Richard Garriott, the eccentric Lord British himself, has announced he will invoke a 35-year copyright termination clause next year to claw back control of the Ultima series from Electronic Arts without writing a check. EA acquired Origin Systems and the franchise in 1992 for roughly $30 million; Garriott has waited patiently since for the statutory window to open in 2027, citing repeated failed revival attempts where EA would express interest then ghost the talks. EA's recent trademark filings for downloadable video games and online computer games under the Ultima name only sharpened his resolve, though those protections will remain with the publisher.

The move lets Garriott reclaim copyrights to original stories, characters, art, code, and the distinctive look and feel from his era, but leaves the "Ultima" trademark firmly in EA's hands. Expect any new works to carry branding like "Lord British's Ultima" rather than the clean franchise title. Garriott told Inside Games he simply wants ownership of what he created and plans to share more concrete plans at Dragon Con later this year.

Community reactions on X and forums range from cautious optimism to outright skepticism, with some noting Garriott's post-Origin projects have struggled commercially while others celebrate a rare creator reclaiming leverage against a major publisher. The saga underscores how long-dormant IP can still spark real drama when legal quirks meet decades of neglect.