Garriott could reclaim Ultima rights in 2027 after EA talks stall

Richard Garriott’s long-shot return to Ultima just hit a calendar date that could matter more than any pitch meeting. After years of stalled conversations with Electronic Arts, 2027 is the first year Garriott could try to claw back the underlying rights to the series he created, opening a rare legal path toward a revival.

Garriott said he has tried roughly once a decade to work with EA on bringing Ultima back, only to watch the talks begin with interest and then fade. That history matters because the clock is now tied to federal copyright law, not just business appetite. Under section 203 of the Copyright Act, authors can terminate certain grants during a five-year window that begins 35 years after the grant was executed, as long as formal notice rules are met. The U.S. Copyright Office says that rule applies to grants executed by the author on or after January 1, 1978.

For Garriott, the key date is 1992, when he sold Origin Systems to EA. That makes 2027 the first year the 35-year window could open for him. If he moves within the statutory timeline, the result would not automatically be a new Ultima game, but it would be the biggest shift in the franchise’s legal status in decades.

Ultima is worth the fight because it is not just a name from the early PC era. The series began in 1981 with Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, and by 1997 it had sold more than 2 million copies. Its influence runs through classic role-playing design and into Ultima Underworld and Ultima Online, two touchstones that helped shape immersive sims and MMOs long after the original boxed games disappeared from store shelves.

Even if Garriott regains copyright, the comeback would still face a major obstacle: trademark ownership is separate. EA could keep control of the Ultima name even if the game copyrights revert, which means any revival might need a different title, or a spiritual successor that carries the world and legacy without the exact brand. That distinction turns 2027 into something more precise than nostalgia. It could be the start of a negotiation window, not a guaranteed rebirth.

EA’s own filings suggest the company still sees value in locking down the mark. Public trademark records show new ULTIMA applications filed on June 10 and June 11, 2026, including goods and services tied to downloadable computer game software and online entertainment services. If Garriott does get a legal opening next year, the real battle will not just be about reclaiming a classic. It will be about whether the series can return at all without first wrestling the name away from EA’s control.