The MMORPG Ultima Online loses an important employee. This is the game’s producer, who has been part of the team for many years and managed the project. The community is now uncertain about the future of Ultima Online.
Who is it about? Bonnie Armstrong is no stranger to fans of Ultima Online. This is mainly because she was involved as a producer for many years and oversaw the MMORPG.
Ultima Online has been around for 27 years, and Armstrong was on board for a full 26 years of it. Now her time with the old-school MMORPG ends, which has provided some memorable moments for some. In a statement, she announces her resignation as producer and explains what her future holds.
Ultima Online wanted to reinvent itself after 26 years and introduced Legacy Servers. Here you can see the trailer for it:
Armstrong longs for a quieter life
What does the producer say? Bonnie Armstrong spoke in the forum of Ultima Online and explained that she will pass all the tasks of a producer to her colleague Greg Havlusch.
So she is not completely leaving Ultima Online. Armstrong will remain loyal to the game. However, not as the person responsible for overseeing the entire project but in the area of customer support.
The reason for this decision is provided by Armstrong as well:
I am sure you are all curious why I am stepping down as a producer. I was the happiest person on Earth to be able to work with all the actors and the clever creative minds I have worked with now and in the past. But it is time for me to take a break to work in my greenhouse, play with the puppies, and snuggle with my husband.
Bonnie Armstrong in the forum
So it is primarily private reasons that have led to the resignation. Armstrong adds at the end that the past 26 years have been a single highlight for her. The exchange with creative and passionate players would have been particularly beautiful. The decision to step back was not an easy one.
The community is divided
What do the players think? The resignation is causing discussions in the community of Ultima Online. The user JC_the_Builder wrote a Reddit post addressing the concerns of some players. According to him, some fear that Ultima Online could soon be discontinued.
JC_the_Builder clearly disagrees. After all, Armstrong is passing her responsibilities to another experienced employee. Moreover, a lot has happened in the game in recent months. The user would bet money that Ultima Online will continue for a while.
In the comments, various opinions are shared. It often revolves around desired changes that could happen with a change at the top:
- “Hopefully Kyronix (in-game name of the new producer Greg Havlusch) will work towards some classic era servers,” wishes Bradley T1190.
- “The essence of UO is nostalgia. If they could get that right, I would return as a paying customer,” says Radiant_Knowledge_59.
- “Regardless of what happens with Bonnie or anyone at Broadsword, UO will remain completely unaffected,” thinks Circushazards.
- “UO has made a number of missteps. I’m not sure anyone can correct the course, and I must say that your (Armstrong’s) farewell letter… sounded off,” writes pugs-and-kisses.
The future will show how it goes on with Ultima Online. Currently, however, there are no signs from the developers that the game could come to an end soon. Even today, there are aspects of the game that make Ultima Online really good. One of them has to do with the beautiful homes: The 5 MMORPGs with the best housing in 2025
