Mythic Entertainment and Electronic Arts have announced that Stygian Abyss, the newest expansion for Ultima Online, will be released this summer. The expansion will revolve around the the Gargoyles, a new playable race.

New areas will also be introduced, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss dungeon, which is the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. Stygian Abyss will be released via digital distribution only, so don't expect to find this one in stores. More information on the expansion can be found after the jump.

For those who have lost track over the years, Ultima Online was released in September 1997. That's almost 12 years of MMO memories. If you have any to share with us as we await the release of Stygian Abyss, let us know!

FAIRFAX, Va. – April 29, 2009 – Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today officially announced Ultima Online™: Stygian Abyss™ the upcoming expansion to legendary MMORPG Ultima Online™. Slated for release this summer, Stygian Abyss will be the eighth expansion to one of the longest-running MMORPGs in the genre’s history. The expansion will introduce a flood of new content for the citizens of Britannia to explore and conquer.

Stygian Abyss revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Since taking center stage in the original Ultima series, Gargoyles have been a fascinating part of the Ultima story – now, Ultima Online players can enjoy Gargoyles firsthand, with a variety of unique skills, including Throwing, Imbuing and Mysticism.

“Ultima Online has a unique place in the history of online games – it was the first truly successful MMORPG and it showed that there was a real market for these types of games,” said Mark Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “UO is still going strong and we can’t wait to throw open the gates to the Stygian Abyss.”

Players will find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss dungeon itself – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. The dungeon will contain new boss monsters of unparalleled difficulty including the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones where adventurers will be turned against each other.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion requires the original Ultima Online game to play and will be available in the Summer of 2009 via digital distribution only. To find out more information about the Gargoyle race, skills and lands, please visit the Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss website: http://www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss