Ultima stands as a monumental pillar in the realm of PC gaming, with Richard ‘Lord British’ Garriott’s roleplaying series pioneering paths across various genres. The core CRPGs have garnered widespread acclaim for their intricate and dynamic universes, while notable spinoffs such as Ultima Underworld and Ultima Online have played pivotal roles in shaping immersive simulations and massively multiplayer online games (MMOs). The legacy of Ultima continues to resonate today, with Ultima 7 serving as a significant source of inspiration for Larian Studios in the creation of acclaimed titles like Divinity: Original Sin and Baldur’s Gate 3.
However, it has been quite some time since Ultima itself has been an active franchise. The rights to the series have resided with Electronic Arts since 1992, when Garriott sold Origin Systems, the developer behind Ultima, to the publisher. Although some commendable entries, particularly Ultima Online, emerged post-acquisition, the series has largely remained dormant under EA’s stewardship, aside from a few unsuccessful ventures such as Lord of Ultima in 2010 and Ultima Forever in 2013.
Potential Revival on the Horizon
Recent developments suggest that this status quo may soon shift, as control of the series could revert back to Garriott. Inside Games’ Brian Gaar recently uncovered that EA has filed new trademarks related to the Ultima series, prompting him to reach out to Garriott for insights. Garriott disclosed that he has made numerous attempts to revive Ultima during EA’s ownership, stating, “Every decade or so, I tried to work with EA on a revival of Ultima. They always seemed interested enough to start talking, then abandoned talks just as quickly.”
Now, however, Garriott is on the verge of reclaiming the copyright to the series from EA, thanks to a provision in U.S. copyright law that permits creators—or their heirs—to regain rights to a copyrighted work after a span of 35 years. Given that Garriott sold the Ultima rights to EA in 1992, he is poised to reclaim those rights in 2027. “And so, I have been waiting… finally, the time has come!” Garriott expressed to Inside Gaming.
It is essential to note that while Garriott is regaining the copyright to Ultima, the trademark remains with EA. This means that he cannot simply produce a game titled “Ultima.” However, he could potentially create a title with a slight variation, such as “Lord British’s Ultima,” which appears to be his intended direction. “Lord British’s Ultima will regain all the copyrights of my original work,” Garriott stated. “What it will become is the next challenge.”
The timing for an Ultima revival seems fortuitous, as developers like Larian and Owlcat have demonstrated that intricately detailed CRPGs can achieve remarkable success. Whether this aligns with Garriott’s vision remains to be seen. He may share further insights at this year’s Dragon Con, where he plans to have “more thoughts together” regarding the implications of reclaiming the rights to Ultima.
