"It's been nine years since Ultima Online first proved that online games could be very popular," said EA Mythic General Manager, Mark Jacobs. "And now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the UO team and the support of the players over the years, a new day is dawning for this groundbreaking game."

The new graphics engine will maintain the game's original perspective while giving it a bold new look that takes advantage of 3D-accelerated special effects. The team is busy re-drawing more than 9,000 pieces of art with which the entire map of Ultima Online -- more than 14 million tiles -- will be re-built, giving the whole game a vibrant new look.

Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn is also a full-featured expansion pack with a wide array of new content and features that will be announced later this year. The new expansion will include a playable race, and add to or enhance many of the key features of Ultima Online: epic battles versus powerful monsters, deep dangerous dungeons, player-versus-player combat, creative housing design, crafting, and much more.

EA Mythic, formerly Mythic Entertainment, and the Ultima Online team are working together to bring about one of the most ambitious upgrades of any operating MMORPG. Created in such a way that current players who choose not to upgrade will be able to play without interruption, Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn will ship in 2007 for PC.

Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

For more information about Ultima Online, please visit www.uo.com.