Richard Garriott Says He’s Moving to Reclaim Ultima Copyright From EA in 2027

Richard Garriott has given a clearer explanation of how he intends to regain control of the Ultima copyright from Electronic Arts. Garriott says he has notified EA that he plans to reclaim the copyright in 2027, 35 years after selling Origin Systems to the publisher in 1992.

The key point is that this concerns copyright, not the Ultima trademark. EA still owns the trademark, which means the name itself remains a separate issue even if Garriott succeeds in recovering copyright rights tied to the original works.

Garriott has not said what he would actually do with the copyright if the process goes through. That could mean anything from pursuing re-releases to developing something new, but no project, platform, release plan, or partner has been announced.

There are also some practical questions still hanging over the situation. Garriott says EA is in talks with him about possible limitations and related details, so this doesn’t sound like a finished handoff yet. It’s also unclear how much of the broader Ultima library would be affected, especially given the trademark split and the long history of the series under both Origin and EA.

Garriott’s most recent major game was Shroud of the Avatar, while a later NFT-focused project did not make it to a full release. For now, the news is less “Ultima is back” and more “Garriott is trying to get the copyright back, and 2027 is the year to watch.”