The Ultima series, which influenced countless role-playing games, is finally getting a chance to return to the market. Series founder Richard Garriott has revealed that he expects to reclaim the series rights from Electronic Arts (EA) in 2027. Garriott sold Origin Systems and the Ultima rights to EA back in 1992, after which the series gradually faded away, with the final mainline title, Ultima IX, releasing in 1999. Now, after all these years, the series that helped establish the foundation for classic RPGs is finally seeing a chance at revival.
Creators Have Opportunity to Reclaim Their Work
Garriott explained that under U.S. copyright law, creators can terminate original transfers after holding copyright for 35 years. He notified EA in April 2026 of his intention to reclaim the Ultima rights, and EA responded that they understand the legal arrangement. Both parties are still discussing whether there’s potential for future cooperation, but Garriott confirmed the rights are expected to formally return to him in 2027. Being able to regain control of his work’s future is an important step for him—after all, a classic series sitting dormant for years has left fans waiting and wondering if it had entered permanent hibernation.
Remasters, Re-releases, or Even New Sequels Could Be on the Way!
Garriott stated that after reclaiming the rights, he could at minimum re-release early titles, and wouldn’t rule out developing new sequels to bring Ultima back to players. However, no new projects have been announced yet, and specific directions remain to be seen. It’s worth noting that copyright and trademark aren’t exactly the same—even if Garriott reclaims some copyright, EA may still hold trademark rights to the Ultima name, meaning there are some practical limitations on how future works can be named and released. The chance for a classic RPG revival is indeed here, but players shouldn’t pop the champagne just yet—there’s still likely a long road ahead before they can actually play a new title.