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Richard Garriott Says He Is Seeking to Reclaim Ultima Copyrights From EA

Richard Garriott says he is seeking to reclaim the Ultima copyrights from EA, but no transfer or new game has been confirmed.
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Richard Garriott says he notified Electronic Arts in April 2026 that he intended to reclaim the copyrights to Ultima. The transfer has not been completed: GamesRadar reported that EA still held the rights while the two sides discussed what to do next. Garriott has floated re-releasing early games or making sequels, but neither a new project nor a release date has been announced.

What Garriott told EA

Garriott co-founded Origin Systems with his brother and father. In 1992, the studio and the Ultima intellectual property were sold to EA, according to GamesRadar’s report.

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In an interview with Jesse Petrilla, Garriott said he told EA in April 2026 that he would take the copyrights back. He said EA replied that it knew the law and would act accordingly, and that the two sides were actively discussing whether to work together. GamesRadar reported that EA remained the rights holder when its story was published, so this is an announced intent and ongoing discussion—not a completed handover.

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Copyright and trademark are different

PC Gamer reported on June 20, 2026, that the expected copyright reversion could happen in 2027. It also distinguished the copyright from the Ultima trademark, which it said EA still owns. That distinction matters: a change in copyright ownership would not, by itself, establish that Garriott could immediately market a game using the Ultima name. The timing and trademark status are reported by PC Gamer; they are not an independently verified legal determination.

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Could more Ultima games happen?

Garriott told GamesRadar that regaining rights could allow him to re-release early Ultima games or make sequels. He also said he was talking with EA about whether the two sides should work together. Those are possibilities, not announcements: there is no confirmed game, title, publisher, platform, or release window.

For now, the meaningful development is the stated effort to reclaim the copyrights and the discussions with EA. Whether that leads to accessible re-releases or a new RPG—and how the trademark would be handled—remains unsettled.

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