Ultima Online 2

Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (UWO:O) &mdash; originally titled Ultima Online 2 (UO2) &mdash; was to be the first sequel to the popular 1997 massively multiplayer online role-playing game Ultima Online. Origin Systems revealed that they were developing UO2 in September 1999 for release within a year or two, but development was cancelled in March 2001.

UO2 was to be set in Sosaria but in an alternate timeline where a failed attempt by Lord British to re-combine the shards of the Gem of Immortality resulted in a cataclysm that collided the past, present and future of Sosaria into a single world, thus bringing Industrial Revolution and steampunk elements to the medieval fantasy world. Players would be able to choose from three playable races:
 * Juka - warriors from the Logos, the land of technology governed by Blackthorn
 * Meer - magically adept beings from ancient Sosaria
 * Humans - from Britannia

UO2, billed as a "2nd generation MMORPG", was to improve upon Ultima Online and previous MMORPGs. The most noticeable advancement was the competitive 3D engine that replaced UO's aging isometric view. The design also changed several aspects that players voiced dislike for in the original UO. In UO2, player vs. player combat was to be disabled by default (except in special areas, such as arenas). The game also would have emphasized grouping, including groups of 20-30 players, and reduced the ability of single players to become all-around grand-masters (i.e., prevent the notorious "tank-mage" characters that appeared in UO).

In March 2001, Electronic Arts (parent company of Origin) announced that development on Ultima Worlds Online: Origin would cease in order to provide additional support for Ultima Online. Shortly after, EA announced it had laid off 200 employees including some at Origin Systems. EA feared that UO2 would compete for subscribers with UO, which was still profitable and not showing signs of slowing down. About one-third of the team that worked on UO2 joined Destination Games to work on Richard Garriott's MMORPG, Tabula Rasa.

Just a few years later, history repeated itself when EA cancelled Ultima X: Odyssey in 2004.

Trivia

 * In Ultima IX: Ascension, the televisions in the Avatar's home on Earth show advertisements for Ultima Online 2.
 * The novel trilogy The Technocrat War plays in UO2's world and was meant as big advertisement. Ironically, the novel trilogy was completely released while the game was scrapped. Even more ironical, the game was cancelled by EA a mere month before the first book was published.