Key Notes
- Richard Garriott says copyrights to his original Ultima work will return from EA in 2027 without a buyback payment, and he is discussing possible collaborations with the publisher.
- The expected copyright return does not establish ownership of the Ultima trademark or every later game, while the precise scope of the arrangement remains unclear.
- Reissues and sequels are among Garriott’s ambitions, but no new game, remaster, supported platforms or release schedule has been announced.
Ultima creator Richard Garriott says he will regain copyrights to his original work in 2027, potentially giving him a route to reissue older games and develop new projects in the influential role-playing series.
In a TechJesse interview published on October 5, Garriott said he had contacted Electronic Arts about the return and was discussing possible collaborations with the publisher. He described a copyright reversion without a buyback payment, rather than a purchase of the franchise.
Reissues and Sequels Are Possibilities, Not Announced Games
Garriott sold Origin Systems to EA in 1992. The 2027 timetable falls 35 years after that transaction, the period he cited when explaining how US copyright law could allow him to recover rights he previously assigned.
He said he contacted EA in April and received an acknowledgment that the company would act in accordance with the law. That account comes from Garriott; the interview does not include the correspondence or a detailed rights agreement.
For players, his stated ambitions are straightforward: bring earlier Ultima games back out and have more control over what comes next. He said discussions with EA were continuing, leaving open the possibility of working with the publisher after the rights return.
There is no announced sequel, remaster, development team or release schedule attached to those discussions. The 2027 date concerns his expected return of copyrights, rather than the launch of a new Ultima game.
Copyrights and the Ultima Trademark Are Separate
The distinction between the underlying creative work and the Ultima brand matters. In June, PC Gamer reported Garriott’s earlier account of reclaiming copyrights to his original work, while noting that EA would retain the trademark. His latest interview does not establish a transfer of that brand name.
The statutory rules are also more specific than an automatic return of an entire franchise after 35 years. Section 203 provides a termination process for qualifying copyright grants made by authors, excludes works made for hire and preserves certain uses of existing authorized derivative works.
Its general notice requirement is two to ten years before termination, with the notice recorded at the Copyright Office before it takes effect. Garriott described giving one year’s warning. The interview does not supply enough contractual or notice detail to reconcile those accounts or establish the precise scope of the arrangement.
That leaves important questions about which games, assets and territories would be covered. A return of copyrights in his original work would not, by itself, establish ownership of every later Ultima production or every right associated with the series.
What a Return Could Mean for Ultima Players
Some of the catalog is already sold digitally. EA’s store page lists Ultima VII: The Complete Edition for PC through the EA app. The prospective rights change therefore should not be confused with the series becoming available again for the first time.
Reissues can mean different things, from repackaging an existing release to updating its compatibility or presentation. Garriott has not specified which approach he would take, so there is no basis yet to promise modern console versions, upgraded graphics or a particular storefront.
Older RPGs can still attract substantial renewed interest when a concrete release gives players a reason to return. We recently covered Alinea Analytics’ estimated audience surge following The Witcher 3 remaster. Ultima is at an earlier stage: Garriott has outlined possibilities, while the rights details and any playable projects still need to be established.
