave Grossman discussed when designing the comeback, but it upset fans so much that they started bombarding Gilbert with toxicity.
Earlier this year, Gilbert even addressed the backlash directly, "It's ironic that the people who don't want me to make the game I want to make are some of the hardcore Monkey Island fans. And that is what makes me sad about all the comments."
As Guybrush Threepwood actor Dominic Armato highlighted, the toxicity got so bad that Gilbert shut down his blog's comments: "People are just being mean and I'm having to delete personal attack comments," Gilbert wrote. "It's an amazing game and everyone on the team is very proud of it. Play it or don't play it but don't ruin it for everyone else. I won't be posting anymore about the game. The joy of sharing has been driven from me."
Gilbert has faced so much negativity that he is tired of talking about something he is deeply proud of, a truly upsetting sentiment that many have jumped to try and dissuade. "I hate it here," one commenter wrote. "We get a brand-new gorgeous Monkey Island some people just have to ruin it."
Another wrote, "The internet was a mistake. I'm really excited for the game and I can't understand why people choose to attack developers like this."