Richard Garriott, creator of the Ultima role-playing game series, has confirmed that he is working on reclaiming the franchise's copyrights from Electronic Arts. According to him, he expects to officially receive them in 2027, after which he will be able to independently determine the future of the series, re-release old games, and even create sequels.
In an interview with Jesse Petryla, Garriott revealed that he sold Origin Systems to Electronic Arts back in 1992. However, American law provides for the possibility of reclaiming transferred copyrights after a certain period. The developer intends to use Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
According to Garriott, in April 2026, he notified EA of his intention to reclaim the rights to Ultima. The publisher responded that they are familiar with the relevant legislation and will act in accordance with it. Currently, the parties are discussing whether there is any point in further cooperation.
“In any case, I will regain control over the future of my key series,” the developer noted. He added that the return of rights will allow him to at least re-release early Ultima games, and potentially release new installments.
Garriott also touched on this topic at the Dragon Con event in Atlanta in September. During his presentation with developers Starr Long and Chris Spears, he expressed a desire to work again with the people who were involved in the creation of the original games. However, it is still unknown what the next project might be: a traditional single-player RPG or a multiplayer online game. According to the developer, “the best is yet to come.”
The return of copyrights does not automatically mean obtaining trademark rights to Ultima. In June, EA filed new trademark applications, so Garriott will not be able to simply release a game under the old name. As a possible solution, he is considering Lord British's Ultima – a reference to his famous in-game persona, Lord British.