Multiple new trademark filings suggest that Electronic Arts may have some plans involving a classic gaming franchise that has been mostly dormant for the last two decades.

New EA Trademark Filings for Ultima

In the late 80s and early 90s the Ultima franchise was one of the most exciting series for fans of RPGs. The franchise has been mostly dormant since Ultima IX: Ascension released in 1999. That said, a new trademark filing is giving longtime fans of the series a spark of hope.

The new trademark filings were spotted by The Phrase Maker and included two fresh trademarks. According to the initial report, there were two new trademarks filed under Ultima this week.

“Class 0411 and the other under Class 0092… Class 0411 protects Ultima as an online computer game, while Class 009 encompasses downloadable video games.”

Fans of the series should definitely note that new trademark filings are far from a confirmation of a new project. There are a lot of reasons that Electronic Arts could be filing these trademarks now and they don’t all necessary relate to a remake, rerelease, remaster, or new installment in the series.

The report on The Phrase Maker suggests that the trademarks are a strong indicator, because they “protect the IP in the modern gaming landscape.” That said, Electronic Arts has not made any official announcements around the Ultima franchise and did not promote any upcoming projects in the recent Summer Game Fest showcase or any of the other game showcases that took place across the industry last week.

If the Ultima franchise did attempt another comeback, it would be very interesting to see how Electronic Arts would approach the franchise. Nostalgic retro gaming fans likely have a lot of brand loyalty to the series, but for a younger generation of gamers the series is a bit of an unknown. The RPG landscape has also evolved a lot since the game’s last successful installment, so it would be interesting to see what sort of gameplay mechanics a modern take on Ultima would lean into.

If there is a new project in the works and EA is just updating trademark filings at this point, it could be a long time before the next bit of news arrives.

Be sure to check back in the near future for more updates on the Ultima franchise and other retro gaming news.

At this point, there has been no confirmation of a new Ultima game or remaster/remake.