In late September, Phoenix Online Studios was forced to suspend development of its unofficial fan-made sequel, King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has a Silver Lining, after receiving a cease and desist order by the franchise's copyright holder, Vivendi Universal. By that point, the first of three planned installments was already well along in development, and the ambitious project was looking promising. The decision by Vivendi, though well within their legal right to enforce, was naturally met with a disappointed and disgusted public outcry by adventure fans longing for a return to the familiar world first established by Sierra over twenty years ago.

To the surprise of many, Vivendi has now granted a fan license for continuation of the project, with the stipulation that the King's Quest name be removed from the title. While retaining the same characters and environments, the game will now be called The Silver Lining.