Mythic Entertainment
| Company type | Subsidiary (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Interworld Productions |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Mark Jacobs, Rob Denton |
| Defunct | 2014-05-29 |
| Fate | Shut down by Electronic Arts |
| Successor | Broadsword (for Dark Age of Camelot) |
| Headquarters | Fairfax, Virginia , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mark Jacobs (co-founder), Rob Denton (co-founder, later leader) |
| Products | Dark Age of Camelot, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Aliens Online, Darkness Falls: The Crusade, ID4 Online, Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatari, Dungeon Keeper (mobile) |
| Owner | Electronic Arts |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Mythic Entertainment—previously known as BioWare Mythic, EA Mythic, Inc., and Interworld Productions—was a United States-based video game developer located in Fairfax, Virginia. The company gained prominence for its 2001 release, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Dark Age of Camelot. Established during the mid-1990s, Mythic concentrated on creating multiplayer online gaming experiences.
Electronic Arts declared the shutdown of the EA Mythic studio in Fairfax on May 29, 2014,[1] thereby ceasing its operations. Despite this closure, the game Dark Age of Camelot remains active under Broadsword, a newly established studio formed by former Mythic employees, which also oversees Ultima Online. As of 2025, the Mythic brand continues to be a registered trademark owned by EA.
History
Mythic's roots trace back to two companies from the Washington, DC area: Adventures Unlimited Software Inc. (AUSI), founded in 1984 by Mark Jacobs and recognized for early online RPG titles such as Aradath and an online adaptation of Diplomacy; and Interesting Systems, Inc. (ISI), established in 1990 by Rob Denton and associates in Fairfax, Virginia. ISI developed the multi-user BBS text-based RPG Tempest, which was later renamed Darkness Falls and served as the foundation for Dark Age of Camelot.
In 1995, AUSI and ISI combined forces to create Interworld Productions, which was rebranded as Mythic Entertainment in November 1997. During the late 1990s, Mythic produced several online titles including Silent Death Online, Magestorm Millennium, and Darkness Falls: The Crusade.
Mythic launched its inaugural MMORPG, Dark Age of Camelot, in 2001. On June 20, 2006, Electronic Arts acquired Mythic and renamed it EA Mythic.[2] The company reverted to the Mythic Entertainment name in July 2008,[3] the same year it released its second MMORPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, in September.
In June 2009, as part of a reorganization within EA, Mythic merged with BioWare to form a new RPG/MMO division overseen by BioWare General Manager Dr. Ray Muzyka.[4] At this juncture, Mark Jacobs left EA and Rob Denton assumed leadership.[5] Subsequently, the studio was renamed BioWare Mythic.[6] In November 2009, EA implemented workforce reductions at Mythic amid broader company-wide layoffs.[7]
By 2012, the studio had returned to operating under the Mythic Entertainment name,[8] a fact later confirmed on the official Dark Age of Camelot website that year.[9]
Mythic / Microsoft lawsuit
In December 2003, Mythic filed a lawsuit against Microsoft alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition concerning Microsoft's then-upcoming MMORPG titled Mythica. Following the cancellation of that project, Mythic announced on May 25, 2004, that they had reached a settlement. Microsoft agreed to refrain from using or registering the Mythica name for future online games and transferred all related trademarks and domain names to Mythic.
Aliens Online
Aliens Online was an online first-person shooter/action game inspired by the film series. It featured competitive gameplay between marine squads and alien teams and was accessible via the GameStorm gaming platform.
Darkness Falls: The Crusade
Darkness Falls: The Crusade was a fantasy-themed MUD game available through America Online, GameStorm, and Centropolis Entertainment. It acted as a follow-up to Darkness Falls, which had previously been accessible on AOL and GameStorm, and played a notable role in shaping the creation of Dark Age of Camelot. By early 2006, the game was terminated along with most other titles within the Mythic-Realms gaming platform, with the exception of Dragon's Gate.
ID4 Online
Developed by Mythic and published under Centropolis Interactive, ID4 Online—also referred to as Independence Day Online—was another addition to the lineup.
Dark Age of Camelot
In late 1999, Mythic embarked on creating Dark Age of Camelot, allocating a budget exceeding twice that of their earlier projects. This initiative marked their initial entry into the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) sector.
The development team was headed by lead programmer Rob Denton alongside producer Matt Firor. The title’s ongoing development and support were managed concurrently with other EA Mythic endeavors such as Warhammer Online. Following Mythic’s closure, co-founder Rob Denton established Broadsword Games on February 5, 2014, transferring responsibility for Dark Age of Camelot to this new studio to maintain continued support.
Imperator Online
Announced in 2002, Imperator Online was a science fiction MMORPG envisioned by Mythic, set in an alternate timeline where the Roman Republic had advanced into a space-faring civilization. Despite its distinctive concept, the project was discontinued in July 2005 after Mark Jacobs acquired the license for Warhammer Online from Games Workshop.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
On May 18, 2005, during E3, Mythic revealed it had secured the rights to develop an MMORPG based on the Warhammer Fantasy universe titled Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The game launched on September 18, 2008, and remained operational until it was officially shut down on December 18, 2013.
Catalog of Titles
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under Interworld Productions | |||
| 1996 | Dragon's Gate | Windows | |
| Rolemaster: Magestorm | Windows | ||
| Under Mythic Entertainment | |||
| 1998 | Aliens Online | Windows | |
| Godzilla Online | Windows | ||
| Starship Troopers: Battlespace | Windows | ||
| 1999 | Darkness Falls: The Crusade | Windows | |
| Spellbinder: The Nexus Conflict | Windows | ||
| 2000 | ID4 Online | Windows | |
| 2001 | Dark Age of Camelot | Windows | |
| 2003 | Dark Age of Camelot: Trials of Atlantis | Windows | |
| 2004 | Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs | Windows | |
| 2005 | Dark Age of Camelot: Darkness Rising | Windows | |
| 2008 | Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning | Windows | |
| 2009 | Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss | Windows | |
| Under BioWare Mythic | |||
| 2011 | Dragon Age II | Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Collaboration with BioWare Edmonton |
| Under Mythic Entertainment | |||
| 2013 | Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar | iOS | |
| 2014 | Dungeon Keeper | Android, iOS | |
External links
- Articles with short description
- BioWare
- Electronic Arts subsidiaries
- Companies located in Fairfax, Virginia
- Video game developers founded in 1995
- Video game developers closed in 2014
- Defunct Virginia-based companies
- Defunct American video game firms
- MUD organizations
- Video game development studios
- Defunct video game companies of the United States