Ultima fans may finally have a reason to get excited about the future of the classic RPG series. Richard Garriott, its creator, expects to regain control of the franchise’s copyrights from Electronic Arts in 2027, potentially opening the door to re-releases of older games and even new sequels.
Garriott shared the news during an interview with Jesse Petrilla, as reported by Video Games Chronicle. For those unfamiliar with the series’ history, Garriott sold Origin Systems, the studio behind Ultima, to EA in 1992 for $30 million. The publisher continued releasing games in the franchise throughout the 1990s, including the influential MMO Ultima Online, but the relationship eventually came to an end. EA canceled Origin’s projects in 2000, and Garriott subsequently left the company.
So how does Garriott plan to get the rights back without buying them from EA? The answer lies in Section 203 of the US Copyright Act, which allows qualifying authors to terminate certain copyright transfers after 35 years. Garriott says he submitted the necessary notice in April 2026, with EA acknowledging his request. The process does not require him to purchase the rights back, and he expects the relevant copyrights to officially revert to him in 2027.
That does not necessarily mean Garriott and EA will go their separate ways for good. He revealed that he is in active discussions with the publisher about whether they could collaborate on Ultima projects before the rights return to him. Nothing has been announced, so it remains unclear whether those conversations will lead anywhere, but the possibility of cooperation means EA may not be entirely absent from the franchise’s future.
What Garriott might do once he regains control is the more interesting question. He has discussed re-releasing the earlier games and creating sequels, giving him the opportunity to revisit the series that helped establish his reputation as a pioneering RPG designer. Garriott described the prospect as regaining control over “the future of my seminal product line,” adding that he has most of a year to work out what that future could look like.
There is certainly plenty of history to revisit. The last mainline entry, Ultima IX: Ascension, launched in 1999, and subsequent revival attempts have done little to restore the series to its former prominence. One of the more notable efforts was Ultima Forever, a free-to-play game released in 2013 that ultimately failed to establish a lasting comeback. For a franchise that once stood among the most influential names in computer RPGs, the prolonged absence of a major new entry has been particularly noticeable.
Garriott has hardly been idle during that time, either. After leaving Origin, he co-founded Destination Games, which partnered with NCsoft to develop the MMO Tabula Rasa, released in 2007 before its servers shut down in 2009. He also made headlines in 2008 by spending 12 days aboard the International Space Station as a private astronaut.
Ultima helped shape the RPG genre through its approach to exploration, world-building, and player freedom, leaving a legacy that extends well beyond its original releases. Whether Garriott ultimately revisits the classics, develops new adventures, or pursues both possibilities, regaining the copyrights could give the series a new opportunity to move forward under its creator’s direction.
There are still no confirmed games or release plans to announce, but with 2027 on the horizon, the future of Ultima is becoming a little more interesting. After years away from the spotlight, the series could finally have another chance to continue its story.