Ultima Worlds Online: Origin
| Company type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Fate | Development of Ultima Worlds Online: Origin cancelled; staff layoffs and transition to other projects |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (UWO:O), originally known as Ultima Online 2 (), was designed to serve as the inaugural sequel to the 1997 MMORPG Ultima Online. The development was announced by Origin Systems in September 1999, with an anticipated launch window of one to two years; however, the project was ultimately discontinued on March 21, 2001.
The game was set within an alternate timeline of Sosaria where elements from the past, present, and future intersected, introducing themes inspired by the Industrial Revolution and steampunk into its medieval fantasy environment. Players had the option to select from three distinct races:
- Juka – fierce warriors hailing from the technologically advanced realm of Logos
- Meer – spellcasters originating from ancient Sosaria
- Humans – inhabitants native to Britannia
Marketed as a "second generation MMORPG," the title utilized a competitive 3D graphics engine that replaced the original Ultima Online's isometric perspective. It incorporated player feedback by disabling player-versus-player combat by default—except within specific arenas—promoted large-scale group engagements involving 20 to 30 participants, and restricted single-player character specialization to avoid overpowering "tank-mage" combinations.
In March 2001, Electronic Arts, the parent company, halted development to concentrate resources on maintaining the still-profitable Ultima Online. This decision also led to layoffs affecting around 200 employees, including personnel at Origin Systems. EA expressed concerns that UWO:O might reduce the subscriber base of Ultima Online. Roughly one-third of the development staff transitioned to Destination Games to work on Richard Garriott's MMORPG Tabula Rasa, which was discontinued in 2009 following a short lifespan.
This approach was mirrored by EA when it cancelled Ultima X: Odyssey in 2004.
The game's soundtrack featured contributions from the industrial band Grim Faeries, comprised of Xtina X (Christina Petro), Mikee Plastik, and Curse Mackey. Their song "Love Is Hell" was featured in the initial game trailer released via PC Gamer magazine in June 2000, increasing the band's international exposure. A second track titled "Faerie Raide," remixed at Ken "HiWatt" Marshall’s studio, appeared in the subsequent trailer. Curse Mackey composed a total of 38 musical pieces for this project.