EA Announces Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn (Working Title) is the press release officially announcing the recently unveiled retro-update for Ultima Online, which reveals details on other new additions the add-on will offer besides a graphical upgrade. Here's word on the expansion, due for release next year:

Much more than an expansion, Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn is a complete make-over of the online world with a new graphics engine, a state-of-the-art user interface and enough new content for even the most seasoned players. Additionally, nine years of content and features will be preserved and enhanced with all-new graphics, making Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn one of the largest and deepest massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) in existence.

"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.